Cake decorating is taking the cake from a plain dessert into a work of art. The icing can be shaped into different patterns, and it’s all about changing the outside of the cake to match the theme of the event being held.
You’ll need a few tools to get started. A turn table is important 레터링케이크 because it helps you achieve a smooth buttercream finish.
Buttercream
Buttercream is a sweet frosting used to fill, coat or decorate cakes. It is made from whipped butter, sugar and some type of liquid (like milk or water). Buttercream can also be flavored, with vanilla being the most common. If the cake is being decorated, food coloring may be added as well.
The consistency of buttercream is important, it should be spreadable and able to hold a stiff peak when piped. It is best if the frosting has been refrigerated and brought back to room temperature before using. The temperature of the butter is also key, it should be soft enough to easily make an indent with your thumb.
To decorate the cake with buttercream, use a piping bag to create flowers or other shapes. You can also drag the tines of a fork through it to create thin ridges or swirl the back of a spoon to make fun zig-zags.
Fondant
Fondant is a sugar mixture that can be moulded, rolled and shaped to cover cakes and other pastries, or formed into decorations with real wow factor. It can be coloured, too, so cake designers are not limited in their creative ideas for decorating cakes with this material.
Like buttercream, fondant can be sculpted to make three-dimensional shapes that can add a very professional look to a finished cake. However, it can be more difficult for a beginner to work with than a smoother icing such as buttercream.
Fondant dries very quickly, so keep it well-wrapped in plastic while not being used. To prevent cracking, sprinkle your counter or a mat with powdered sugar or cornstarch before working with it. You can also purchase a fondant mat that will show you how big of a circle to roll out depending on the size of your cake. Also, remember to always roll out a larger piece of fondant than you need so that when you move it to the cake, it covers it without any gaps or tears.
Marzipan
A smooth and pliable confectionery paste made from ground almonds and sugar, marzipan is ideal for covering cakes and molding into figures. It’s also a great base for creating themed edible decorations like flowers, fruits and animals for festive cakes and sweet table centerpieces.
To make marzipan, combine the sugars and almond flour in a saucepan over low heat. Stir the mixture until it comes together and resembles a dough. Remove the pan from the heat and cool the marzipan on a work surface dusted with icing sugar. Knead the marzipan to smooth it. Add a few drops of food coloring to achieve the desired shade of marzipan.
Using the same technique as with fondant, roll a small piece of marzipan into a circle the size of your cake. Press the marzipan onto your cake, and smooth it with your fingers or a fondant smoother.
Rosettes
One of the easiest and prettiest frosting decorations to make, rosettes are a must-have for any buttercream cake. Whether they’re topping individual cupcakes or covering towering layer cakes, they’re the perfect way to add elegant beauty and elevate any dessert.
The technique for piping rosettes is similar to how you pipe frosting swirls. Start with a center circle, and work your way around to the outside edge. Be sure to overlap each rosette with the tail of the last – this helps keep the frosting looking neat and tidy.
Consider using couplers or the bag-in-bag method if you’re working with multiple frosting colors and rosette sizes. This will help you avoid having to empty and re-fill your icing bag with each color change.
For the best results, apply a crumb coat to your cake before piping rosettes. This will help prevent any crumbs from showing through in between each swirl of frosting.
Shells
A shell border is a great way to decorate your cake. This simple technique is one of the most popular and easiest to master.
To pipe a shell, hold your piping tip at a 45 degree angle and squeeze as you gently pull away. This creates the thinner tail end of your shell. Then, continue piping the rest of your shell.
You can use this same technique with a variety of tips to create different looks, such as a beaded edge or a spiral rosettes. Just be sure to practice before using this on your cake!
A closed star tip, also known as a shell tip, is probably the most versatile tool in your piping arsenal. It works with any type of buttercream and can be used to pipe borders, drop flowers, scrolls, leaves, stars, or even a beautiful spiral rosette. This is a must-have tip for every decorator.
Zig-Zags
If you watch a lot of cake decorating YouTube videos you’ll see professionals using a whole host of tools to create some pretty impressive effects. They might do it better than you, but the truth is, if they can make a cute looking cake without a bunch of fancy tools then so can you.
One way to add zig zag patterns to your borders is to use the creases in parchment paper as stencils. To make this, simply wrap a piece of parchment around your cake and then mark where you want the zig zags to be. Then fold it in half horizontally and vertically so that there are dots where the creases meet. Once you’ve done that cut diagonally up from the bottom of one dot to the top of the next dot. Repeat this all the way round the cake.