As a child, I loved chocolate cakes, the ones with the red and green sweet icing. After the cake, I liked to drink the water I carried with me in the clear bottle. I also ate my fair share of chocolate desserts, both chocolate and ice cream. But those were a lifetime ago.
Sweet, sweet memory
My memory of a chocolate cake has been called a love affair. It was special enough to be married. The honey flavor of the chocolate cake accompanied my mood during those happy days.
My memory of that cake has been replaced by today’s blends of flavors, colors, and tastes. I remember a time when cakes had just chocolate and frosting.
Now, there are many kinds of cakes with many colors, textures, and flavors. The color icing is no longer the only part of the cake we can see. Cake decorators have now added heart patterns, stars, and cartoon characters. These make for so many more creative ideas when it comes to designing the perfect cake.
Be creative when decorating
One of my favorite parts about designing cakes is the customer’s reaction. The first reaction is leery or wary, but when the reactions start flowing in my direction, I become more overcome. You don’t realize this until you’ve made a couple of cakes and actually seen the reaction of the person decorating it.
All along the way, I’ve become more creative and come up with my own ways to cope with the work. To help me cope I’ve collected some of my favorite tips and techniques. Below you’ll find some of my favorite tips, as well as ways to save time and fuel when decorating cakes.
Useful tips for decorating cakes
- Make the cake first.
- This is the most important tip you can possibly follow. In order to get the most layers into one cake, you must first make a very thin layer of icing or frosting.
- Obliterate the layer of crumbs that were on the bottom of the cake. This layer should be as thin as possible, yet not so thin the icing or frosting won’t hold up.
- Stick two or three layers of frosting to the bottom. The frosting should never be more than one layer thick.
- Of icing or frosting in the middle of the cake. This is where the main cake decoration will be made. The icing or frosting should never be more than one layer thick.
- Once the icing/frosting is dry, you can add any other frosting to the top of the cake. Never add more than the top layer.
- Be sure to have a plate or a honey recipient at the side of the cake as a place to eat the cake.
- If the frosting is too thin, this means you need to decorate the top of the cake with more icing or add another cake to the cake stack. E.g. You need to add another layer of cupcakes or another cake to the cake stack.
- Too thick. Imagine trying to have a chicken and rice dinner in two layers. This is usually a sign that you need to thaw it and then re-freeze it. If you have it out and ready to thaw, then it’s healthy. But if it’s not, then it means you need to have it out and thaw it properly.
- Consult a good guide when you choose the right kind of icing and use it for the right layer. Thicker icings will work for thicker layers, so you can use a lot less. And remember to adjust how thick you cut the icing because you probably want it to stick to the layer of cake, not crumble.
This is also important
But here is another thing to remember, when you apply the icing to the bottom of the cake pan, make sure you don’t put the icing on top of the layer that already exists on the top. This is the famous phenomenon known as crumbs sticking to the pan.
Always allow your icing to completely dry before you proceed with decorating the top.
You can use fondant to implement designs that look dreamy or whimsical. But remember, if the fondant is too thick, the designs will be lost. And meanwhile, the fruit, as well as the flowers, will stay intact.
As for buttercream, you can use any type of cake mix that you may have at home. You can also use prepared fondants to have more control over the consistency and the viscosity of the buttercream. But you need to know that when you use premade mixes, the buttercream will come out more sticky than when you make the mix yourself. And maybe even more delicious.
In case there is a little bit of a mess left behind you after decorating the cake, call a commercial cleaning Alexandria. You don’t have to bother about that. Just enjoy your creation.
Now that you know how to decorate a cake think about how to decorate your new home. Call a mortgage La Sierra and start fantasizing.