Lately, Cake decorating has become one of the most admired fields in the culinary arts. Each and every more people are showing an interest in baking and cake decorating. But why all of a sudden has has cake decorating become so popular?

The answer is simple, it combines various skills that individuals from different fields already posses such as design, color patterns, baking, and sculpture. So if you you are interested in taking the next step in beginning a career in cake decorating, continue reading the find out some of the best tips that will set you up for success. 

Tips for Baking the Perfect Cake – Newbie Cake Decorator

If you have never baked a cake before, now is the perfect time to get started in cake decorating. Before getting started you will need to practice at baking a cake. Try not to feel discouraged if your first cake does not come out right, always remember that practice makes perfect! Even if the cake does not come out good, you can still use it for decorating purposes.

So, there’s two ways that you can go about baking a cake. The first way would be to use a cake mix. Cake mixes are very easy to work with because it simply consists of adding oil, water and eggs. If you follow the directions, you can rarely go wrong. The second way to make a cake is from scratch. It’s easy to make a cake from scratch but scary at the same time.

Certain ingredients mix well when they are at room temperature and if they’re not at room temperature, it can possibly alter the texture or outcome of your cake. I highly suggest going with an easy recipe that doesn’t require any special techniques.

As for a third and easiest option, you can order a set of 4 cake dummies to use as your cake. If you prefer making an actual cake, that’s fine but if you’re wanting to get practice without wasting a whole cake that no one will eat but yourself, a cake dummy will be your best option. 

Choosing the Best Type of icing 

There are so many different types of icing and consistencies that can be used for decorating a cake. The first tip would be to decide on the design of the cake. Will the cake be covered in fondant or not? This will help you to determine which consistency is best. If you will be using fondant on your cake, it may be best to go with a stiff icing such as buttercream or ganache.

If you will not use fondant, but would love to create flowers such as roses and tulips, then a simple buttercream icing will work for this technique. A medium consistency of icing can be used for boarders, lettering, and any other decoration on the cake. But if you’re not too skilled with making icing and would like to go the easy route, a store bought icing will get the job done.

They taste just fine and doesn’t require any additional work. Soft icing such as whipped cream and cream cheese icing go well with lighter cakes such as an angel cake or carrot cake. Soft icing will not hold its shape well which is why it may not be best to use underneath fondant or for piping flowers. 

Finding the Best Type of Cake Decorating Tools

As with all new hobbies or professions, having the right tools can make any job easy. Now a days, you can find all of those tools as a kit online for under 20 bucks. Most kits will come with piping nozzles, piping bags, a turntable, cake boards, frosting spatulas, paper cones, and more.

All of these tools are great for getting started. Along the way you will want to invest in higher quality tools that will help to improve your skills in cake design. For those cakes with intricate details, you will need to purchase silicone molds or if you’re going to airbrush a cake, you will need a stencil for the design.

Places to look for Inspiration

One of the most important things you will need in this field is inspiration. Surround yourself with inspiring pictures and ideas so that your own cake decorating is sparked with ideas. Social media is flooded with so may pictures and tutorials on how to achieve a specific look for a cake.

Not only will you find ideas for a cake design, you will also find yummy recipes for making cakes and much more. Social media is pretty much how I became a self taught baker and cake decorator. With these tips and ideas, you will soon be on your way to whipping up cakes like a pro in no time!

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands…” Psalm 90:17