Practice a lot when you are learning decorate cakes.
Cake decorating is an art, but with practice, it is something that many people can handle. However, when you are just getting started, you need plenty of practice. Take classes or simply try out new techniques on your own. Be prepared for cake decorating by purchasing the proper equipment and tools that will make the process easier. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Tools
Before you get started on your cake decorating, you will need to purchase some basic tools that will make the process easier. For example, select a pastry bag and a variety of tips, such as a small tip for writing, a shell tip for borders and a star tip for textured design. Other useful tools are a rolling pin for fondant, gel food coloring for dying frosting and an offset spatula for frosting the cakes.
Frosting Borders
One of the most basic skills for a cake decorator is creating a border around the top edge and the base of a cake. Practice creating borders using the pastry bag and a tip and piping onto a paper plate or a piece of newspaper. Use the star tip and hold the pastry bag straight up over the cake, creating a border by squeezing out frosting, lifting the bag away and placing another star shape directly next to the first one. A shell tip can help you make a continuous border by piping shells that are thick in the center and thin on the ends. It can be difficult to create a uniform border, so this technique requires practice.
Writing
Most cakes are decorated for a special occasion, so learn pipe a message onto a cake. Fit your pastry bag with a small tip that is meant for writing and practice writing on a paper plate. Place even pressure on the pastry bag and squeeze the frosting out at a steady pace so that each letter is the same thickness. When you are ready to write on the cake, trace the message with a toothpick first so that you are certain that your spacing is even.
Fondant
Fondant is a material that is used by more advanced cake decorators, but beginners can use it as well. Rather than attempting to completely cover a cake with fondant, use it as a decoration instead. Choose pre-made, pre-colored fondant and roll it out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut the fondant into shapes and place them on top of the cake. The fondant will stick to the frosting.
Tags: creating border, make process, make process easier, paper plate, process easier