Sometimes the simplest decorations are the most appealing.
Play up the shape of any cake with bold graphic decorations that outline the cake's design as a whole. From cakes shaped like cars and trains to flowers and bunnies, finishing touches with colorful decorations and embellishments will give your cake a definite theme. Quality gels and frosting tools will help you execute a hassle-free design that looks professional and appetizing. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Holiday
Stick to a monochromatic color scheme with subtle accents for formal designs.
Design formal holiday cakes with understated elegance. For example, decorate a Christmas tree cake with white frosting and wisps of green gel mimicking the branches of an authentic fir tree. For a menorah-shaped cake, opt for white frosting with gold gel accents representing candle flames. Decorate a casual snowman cake with white frosting spread in a scalloped patten. Sprinkle with chocolate jimmies and silver nonpareils. For the snowman's eyes, use large chocolate chips. Frost a reindeer cake with pastel brown frosting outlined and dotted with white frosting for a fawn effect. Use a cinnamon candy for a Rudolf nose, or use a black licorice candy for a classic nose.
Flowers
Create multiple flower shapes with a variety of pastry frosting tips.
"Botanical" cakes shaped like tulips or sunflowers call for vivid frosting colors and bold decorations. Decorate a tulip cake with a stem frosted in green and layered with sliced kiwi berries. Fill in the flower potion with a solid color frosting in a shade of pink or yellow. Sprinkle with matching colored sugar crystals. Create a contrasting color scheme for a sunflower cake with bright yellow frosting and a thick layer of chocolate jimmies or black confetti sprinkles in the center. For a defined center, cut out the bottom of an oatmeal container, place it in the middle of the cake and use as a funnel to guide for sprinkles to perfectly circular landing.
Transportation
Wrap gold candies in tin foil for silver headlights.
Whether it's a car, plane or truck-shaped cake, use fine tip gel decorations to place details such as windows and door handles. Create a sleek black and white race car design with a white frosting backdrop and black pinstripes down the side. Fill in wheels with coiled black string licorice and use chocolate foil-wrapped coins for headlights. For an airplane, use gray or blue gel decorations to draw passenger windows and the cockpit. Sprinkle the wings with red or blue sugar crystals. Load up a semi-truck cake with candy "cargo" decorations. For example, at the top of the truck, place gumballs and tangy fruit-flavored candies.
Animals
Decorate a kitten-shaped cake with pastel pink frosting and mini-marshmallows for the eyes and nose. Define the kitten's paws and tail with confetti sprinkles. For a bunny cake, use pink frosting for the ears and outline them with white or chocolate frosting. Create whiskers with red string licorice and make a button nose with a white-chocolate chip. A mermaid-shaped cake is ideal for using round candies as "scales." Opt for a variety of colors or choose two colors such as blue and green for an ocean-themed cake. Make long curly mermaid hair from flat strips of gummy candy.
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