As you may have noticed, I've recently dabbled in cake baking and decorating. I've gotta say, it's way more fun than I anticipated. Of course as any beginner in anything knows, you learn from your mistakes. so I've learned a few tips and tricks as I've gone and I thought I'd share them with you. These things are guaranteed to help you better decorate a cake! Probably even better than I do. Let's decorate a cake together... Tip #1 Wrap your cakes in plastic wrap while they're still warm! And freeze them! wrapping them while they're warm traps in all the moisture. Freezing them makes them easier to work with. They don't need to be fully frozen before you begin decorating, but they do need to be completely cool to the touch. Tip #2 use a serrated knife to level the cakes. When they're cool, slice off the dome of each cake. Worry more about getting flat cakes than getting even layers among the three cakes. Tip #3 save the cake domes you cut off in freezer bags to make cake pops another day! Don't waste them! Tip #4 Place a small dollop of frosting on your decorating surface to keep the cake from sliding around Tip #5 Use slices of parchment under the cake to keep the cake plate clean as you frost The parchment should just be on the edges so you can easily tear them away when you're done. Tip #6 use a piping bag to evenly distribute the frosting between each layer Start in the center or on the edges, but apply even pressure and keep going in circles until the whole layer is covered. Tip #7 Use a piping bag to evenly distribute the frosting on the *outside of the cake. Is this the same at tip # 6? kind of. But for the outside. My sister, Mary, disagrees with this. But, I like this way best. You can just use an offset spatula and scrape frosting on there, but I prefer to have an even base to work with. But, this is preference. Tip #8 Use an offset spatula to smooth out your crumb coat The crumb coat is the first layer of frosting you put on the cake. It's just a thin layer to trap in all the crumbs. The offset spatula is the best tool to use because it helps you to use a lighter hand since it's not just direct pressure from your hand. The crumb coat doesn't need to be super smooth, but it does need to cover the whole surface of the cake. Tip #9 Freeze between each step. Use a spatula to move the cake to something that fits in the freezer. (if your cake plate fits then just leave it on that) Just freeze for 10 to 15 minutes, enough that the cake is cold and the frosting is firm to the touch Once it's cold take it back out use tip #7 again and smooth again. You can use a cake scraper or an offset spatula. I like both. As you smooth out the frosting you'll get frosting buildup on you scraper or spatula so Tip #10 keep a cup or bowl nearby to scrape off the excess as you smooth. Keep smoothing until your satisfied. Having a cold cake really helps because the frosting really sets quickly as you smooth it out, making it way less finicky. If your cake is still cold, then move on quickly to the next tip. If it's gotten soft, repeat Tip #9 Tip #11 Use an offset spatula so cut in the collar of frosting that's built up. cold frosting is way easier to cut in and smooth out. Yay. You could be done now, oooor you can keep going and make a watercolor cake. If you're moving on repeat Tip #9 make a few small bowls of a few different colors Tip #12 make sure those colors will look good blended together Tip # 13 make sure one of those colors is White (or whatever your base color is) Slap on each color of frosting in random spots fill in the blank spots with your base color use a cake scraper or offset spatula to smooth out the frosting. Smear it as much or as little as you'd like. Keep adding more of your colors or you base color until you're satisfied. Tip #8 still applies btw. Add some little spikes, or swirls or whatever you want. Or nothing at all. Was this helpful? Let me know! comment here with any questions you have! If you use these tips take a photo and tag me @MartinezMade_ on Instagram or use the Hashtag #MartinezMade. It'll make my day! You might also like...
1 Comment
Allison Turnbow
8/10/2019 02:23:53 pm
Wow I can say with confidence that my next cake will look so beautiful because of you
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