How To Bake And Decorate A Cake

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Crumb Coat & Simple Syrup

How to Bake and Decorate a Cake

First, dollop about a tablespoon of buttercream or frosting in the center of your cake plate or a cake board. Then place the first cake layer on top of it. This will keep that bottom layer from sliding around on you as you build upwards.

Brush each layer with simple syrup, then dollop about a cup of frosting in the center. Spread the frosting evenly and to the edges. Repeat with the remaining layers. Stack the last layer on top upside down and brush it with simple syrup. Then spread a thin layer of frosting all over the cake, starting on the top and working down and around the sides.

And perfection is not the goal here. You just need the buttercream to trap cake crumbs. Make this coating of frosting as thin as possible by gently scraping away any excess.

Shortcrust Pastry Decorations For Pies

In addition to the cakes, you can also in an imaginative and original way. Once the shortcrust pastry is made, let the dough cool well. Roll it out and use a part of it for the base, which will be stuffed with fruit or jam, and another part will be used for the superior part, but in an original way. For example, you can make many small circles in the pastry, detach them and apply them directly on the filling. It is important that the dough is very cold, otherwise it will be very difficult to shape.

Writing And Piped Designs

Taste of Home

Part of the appeal of bakery-bought cakes is the perfect penmanship that those cake decorators have. But its really not too hard to replicate at home. All youll need is a piping bag, a fine piping tip, a toothpick and some patience.

To start, write or print out the message or motif youd like to be featured on the top of your cake. If youre very new to piping, do a test run on a sheet of parchment or waxed paper to get used to how the frosting flows out of the piping bag.

After a little practice, trace the design onto a sheet of parchment or waxed paper and lay it on top of your cake. With a toothpick or sharp skewer, prick the design until you have a dot-to-dot of your message. Carefully remove the paper and connect the dots with your piped frosting. Thats all it takes to write on a cake! And once you have a few cakes under your belt, you can do this freehand.

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Baking Cakes In Advance

Baking cakes in advance and freezing them saves time and helps break the overall task into smaller, more manageable steps.

Once cooled, wrap the cakes tightly in plastic and transfer them to the freezer for up to a week.

Working with frozen layers is easier. They won’t crumble as much, and the crumb coat will go on more easily.

Note that it’s best to freeze the cakes before you level them. Likewise, if you’re planning to split the layers to fill them, wait until after you take them out of the freezer. For one thing, you’ll save the trouble of having to wrap extra layers. But more importantly, less exposure to air will keep the cake fresher. Just make sure you have enough room in your freezer.

You can also make buttercream in advance. Just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it’ll keep for up to a week.

Candies And Fruit For An Original Decoration For Cake

15 Beautiful Cake Decorating Ideas

To make a cake with a simple and original decoration unique, you can simply make a decoration with candies and fruit, in this case pears are ideal. It is an ideal decoration to personalize a cake covered only with cream. Put the candies in a plastic bag and break them. Cut the pears into very thin slices, arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with the crumbled candies. Put in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes. Once ready, let your decorations cool and apply them on the cake according to your creativity.

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How To Bake And Decorate A 3

Leah Maroney

This tutorial will show you how to bake and decorate a round, 3-tier wedding cake, featuring a 10-inch bottom tier, an 8-inch middle tier, and a 6-inch top tier.

Each tier consists of two layers, which means you’ll need to bake two 6-inch cakes, two 8-inch cakes, and two 10-inch cakes. Try to find pans that are three inches deep. The cakes themselves will be two inches, but the extra room helps prevent overflow.

Cake Decorating Tip #: Keep Your Piping Away From The Edge Of Your Cake

There are several different piping techniques you can apply to the top and border of your cake. But whatever you do, make sure to always hold your piping bag a little bit toward the middle of your cake, so your designs are not directly on the edge of your cake. If its too close to the edge, your piping designs will just fall down the sides of your cake. Click HERE for a quick tutorial on how to pipe some of my favorite simple designs.

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Simple Techniques For Beautiful Cake Decorating

Do you want some fun, simple, and easy ideas for decorating your next cake? You can come to the right place!

The rose cake is by far my most famous design! Here I have done it in a Yellow Ombre pattern, but I also do it in dusty rose, Neapolitan, red velvet, patriotic, and chocolate just to name a few!

You can see a video of me making this cake here.

I call this the Purple Shell Cake. I based it off of this simple design on my white cake recipe. It uses a small star tip and is a basic repeat pattern. Adding in a bit of fun contrast with the darker purple is super easy!

You can see a video of me making this cake here.

Want to know something fun? This Harlequin Cake uses the exact same tip as in the Purple Shell Cake!

This cake is all about the planning. Once you have your basic design, the actual piping only takes a few minutes!

Best Free Class: Cakes By Lynz

How to Bake and Decorate with a Character Cake Pan | Wilton

Cakes by Lynz

Why We Chose It: Cakes by Lynz is a YouTube channel with over 419,000 followers and over 100 videos that explain everything from basic cake and frosting recipes to more advanced decorating techniques and projects.

ProsAll videos are free to watchLots of basic and advanced tutorialsEasy to find videos by categoryConsVideos have adsOnly one instructor

Though there are loads of YouTube videos on cake decorating, Cakes by Lynz is one of the most comprehensive dedicated cake decorating channels with over 100 videos broken down into categories like gumpaste flower tutorials, cupcake piping techniques, and cake decorating for beginners. A self-taught baker, Lynsey Jackson explains basic techniques as well as more advanced cake projects from her home in Kent, England.

Jacksons video tutorials help you do simple things to improve your cake decorating skills, such as how to make truly white American buttercream, how to cover a cake in smooth buttercream, and how to dowel and stack a tiered cake. More advanced cake projects include a gravity-defying hand mixer cake, a birthday bear cake, and a moon landing space rocket cake. Jackson does break down each step on how to make the cakes, with clear instructions as well as a list of tools you need .

All videos and tutorials are free, though like many YouTube videos, there are ads at the beginning and middle of each one.

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Storing Crumb Coated Cakes

After youve filled and frosted your cake with a crumb coat, its safe to store it in the refrigerator overnight without the risk of drying out the cake. The thin layer of buttercream acts as a barrier to preserve the cake underneath and help it maintain its moisture.

I always like to add my final layer of frosting to a chilled crumb coated cake anyways, because having a nice firm structure underneath the final layer is one of the secrets to creating a smooth buttercream finish. Even if you dont plan on storing your crumb coated cake in the fridge overnight, I highly recommend letting it firm up in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before you add your final layer of frosting. Heres everything you need to know about how and why I crumb coat my cakes.

Save These Tips For Your Next Celebration

Happy August! Its birthday month in our house – my daughter Amara, my mom, and my husband Brett. In honor of the births of some of my favorite people on this planet, Ill be talking all about birthday cakes this week.

Today, I am sharing simple ways to decorate layer cakes. Later this week, on Bake Club+, Ill be sharing Amaras 3rd birthday cake. She helped design it herself: chocolate cake, raspberry filling, a couple layers of whipped ganache, and pink frosting .

If you like in-depth baking articles, even more delicious recipes, taking part in monthly chats and Q& As, and are keen on supporting writers like me, join Bake Club+. Subscribing is easy and is only $5 a month! Click the button below to check out the subscription options:

You know I am a big advocate for from-scratch cake recipes. Whether you are baking for a birthday, anniversary, or holiday, something homemade will likely taste better than store-bought. Of course flavor and texture are always the most important, but we eat with our eyes first so it never hurts to make it pretty.

New to cake decorating? Dont sweat it! If you are nervous about nailing the decor, here are 9 easy ways to put the icing the cake:

  • Create a Pattern

    Instead of scooping and rolling, use toppings to create a pattern. Think colorful candies lined up in rows, stripes, diagonals, geometric shapes, etc.

  • Sprinkles will cover icing imperfections, but they cant disguise a leaning cake or keep it from falling over.

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    First Bake Your Cake Into 3 Layers

    Usually when people make layer cakes they are always made in 2 cake pans which equals 2 cake layers duh.

    When I first started out, I couldnt understand why my cakes didnt look like the ones in the magazines, and it was because my cakes werent tall enough!

    Depending on what cake recipe you are using, this may mean that you have to double up the recipe. A more professional looking cake = a tall cake, so double up!

    I use a standard of 3 cake layers in my tiers. When combined with the buttercream they end up being 5-5.5 tall. So this one cake has 3 layers, and is one tier tall at a height of 5 total.

    To be clear- a cake tier is combined of cake layers. No, layers and tiers are not the same thing.

    A cake tier is compiled of cake layers.

    Choose The Right Frosting

    9 Cake

    Taste of Home

    Not all frostings are suitable for filling and topping cakes, but the good news is there are still a lot of delicious options. Buttercreams of all kinds work well for decorating. You can also use cream cheese frosting and ermine frosting. Essentially, you want a thicker frosting that can hold up under the weight of the layers of cake and will also stick to the sides.

    In general, when it comes to decorating you want to avoid whipped cream frosting and very thin frostings.

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    So This Is How You Decorate A Cake Like A Pro

    Mel BurkefrostingBaking with BlondiecakesCake Confidencebeginning bakerOn the top of a turntable fitted with a non-slip mat, place a small layer of tape on a cardboard round the next size up from the size of cake youre decorating. So a 6-inch taped to an 8-inch, or an 8-inch taped to a 10-inch, and so on.Place a cardboard cake round the same size as your cake in the center of the larger cardboard round and press firmly to stick.Add on a touch of buttercream in the center of the smaller cardboard cake round to act as glue for the bottom cake round. Using an offset icing spatula, spread out the buttercream in a nice even layer. Place the first cake round in the center of the small cardboard round. Make sure theres even spacing from all the edges. Pipe on an even layer of buttercream. Spread the buttercream evenly with the offset icing spatula.Place the next cake layer on top. Look at the cake at eye level to make sure its straight.If you are planning on adding a filling, spread a thin layer of buttercream on the cake round. Next, pipe a dam around the outside rim of the cake layer. This will keep the soft filling inside without leaking.Add about 1/2 cup of filling to your cake. Be sure to have a strong dam around it, and go easy. Add the top cake layer. Look at it again at eye level to make sure everything is straight.Fill in the middle layer areas with more buttercream. Add a layer of buttercream to the top of the cake using an offset icing spatula.

    I Want To Learn How To Bake

    I want to learn how to bake. Cakes, cookies, cupcakes, pies, whatever. I got a new toaster oven and Im not afraid to use it. Post the best recipes for beginners, or just tips

    Go to the pier. Ask for craig. Hand him $40. Take the bag. Go home. Grab a lighter and some papers. Roll. Now bake.

    Measure flour into a bowl, sift, then measure again. Unless you are using a kitchen scale where you weigh everything.

    Easy yellow cake 1 cup butter room temp 1 1/2 cups cake flour 11/2 cups all purpose flour 1 tbs baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 3/4 cup sugar 4 large eggs room temp 2 tsp vanilla 1 1/4 cup whole milk room temp

    Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Cream butter and sugar till fluffy . Add eggs 1 at a time. Add vanilla. Mix all dry ingredients in bowl. Put mixer on low speed and add small amount of flour, then milk, then flour etc. Make sure you start and end with flour.

    Pour in 2 9 cake pans or will make 30 cupcakes.

    Bake for 30 to 35 minutes for cakes and 25 to 30 for cupcakes.

    Perfect homemade buttercream

    1 cup crisco 1/2 tsp clear vanilla 1/2 tsp clear butter or almond 2 tbs water 1 lb powdered sugar 1 tbs meringue powder

    Cream crisco, water, and flavorings until combined. Add powdered sugar and mix in medium speed till combined.

    The icing will be very stiff to ice the cake smooth add 2 tbs of water and mix until combined. This will ice a 2 layer 9 round cake.

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    Essential Cake Decorating Tools

    Talking more about cake basics today and the essential cake decorating tools you need to help your cake game go to the next level.

    Just like having the right ingredients will ensure you get a great tasting cake, having the right tools helps to ensure you end up with a great looking cake too! There are so many fun tools and gadgets you could spend your money on, but you dont need all of them to get started.

    Lets first focus on the essentials and then, well take a look at the nice to haves.

    Applying The Crumb Coat

    How to Decorate a Cake

    The next step is to frost the cake. Start with a crumb coat. This light, initial coat of frosting acts as a base coat, latching onto crumbs that form when you first apply frosting to a cake, ensuring that the final coat will be neat and crumb-free. Chill the cake for 30 minutes, so that the crumb coat sets, before applying the final coat of frosting.

    If you’re filling your cake, you need to do this before applying the crumb coat. To start, spoon a dollop of frosting onto the bottom of the cake board to act as glue. Place the bottom layer down on top of the cake board and pipe a buttercream dam around the perimeter of the top layer. This will help to keep the filling from leaking out.

    If you’re not filling your cake, simply apply a layer of buttercream to the bottom layer, spread it around, then place the top layer on top. Remember to position it with the bottom of the cake facing up for that flat edge.

    Now apply the crumb coat, then chill for 15 to 30 minutes. Don’t go longer than that. If your cake gets too cold, condensation will form and the second frosting layer won’t adhere well.

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    Cake Decorating Basics: Choosing The Frosting

    Before getting started on any cake decorating project, you’ll have to choose a frosting. You can easily whip up a homemade frosting, or if you’re tight on time, use store-bought frosting. Keep in mind that creamy frostings work best for piping. For a classic frosting, try our Creamy White Frosting because it’s made with shortening, it’s perfectly white, making it a great “blank slate” to build upon. Note that while whipped cream frosting spreads and swirls smoothly, it won’t keep its shape when piped.

    • Paste or gel food coloring is highly concentrated and comes in a variety of colors . A little goes a long way with this type of food coloring just swirl a toothpick into the coloring and mix well with your frosting. Add the color little by little until you have your desired hue.
    • Liquid food coloring is more commonly found in grocery stores and is usually packaged in a set of four colors: red, yellow, green, and blue. To use, stir drops of food coloring into the frosting until you achieve your desired color.
    • To skip the artificial dyes, you can follow our instructions for naturally coloring frosting using fruits and vegetables. Because this method uses blended fruits and veggies, it will add a little bit of flavor to your frosting. Feel free to get creative mixing up your colors, but you can also follow our guide for using strawberries, peaches, mangoes, and more to make pink, purple, yellow, and green frosting.

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