Let’s decorate some cakes! Now, I want you to know up front that I’m not a cake decorator: I’m a cake devour-er. But I’ve found some tips, tricks, and tools for decorating cakes that I’m excited to share with you. They’ve taken my homemade cakes from “Wow, that is a lopsided monstrosity” to “Hmmm, that’s kinda pretty.” Some I use every time, some I use in certain circumstances. I’ll be sure to specify which is which so you can decide what to use when you’re cake decorating.
Having few cake tools at your disposal helps.
Icing spatulas, straight and offset
Both of these spatulas have a flat surface. The straight variety is typically longer and wider. It’s great for smoothing sides. An offset spatula is angled at the base, letting you reach every nook and cranny. I use an offset spatula often in my kitchen for smoothing batters and frosting sheet cakes and brownies, to name a few examples. These babies really are the key to a smooth iced cake.
Cake turntable and cake boards
I’ve recently started using each of these with my cakes and they have made a world of difference. A turntable spins and allows you to smooth icing easily without stopping to turn a cake stand or trying to reach around. It’s also a wonder when piping a border. Cake boards are just the ticket if you’re transporting a cake or moving it from the turntable to a cake plate. Buy rounds that are 1 to 2 inches larger than your cake.
Cake spatula/lifter
It looks a little like a pizza peel and is the answer to your prayers if you’re moving a cake without a cake board. Slide the spatula under the cake; it’s large enough to hold the entire thing.
Piping bags and tips
Piping bags are a must; please don’t try using a storage bag. (I’m saving you some tears here, and there’s no crying allowed in cake baking.) For frosting cakes, look for the larger 16-inch bags. A few icing tips will let you add some decoration to your cake without much effort.
I recommend star tips, plain tips, and a leaf tip. Star tips can make flowers (a Wilton 1M is a must) and starbursts. Plain tips are great for writing, and leaf tips are good for making, you guessed it, leaves.
Another great tip to have is a large cake icer tip. It’s flat on one side and ridged on the other. It makes icing the sides of a cake a breeze. I don’t use this every time I frost a cake, but I’m a big fan. (You’ll see it in action in a minute.)
You might have heard of Russian icing tips (they’ve been in the news lately, ha). Russian icing tips are made to produce an intricate flower shape in one fell swoop. Here’s the deal: they’re tricky. I don’t recommend planning to use them on a cake unless you’ve practiced quite a bit beforehand. Also, I think they’re better suited for cupcakes.
Waxed paper
This is one tip I never skip. Strips of waxed paper placed under the edge of the cake help with a clean edge. Once your cake is frosted, pull out the strips, and you have a clean edge. Pull the strips out before piping a decorative border.
Frosting consistency
Before frosting a cake, be sure that whatever frosting you’re using, whether Swiss meringue buttercream, American buttercream, or something else, is thick enough to stay on the sides of your cake. If it’s a little too runny, try adding powdered sugar or refrigerating it to thicken it up, depending on the type of frosting. A good rule of thumb is that the frosting should cling to a silicone spatula and not slide off unless the handle is tapped on the side of the bowl.
Crumb coat
A crumb coat is a light coating of frosting that smooths the cake and seals in crumbs. Take a bit of whatever frosting you’re using, and spread on a thin layer of frosting. If making a layer cake, a crumb coat also helps to fill in the gaps between layers. The turntable and an offset spatula make quick work of this. Once it’s finished, pop it in the fridge for an hour or so, then frost as desired. (I rarely take the time to crumb coat, but I’m always happy when I do—a little like exercising.)
Practice plate
This seems silly, but it helps so much. If you’re going to be adding decorative piping to your cake, practice with your tips first. Practicing ahead of time actually made me rethink which leaf tip I was going to use on the cake I’m about to show you.
Here are 4 simple ways to decorate a cake. Julie has a helpful post on Food & Friends with the basics for frosting cakes and making layers; it’s a great place to start.
Go floral
This looks way more difficult than it is. I frosted the entire cake with chocolate frosting, then made an American Buttercream. That was divided and tinted with gel paste food colorings. To make the large roses, I used that 1M tip I talked about earlier.
Smaller roses were made with a small star tip. The “kisses” of icing in turquoise were make using a star tip with lots of ridges, just squeeze and pull the bag straight up. Leaves were added last using a leaf tip.
Piped borders
This has to be one of the simplest ways to make a homemade cake look “fancy.” For this one, I used that 1M tip again, just squeezing the piping bag and using a quick up and down motion. I love the cake turntable for piping borders!
Get nutty
So, this method is the best one when you really aren’t happy about the way your sides look. Slap on some nuts. Place your cake stand or turntable over a rimmed cookie sheet.
Press nuts onto the frosting, letting the excess fall onto the sheet. I like to use toasted nuts.
Ombre
Here’s where that cake icer tip really comes in handy. Make shades of the same color frosting. Start with a crumb coat in the lightest shade.
Pipe a smooth line of frosting in each shade all the way around the cake.
Once the sides are covered, use the straight cake spatula to smooth the sides and blend the colors together. (Don’t try to do this while taking a photo.) The cake turntable really pays off in this instance.
The beauty of this method is, you can keep going around and around and around until you get the look you want.
Are there any cake decorating methods you’ve wanted to try?
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