Basic Cake Decorating Skills You Need to Know
If you’ve ever tried to decorate a cake you know that it can be quite a challenge. However, like any other craft, cake decorating can take a lot of practice. But that shouldn’t stop you from getting started! With just a few basic cake decorating skills under your belt, you can create some great looking cakes!
Here’s some tips to get you started on your way to cake decorating stardom:
1. Many times the way your cake decorations look is based on the way you hold the piping bag and the way you move it. Try experimenting with different hand angles and positions to get the look you want.
When making simple stars or simple flat petal flowers, you’ll want to hold the bag straight up at a 90 degree angle. For writing and borders, hold the bag at a flatter 45 degree angle.
2. The consistency of your icing will also have a large effect on the look of your decorations. You’ll need to adjust the consistency of your icing to make the type of decoration you need.
–>Stiff consistency icing is used for flowers with upright petals. Flower petals will sag if your icing isn’t stiff enough. Add more powdered sugar to your icing. If your icing cracks when piped out, it’s too stiff. Add more water.
–>Medium consistency icing is used to create decorations such as stars, borders, and flowers that lie flat.
–>Thin consistency icing is used for writing, vines, leaves, and for complete frosting of a cake.
3. Pressure control is another essential cake decoration skill you’ll need to learn. Light pressure on your piping bag results in a thinner line of icing while heavy pressure causes a lot of icing to come out at once! Your goal is to learn how to achieve consistent results using just the amount of icing to achieve the desired effect.
4. Don’t put too much icing in your piping bag. You’ll find that it’s much easier to work with less.
Don’t worry if your first cake decorating project doesn’t come out perfect. The best thing you can do to perfect your cake decorating skills is to practice.