How To Learn Cake Decorating

From birthdays to weddings, cakes are a must-have for celebrating any special occasion. Whether you're practising for an event or just want to brush upwards on your skills in your spare time, nosotros spoke with Peter Sidwell for his top tips and tools for how to decorate a cake.

Tools you need for block decoration
How to decorate a cake
Block decorating ideas
- How to make a drip block
- How to ice a naked block
- How to make an ombré cake
- How to make a mirror glaze cake

Tools you need for cake decoration

Having the correct tools to decorate your block will make your task a lot easier. While in that location are a lot of different devices that professionals use to perfect their bakes, Peter talks united states through a few of his favourite decorating tools and baking accessories .

one. A turntable

"This block stand'southward 360-caste rotation allows you lot to access all angles from whatever position. Information technology's cracking if yous're working on detailed decoration as you won't damage the cake when you're trying to manoeuvre around it," says Peter.

2. A palette knife

"This tool is great to have as office of your everyday blistering fix," Peter recommends. "It's a handy all-round palette for levelling icing on the pinnacle or in the middle of a cake."

Scrape mixing bowls, smother cake layers, and smooth out icing to your centre'due south content – the nylon head is sturdy enough to create clean lines, is stain and smell resistant, and won't scratch your non-stick blistering tins and trays .

Along with a standard palette pocketknife, Peter loves to take a stepped variation on paw likewise. "It helps me to smooth out icing, ganache, and glazes both horizontally and vertically."

3. A piping set

"This is the perfect tool for a beginner," Peter advises. "Yous can have lots of fun trying out designs with all the different nozzles. The best thing most this is that it'southward a full gear up with the piping pocketbook likewise!"

The pipage bag is durable and then you lot tin can wash and reuse it as often every bit you need. There's even an icing rummage included for etching textured patterns into the sides of your frosting.

How to decorate a cake

i. Freeze the cake

Freezing a cake sounds like blistering irreverence – simply hear the states out.

The entire process of mixing up batter, baking, and decorating can take a long fourth dimension. For big creations with lots of different components, information technology tin can be worth tackling each part on a different mean solar day. Baking and cooling the cake on ane twenty-four hours, then freezing it and decorating it later in the week not just ways you lot can start to prep well in advance, just information technology tin brand the frosting procedure much smoother. Literally!

"If a cake is frozen, the buttercream won't come away from the cake as easily and makes it a bit easier to handle," Peter explains. Frozen cakes don't crumble as much when yous're layering on the frosting.

To freeze, let your cake cool completely before wrapping it in cling film and then a layer of tin foil to prevent any air getting to it. Frozen cakes will last up to three months in the freezer.

When yous're ready to decorate, take your cakes out of the freezer and get out them to chill at room temperature for i hour. If you try to decorate a cake that'southward fresh from the freezer and still frozen, it'll start to chill the frosting, so permit it thaw slightly first.

2. Level your cake

Cakes must exist flat on top to prevent the layers from leaning. And the level surface also means y'all'll have an even surface to work with when decorating. But since nigh cakes tend to dome in the oven as they broil, you'll have to cut off the dome to level them out.

"Use a block layer guide and a practiced, sharp, serrated knife," Peter advises. "A cake layer guide will guarantee that your cut volition be super even." It's a lot easier to cutting into cakes for layering and splitting when they're frozen.

1. Identify the block on a apartment surface with the dome side facing upwards.
2. Put the layer guide effectually the cake and adjust it to fit the circumference of your block.
3. Gently residue your palm on the dome of the cake to stop it from sliding most.
4. Using your serrated knife, slice into the peak slot of the guide that'south simply below the dome of your cake. Use soft sawing motions for a cleaner cutting.
5. Elevator off the dome from the cake.

3. Split up or tort your cake

Splitting, or torting, your cake is when you cut the cake horizontally to split information technology into separate layers. This is usually done when you want to add filling between the layers and stack them on pinnacle of each other. Having even layers of cake gives your finished bake more than stability and top.

To separate a cake using a cake guide, the process is similar to levelling off the top.

1. Place the block guide around your levelled cake.
2. Select a slot that's halfway downward the summit of your cake.
3. Rest your palm on the top and cut into your cake using a sawing motility.
4. Cut all the manner through until you accept two even layers of block.
5. Utilize a cake lifter to separate the layers earlier adding your filling.

If you don't have a cake layer guide, yous can also reach two even layers of cake by baking your concoction in separate cake pans .

"Counterbalance out each portion of cake batter to make sure each tier is equal in volume," Peter says. "Bake them on the aforementioned shelf in the oven, if y'all tin." If your cake domes in the oven, apply a cutting wire or serrated knife to evenly level the elevation of each layer.

A precise and honed pocketknife is crucial for cut into any cake, as even a slightly bent blade will give you a wonky consequence. Read our guide on how to sharpen a pocketknife to learn how to keep your blades in pristine condition.

4. Employ a crumb glaze

A crumb coat is the first layer of frosting that you use to the outside of your cake. It's a light coating that seals in any crumbs to stop them from peeking out and prevents the block itself from drying out.

"It also gives yous a make clean surface to apply the final layer of icing," Peter explains: "the crumb glaze helps to bond that final layer to the surface of your cake, resulting in a smoother finish."

1. Fill the layers of your block with a frosting of your choice.
2. Place your cake on a turntable .
3. Use a palette pocketknife to spread a thin layer of the crumb coat frosting around the sides and height of your cake.
4. Smooth the frosting out then that it's even. It's okay if yous can still run across crumbs, as long as the cake is covered in a thin layer, it will exist fine.
5. Let the crumb coat dry earlier applying your master frosting.

five. Ice your cake

With icing, there are ii primary types that you can choose from: buttercream or fondant.

Buttercream

Buttercream has a silky, fluffy texture that'south fabricated by beating icing saccharide with butter until it reaches a creamy consistency.

"Buttercream is slap-up for beginners and is really versatile," Peter tells us. "You tin can likewise add together colour and flavour easily." Its foolproof and universal nature makes it a corking choice for most layer cakes and cupcakes.

The benefits of buttercream icing are:

It'south smooth and creamy, perfect for frosting a block with
It'southward like shooting fish in a barrel to make from scratch
It doesn't dry out as fast equally fondant then it's more forgiving to piece of work with

To ice with buttercream:

Use a palette knife to spread the buttercream on top of your dried crumb coat.
With your free paw, rotate the turntable for a precise and even layer.
Adjacent, employ icing to the sides.
Swap to a bench scraper or dough cutter and use the flat edge to smooth the icing around the sides. Hold your scraper at a 90-caste angle on the side and use the turntable to rotate the cake.

Fondant

Fondant is a mixture of fondant sugar and water, which gives information technology a solid, putty-like texture that's rolled and placed on cakes in one single layer. It's much easier to accomplish a professional stop, and so it's perfect for wedding, birthday, character, and other occasion cakes.

"Fondant icing is improve for more than avant-garde designs," Peter agrees. "It also preserves the cakes for longer equally information technology makes the cake airtight. Only, don't forget that you'll nonetheless need to use a base layer of buttercream to prepare the fondant on for a clean, smooth end."

The benefits of fondant icing are:

Information technology'south much easier to create a polish, professional person terminate
Information technology's better for making detailed, intricate details
It preserves the cake improve than buttercream frosting

To apply fondant icing:

On a clean countertop lightly dusted with icing sugar, knead your fondant until it's soft and pliable.
Course information technology into a ball and utilise your hands to flatten it down into a circumvolve.
Roll the circumvolve out using a rolling pivot . Take care to proceed the piece of fondant roughly in a circle shape. This will ensure that it'll evenly cover your cake.
As you roll the fondant, you might observe air bubbles appear on the surface. Popular them with the sharp tip of a knife. Smooth over the popped bubble using your finger.
Keep rolling out the fondant until it'south one-half a centimetre thick and large enough to cover the entire surface of your cake.
Gently lift the fondant and lower it over your block taking care not to pull or stretch it. If there are areas around the base that the icing doesn't cover, get out the fondant loosely draped over the sides. Gravity and the weight of the fondant will stretch it downwardly.
Use your hands and icing smoother to smooth out the summit and sides of the cake. This volition also help to adhere the fondant to the crumb coat.
Run a sharp knife effectually the base of the block to trim abroad any excess fondant.

6. Add any decorations

There are lots of unlike decorations that will put the finishing touches to your block. From piping to sprinkles, here are a few popular decorations to effort:

Piping – Fill up your pipage bag and practice your flourishes with piped decorations. From stars to flowers to petals and swirls, you can create plenty of intricate designs with a quality icing prepare .
Flowers – As well as piped flowers, you tin can experiment with fondant, edible, and fifty-fifty real flowers to add together an elegant end to your bake. Only don't forget to remove real flowers before tucking in!
Lettering – The round nozzle tip for your pipe handbag is perfect for writing out messages. You tin can likewise employ letter of the alphabet stamps for a more than uniform finish.
Sprinkles – Funfetti cakes accept sprinkles baked into the batter to create a pretty rainbow interior, but that'southward not to stop you lot from adding them to the exterior of your cakes likewise!
Cardboard toppers – Popular for occasion cakes, cardboard toppers come in a range of unlike phrases and shapes. They're often attached to a long wooden skewer that's inserted into the summit of your cake.

Block decorating ideas

Now you know the basics to decorating a cake, allow's delve into some specifics.

Speciality cakes frequently call for a certain type of decoration, so permit's talk through how to create some of the about popular designs.

How to make a drip cake

Impress with piffling effort with a drip cake. Piece of cake to make just with a professional-looking finish, these cakes are a must-attempt, no matter your level of feel.

Drip cakes often apply a ganache icing that'southward poured over the top surface of the cake and left to run down the sides, creating private 'drips'.

1. Ice your cake with a buttercream frosting. Make sure that the surface is as shine every bit possible and that y'all accept information technology resting on a turntable.
2. Fill an icing bottle with your ganache icing.
3. Line up the nozzle around the outer edge of the surface of your cake.
4. Gently squeeze to release the ganache so that it runs onto the tiptop surface of the cake and flows over the corner, dripping down on the side.
5. Release your grip on the canteen as the ganache drips down and use your free mitt to rotate the cake.
6. Go along to squeeze out ganache as you movement effectually the circumference of the cake. The drips don't take to be uniform, varying the length and size of your drips really looks improve for this kind of block.
7. Once you've created drips around the entire block, fill in the centre with more icing.
8. Use a palette knife to evenly polish out the ganache on the height of the cake.

How to ice a naked block

Naked cakes have minimal icing on the outside; some parts are just slightly frosted to give a transparent look where the layers and filling within are exposed. Naked cakes are essentially cakes with a very thin nibble coating.

These rustic-fashion cakes take get increasingly popular for weddings and baby and conjugal showers thank you to their elegant advent.

1. Start with your layer block fully assembled on a turntable. Patently sponges piece of work really well with a thick layer of frosting in between the layers. Try dotting fresh fruit in the layers and then that they peek out the sides for a subtle pop of colour.
2. Make up a simple buttercream. A pale vanilla buttercream is oft used to complement a standard sponge cake.
3. Apply a thin layer of buttercream frosting all around the top and sides of your cake using a palette knife.
4. Use a bench scraper to smooth the icing out. Don't worry about information technology not beingness fifty-fifty, you desire information technology to look slightly patchy where the cake layers tin be seen underneath.

How to make an ombré block

Ombré cakes await technically impressive but are actually really uncomplicated to create. They showcase a gradient of colour along their sides; from pastel hues to bright rainbows, you tin can choose whatsoever colour combination you lot like.

To achieve a hitting ombré pattern, employ a buttercream frosting. It'due south easy to blend the colours seamlessly into each other and creates a block that'southward almost too pretty to eat.

Here's how to make an ombré cake with two different shades of the same colour.

1. Your constructed layer block should be crumb coated and ready to frost on a turntable.
2. Crush up a big batch of buttercream frosting. Or, use what'south leftover from your crumb coat icing, if y'all accept enough.
3. Divide your buttercream into three mixing bowls . You'll demand i for each shade that makes up your ombré – set 1 of these bated to make up the white tiptop layer of your block.
4. Add together a few drops of food colouring to the showtime of the two bowls that you lot have left. Mix until it reaches the shade that you desire.
5. Add together a few more drops of the same nutrient colouring to your second bowl to give the icing a stronger, darker hue. Mix until the frosting turns compatible. Yous should at present have one basin of white icing, 1 bowl of coloured icing, and a final bowl of icing that'southward slightly more intense in color.
6. Showtime with the darkest shade of icing and use a palette knife to employ information technology to the bottom 3rd of your cake. Don't worry about information technology being in an even layer, you'll smooth information technology out later on.
7. Apply the lighter shade of icing to the middle third of your cake. Clean your spatula between frosting layers so the colours don't mix.
8. Finally, add the white icing to the terminal third and top surface of your cake.
9. Using your clean spatula, polish over all the layers of icing. The colours should blend together seamlessly to create the ombré effect.

How to make a mirror glaze block

Unlike buttercream and fondant, mirror glazes are poured over a cake to create an ultra-shiny end.

Mirror glazes come from a traditional French technique called 'glaçage miroir', which is used to encase a range of broiled appurtenances in a glossy coating. To do as the French (patisseries) do, yous'll need to melt gelatin leaves with water to accomplish that signature sheen.

These cakes can take a few attempts to perfect, and then save them for occasions when you lot want to pull out all the stops. Mirror glazes also don't fare well over time, then these are best enjoyed on the day.

1. To make your mirror glaze, soak 7 gelatine leaves in cold water to soften. After five minutes, drain the water.
2. Whisk 200g carbohydrate, 200ml water, and 200g of condensed milk in a pan over a low heat and bring to a boil.
3. Add together in your softened gelatine leaves and whisk to combine.
4. Break up 350g of quality white chocolate in a large bowl.
5. Pour your sugar and gelatine mixture over the white chocolate. Get out it to sit for a few minutes until the chocolate melts. Mix to combine.
6. At this stage, your mirror glaze will be pale in colour. If you lot want to make a single-colour glaze, add together your food colouring to the bowl. If y'all want to create a marbled effect with different colours, split your glaze into separate bowls and add together your colouring to each 1.
7. Stir your coat oftentimes until it cools to 32 degrees.
8. Equally your glaze is cooling, move your block onto a cooling rack that'south placed over a deep baking tray . This will grab any run-off glaze.
9. Pour your glaze over your block. If you lot've made multiple colours, alternate colours as you lot pour to evenly distribute them over your block.
10. Set it in the fridge for an hour before serving.

Decorate a block that'south certain to print

No matter how succulent your cake is, the decoration is the outset matter that's going to print your guests.

Make a memorable first impression and serve upward a slice of perfection past making sure you have all the tools you need to refine your cake decorating skills.