Simple Cake Decorating Techniques. When You Know Them, Decorating A Cake Is A Piece Of Cake.

by Steven McIntosh
http://allinonefood.com

The number of different cake decorating techniques you can use to add the finishing touches to your cake are almost limitless. As important as it is to understand the different cake decorating techniques, it is also important to know and understand how to use different tools for decorating a cake. So lets start there, because when used properly tools used to decorate cakes are your best friend when your trying to give your cake the appeal your looking for. Some cake decorating tools require a little practice in order to masterfully sculpt your cake the way you want it, tools such as the pastry bag or the paper cone. A few other techniques don't require much practice, but has alot to do with keeping your hand steady and your work neat.

Tools:

These are a some tools you need for decorating cakes.

Palette knife or steel spatula: A spatula with a long, flexible blade for spreading and smoothing icings and fillings.

Offset palette knife: A palette knife with an angled blade that enables you to spread batters and creams inside pans.

Serrated knife: A scalloped-edge knife for cutting cakes and for splitting cake layers horizontally into thinner layers.

Icing screens or grates: Open mesh screens for holding cakes that are being iced with a flow-type icing, like fondant. Excess icing drips off the cake and is collected on a tray under the rack.

Turntable: A pedestal with a flat, rotating top, which simplifies the job of icing cakes.

Icing Comb: Used for applying a grooved or ridged pattern to the sides of iced cakes, the icing comb is a plastic triangle with toothed or serrated edges. The edge of the comb is held stationary in a vertical position against one side of the cake while the turntable is rotated.

Plastic or steel scraper: The flat edge is easily used to make the icing on the sides of a cake perfectly smooth. The technique is the same as the technique for using the icing comb.

Brushes: Used to remove crumbs from a cake, to apply dessert syrups to sponge cake layers, and to glaze the surfaces of cakes with apricot glaze and other coatings.

Sugar dredger: Looks like a large metal saltshaker. Used to dust cakes with confectioners' sugar.

Cake rings or charlotte rings: Stainless-steel rings of different diameters and heights. Cakes are assembled inside these rings when they include soft fillings.

Cake cards and doilies: Layer cakes are placed on cardboard circles when being assembled. This makes them easy to ice and to move after icing. For easy attractive display, place a paper doily 4 inches larger than the cake on a cake card 2 inches larger than the cake.

Parchment paper: For making paper cones.

Pastry bag and tips: For making borders, inscriptions, flowers, and other designs out of icing. The basic tips for a pastry bag are:

Plain(round)tips: for writing and making lines, beads, dots, and more. You can also use the plain tip to pipe sponge batters, creams, and choux paste and to fill choux pastries and other items.

Star tips: for making rosettes, shells, stars, and different borders.

Rose tips: for making flower petals. These tips have a slit-shaped opening that is wider at one end than at the other.

Leaf tips: for making leaves.

Ribbon or basketweave tips: for making smooth or ridged stripes or ribbons. These have a slit opening that is ridged on one side.

St-Honore tip: this tip has a round opening with a V-shaped slit on one side.

The plain tips and the star tips are the most important kind of tips you need to know. Although there are many other specialized tips used for unusual shapes. The plain and the star tips make a wide variety of decorations. Majority of cake decorations are made with these two tips.

Using The Paper Cone

The paper cone is an inexpensive tool and is used alot in decorating cakes. It is especially important when you are using different colors. All you have to do is simply make a separate cone for each color icing. The paper cones are usually used without metal tubes and are used for delicate work, like writing inscriptions and for making line drawings and patterns. For even more delicate cake decorations, a special type of plastic or cellophane is available. Cellophane makes finer lines than paper because a small, cleaner opening can be cut on the tip.

To be successful with using a paper cone or a pastry bag it is important to know two things:

The Consistency Of The Icing: The icing shouldn't be too thick or too thin. With the paper cone or the pastry bag, the icing must be thin enough to flow freely from the opening but not too thin to form a solid thread. Stiff icing is difficult to force through the opening and tends to break off. For flowers and large decorations, the icing must be stiffer so that it holds its shape.
The Pressure on the Cone or Bag: For neat, exact decorations, pressure control is necessary.

There are two methods used to make decorations, the Contact Method and the Falling Method.

The Falling Method

Its called the falling method because the cone is held above the surface, and the icing is allowed to fall or drop from the tip of the cone onto the surface being decorated. This method is used to make lines of even thickness on horizontal surfaces. Most paper cone work is done this way, usually with royal icing, fondant, chocolate fondant, melted chocolate, or piping chocolate.

For the falling method hold the cone vertically. Touch the tip of the cone to the surface to attach the icing to the point where you want the line to start. Once you begin to squeeze the cone, lift the tip of the cone from the surface and start your line. Hold the cone about 1 inch from the surface and start your line. Hold the cone about 1 inch from the surface as you trace your pattern. The thread of icing is suspended in air between the tip of the cone and the surface being decorated. Keep the pressure light and constant. To finish a line, lower the tip of the cone and touch the surface at the point where you want the line to end. Then at the same time stop squeezing the cone.

This method allows you to make very fine, delicate lines and patterns while keeping the thickness of the line perfectly even. The opening in the tip of the cone should be cut small. It might seem difficult to control the line while holding the cone an inch above the surface at first, but with a little practice you should get the hang of it. Practice on a paper plate and when you get the hang of it you will be able to make very precise patterns.

The Contact Method

The Contact Method is used in two ways:

When you want to vary the thickness of the line.
when you want to decorate a vertical surface, like the side of a cake.

Hold the cone like you would a pen, with the tip in contact with the surface and at an angle of about 30 to 45 dergrees. Draw lines the same way you would draw lines on paper with a pen. Control the thickness of the line by adjusting the pressure of your thumb. Squeezing harder makes a thicker line. It will take some practice to control the thickness of the line. Royal icing, fondant, and chocolate, buttercream are used for decorating with the contact method.

How To Decorate With A Paper Cone

To make the paper cone:

Make a small triangle with a parchment paper.
Hold the cone with your fingertip in the center of the long side and curl one side.
Curl the other side around to complete the cone.
Fold over the peak at the open end of the cone to secure it.

For a sturdier double cone:

Cut a longer triangle.
Start it the same way you would a single cone.
Twist the long end around twice to complete the cone.
Complete single and double cones.

Now you have made your paper cone, simple right. Now its time to put it to use.

Fill the cone about half full of icing. It is harder to squeeze the cone if you fill it too full.
Fold down the top of the cone to close the open end.
Using scissors, cut off a very small piece of the tip of the cone. It is better to make the opening too small than too large. Squeeze out a little of the icing to test the cone. You can cut off a little more of the tip to enlarge the opening.
Hold the top end of the cone between the thumb and the first two fingers of the right hand(if your left handed its the opposite way). The fingers should be positioned so they hold the folded end closed and at the same time apply pressure to squeeze the icing from the cone.
The left hand does not squeeze the cone. Lightly hold the index finger of the left hand against the thumb of the right hand or against the cone in order to steady your right hand and help guide it.
Use either the contact method or the falling method to create different types of decorations and inscriptions.

Using The Pastry Bag

The advantage of using the pastry bag is that it makes it easy to use different metal tips to create a wide variety of designs. A pastry bag also holds more icing than a paper cone. Whenever using a pastry bag it is important to thoroughly clean them, that's if they aren't reusable.

How You Fill and Use a Pastry Bag

Fit the metal tip you desire into the pastry bag.
If the filling or icing your using is too thin, twist the bag just above the tip and force it into the tip. This will prevent the filling from running out of the bag while the bag is being filled.
Turn down the top of the bag into a sort of collar. Slip your hand under this collar and hold the top open with your thumb and forefinger.
Fill the bag half to three-quarters full. Stiff icing is harder to force through the bag, so the bag should be less filled if your using a stiff icing.
Turn the top of the bag up again. Gather the loose top together and hold it shut with the thumb and forefinger of your right hand(if your right handed).
To force out the icing or cream, squeeze the top of the bag in the palm of your hand.
The fingers of the left hand are used to lightly guide the tip of the bag, not to squeeze the bottom of the bag. The left hand is sometimes used to hold the item being filled or decorated.

When it comes to decorating any cake, the icing is very important. Icings, also called frostings, are sweet coatings for cakes and are very important to the cake decor. Icings have three main functions,

they contribute flavor and richness
they improve appearance
improve keeping qualities by forming protective coatings around the cake

Use top-quality flavorings for icings so they enhance the cake not detract from it.

There are several different icings you can use for a cake:

Fondant, a sugar syrup that is crystallized to a smooth, creamy white mass.

Buttercreams, are light, smooth mixtures of fat and sugar. You can also add eggs to increase their smoothness or lightness. They are also easy to flavor and color.

Royal or decorator's icing, is similar to flat icings except that it is much thicker and made with egg whites, which make it hard and brittle when dry.

Glazes, are thin, glossy, transparent coating that give a shine to baked products and help prevent drying. The simplest glaze is a sugar syrup or diluted corn syrup.

Foam-type icings, are simple meringues made with a boiling syrup.

Fudge-type icings, are rich and heavy. Most of them are made like candy and can be flavored many different ways.

Flat-type icings, are simply mixtures of confectioners' sugar and water, sometimes with corn syrup and flavoring added.

The flavor, texture, and color of the icing must be compatible with the cake. The flavor of the icing should not be stronger than that of the cake. I recommend that you try not to use loud colors in your icing. Light, pastel shades are more appealing. So try to use color sparingly.

OTHER DECORATIONS FOR CAKES

You can organize your decoration of the cake by dividing the cake into portions by marking the icing on top with the back of a long knife. First mark the cake in quarters, then divide each quarter in half, thirds, or fourths, depending on the size of the wedding cake and the number of pieces desired. Decorate the cake in a repetitive pattern so that each slice has the same decorations. The advantage of marking the cake into wedges is that it provides portion control. Each slice, when cut and served, remains an attractive decoration.

Masking The Sides: Apply a coating of chopped or sliced nuts, coconut, chocolate sprinkles, chocolate shavings, cake crumbs, or another material to the sides of the wedding cake. You can coat the sides completely or just the bottom edge.

Stenciling: Designs made on the wedding cake by masking part of the top with paper cutouts or paper doilies and then sprinkling the top of the cake with confectioners' sugar, cocoa, ground nuts, shaved chocolate, cake crumbs, praline powder, or another fine material. Carefully remove the paper pattern to reveal the design.

Marbling: Technique mostly used with fondant. Ice the top of the wedding cake with one color fondant, then pipe lines or spirals in a contrasting color. Then quickly before the icing sets, draw the back of your knife through the icing to marble it.

Palette Knife Patterns: As soon as the cake is iced, the icing can be textured quickly and easily using a palette knife. To make a spiral pattern, leave the cake on the turntable and press the rounded end of the blade lightly into the icing at the center of the cake. Slowly turn the cake, at the same time gradually draw the tip of the palette knife to the outer edge of the cake. Other patterns, such as straight, parallel ridges, can be made with the palette knife and then marbled.

Piping Jelly: Piping jelly is a transparent, sweet jelly you can use for decorating your cake. It is available in different colors and in a clear, colorless form you can color yourself. Piping jelly can be piped directly onto a cake with a paper cone. Another way to use piping jelly is to make jelly transfers. These are colored pictures that are made ahead of time and applied to cakes as needed.

Fruits, Nuts, and Other Items: Arranging fruits, nuts, and other items on your wedding cake is an easy, effective way to decorate your cake while adding attractive patterns, flavor, and appeal. This decorating technique is especially good for cakes that have been marked off into portions. It is important to use items appropriate to the flavor of your cake. Items such as whole strawberries, sweet cherries, glaceed fruits, pecan halves, walnut halves, small candies, chocolate truffles, chocolate curls, marzipan cutouts, and many more can be used to decorate your cake. The choices are nearly limitless.

Decorating Order

This is a basic decorating sequence you can follow.

Coat the sides of the cake with nuts, crumbs, or other coatings, before or after decorating. Mask the sides first if the top decorations are delicate and have a chance of getting damaged when the cake is being handled. If marbling the top of the wedding cake or using some other technique that disturbs the icing on the sides of the cake, then mask the sides afterwards.
Put any inscription or message on the cake first.
Add borders and paper cone designs.
Add flowers, leaves, and similar decorations made with a pastry bag.
Add additional items such as fruits, nuts, or candies.

Decorating a cake is an art and to truly be good at it will take a little practice. I have been baking and decorating my own cakes for quite a while now and I am always looking for great ideas and tips. You can always learn something new when it comes to cooking and baking is no different. I always go to one place when I am looking for different ideas to decorate my cakes. I highly recommend this site because they are extremely helpful and professional. They not only help you with cake decorating but they also help you with cookie decorating and more. If I didn't help you with your cake decorating venture they sure will. You can check it out for yourself here.

Article submitted Saturday, May 30, 2009 & read 8214 times.

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