learn how to decorate cakes professionally


Once you've prepared your frosting, use an icing scraper or bench smoother to spread an even layer of it over the top and sides of the cake. Drizzle store bought or homemade sauces over cake. Hi, my name is Amanda Oakleaf. Whatever the reason, here are your basic starting points for making your cakes more professional. The sky is limit on what you can do, don’t limit yourself in your creativity. Today, we are talking about how to decorate cupcakes with buttercream frosting. Your email address will not be published. This is the chocolate buttercream recipe I used in my 10 Ways to Make Your Cakes Look More Professional  post too! Disclaimer: There are definitely ways (see below) to decorate beautiful cakes without special cake tools, but your cake life will be much easier if you have: Let’s start and learn how to decorate a cake! This post Cake Decorating 101 brings you the best cake decorating basic tutorials all in one place so you don’t have to look for the best. Happy caking!! Saveur blog award winner 2018 Crumbles chef Academy. Level off the tops of a cake with a long serrated knife or a cake leveler. Actually was there for a while, but I made it out alive and I’m here to give you my top 10 tips to make your cakes look more professional! The lessons will cover everything from the ultimate in stocking your cake making pantry, to making, frosting and decorating layer cakes, continuing on to the different types of cakes and finish with what to do with leftover cakes. Join our Facebook group to see more tutorials, recipes, and chats. To be clear- a cake tier is combined of cake layers. Hi Zoe!! Just a warning on this- you must use this trick at the last step before moving on to decorating. Welcome to the online course in How to Make Cakes in 6 Easy Lessons. Stick it back in the freezer for another 5 minutes to seal in the crumbs. If you’re using cake boards, this is where they help, otherwise move some things around so you can fit a massive cake construction into your freezer. Being a professional cake decorator and food blogger for over ten years she has been featured in many online magazines and publications around the world. Hold your spatula with a hand on each end, then, (and this is how they explained it in culinary school- legit-) go from the top over the edge from the outside of the cake to the middle. Add frosting to the top and even out with the spatula leaving a small gap between the edges. Along with these basic tutorials, you will also need a few must-have recipes that you can master. Stop when you get to the middle and repeat over all the edges. I use a standard of 3 cake layers in my tiers. I know there’s a risk of them not being equal, what are your thoughts or recommendations? This ensures that the top buttercream layer will be crumb free and beautiful. cake presentation is the key. Don’t worry if it doesn’t come out perfect, it will get easier every time you do it. Much like cake decorating, cookie decorating is a form of edible art. […], Your email address will not be published. Since I’ve started my at home business aka part time job, my mother and sister question me all the time. Sometimes I would use an 8″ cake board on a 9″ cake and freeze it for a few mins before stacking so that it doesn’t get ruined when you transfer it. -Learn how to make adorable cherry cake topper.-Learn how to achieve shiny finish! Stick the cake back in the freezer for another 5 minutes. Optional: stuff your face with the cake tops or pawn them off on someone else. Smear a small amount of buttercream on a cake board that is 2 inches larger than your cake. It turned out great. cake business become so popular and demand for good cake has been increasing over the years. Usually when people make layer cakes they are always made in 2 cake pans which equals 2 cake layers duh. Decorate like a professional! Thanks for sharing this blog, It’s really amazing how you’ve made decorating easy. The easiest way I used to get the flowers on the top but not in the cake so they could be removed for cutting was to glue a cake board with icing on top of the cake and then use a big gobb of icing on top of the cake board to stick the flowers in. Ever wondered how the, How to create the ultimate cookie gift box, Lemon Poppyseed Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting - Frosting & Fettuccine, Blackberry Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream - Frosting & Fettuccine, How to Decorate a Cake with Non-Edible Flowers - Frosting & Fettuccine, Peppermint Cake with Candy Cane Topper - Frosting and Fettuccine, Cookie Butter Cake Recipe - Frosting and Fettuccine, One Bowl Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting - Frosting & Fettuccine, Football Pull Apart Cake - Perfect for Superbowl! These easy cupcake decorating techniques require cupcakes, buttercream and decorating tips. -Learn how to decorate your covered cake with colourful fondant stripes! Take the next cake layer and flip it over so that the top now become the bottom. Fill the cake layer with buttercream by placing about 1/4 cup in the middle of the cake and spreading outwards on the cake, using the offset spatula. From the basics of making a consistent buttercream, to shaping cute 3D characters, trust Wilton to teach you exactly what you need to know! Take your next cake layer- and this is crucial- turn it upside down, so that the bottom of the cake is now the top, and place it on top of the frosting. When I’m working, at the end, I will spray my cake lightly all around and then take my bench scraper and give it a good whirl to smooth it all out. Great post! Share. If you notice some places need more frosting, thats fine, just add in a little bit in those spots. for more tips, head over to our blog to learn how to decorate cakes for beginners, and the more advanced cake decorating tips. Tap to unmute. Masterclass: How to Decorate a Layer Cake with Smooth Buttercream Icing | Cupcake Jemma - YouTube. your. MAKE EASY BUT CUTE CAKE TOPPER-Learn how to work with florist’s wire. You totally CAN do it! I was not brave enough to ice it though. Red Velvet Brownies up fro grabs on the blog! Spring is in the air! Thank you for all those tips. Use your bench scraper to clean up the sides. You can read about some other ways to make your cakes look more professional here. Will definitely make use of these tips. As a beginner there a few basic you absolutely must know about cake decorating if you want to produce professional looking cakes. It would probably be better to get cakes from good bakeries for my sister’s birthday.z. Hey Sam! Here are some of my go to cake decorating ideas: Throw some sprinkles on top and on the sides. Creating a beautiful cake takes hours and hours – I don’t think most people realize that. This part gets tricky if you don’t have a turn table which is why I recommend it but you can still make it work. Read my tutorial on how to do this safely. making sure your cake looks beautiful and more professional is the key. Make sure to keep the blade at the same level throughout the whole cut or it will end up lop-sided. You know the ones I’m talking about. PME paste colours for icing, £12, Amazon. This method works well if the whole surface area of your cake baked higher than the pan. if you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email! Learning to Decorate Cakes in 4 Steps Step 1: Use the Right Tools. So this one cake has 3 layers, and is one tier tall at a height of 5″ total. You’re doing the same thing as the above crumb coat just with more frosting, and this time you want to completely cover up the cake layers. Filed Under: Cakes & Cupcakes, Decorating Tutorials, Most Popular Tagged With: baker, baking, buttercream, cake, cake art, cake deco, cake decor, cake decorating, cake decorator, cake how to, cake stacking, cake tips, cake tricks, chocolate, decorating cakes, easy cake decor, how to decorate cakes, how to make your cakes more professional, professional, stacked cake. These are amazing ways to make your cake more professional. And a second one that is at least 2 inches bigger so that I can decorate and move the cake around if I need to without messing up the bottom. Scoop up some of the frosting, starting with maybe like 1/3 cup- eyeball it- and plop it into the middle of the cake. Your email address will not be published. As a cake decorator you'll learn to bake cakes and decorate them. You are keeping the spatula flat and straight the whole time. Sprinkle with fancy salt if its a chocolate or caramel cake. Repeat the process of adding more buttercream and spinning as you go to add all around. Airplane. sometimes you may need to practice it a few times before you see a perfectly frosted cake. Now, after pastry school and 10 years of cake decorating experience,  I am here to share my tips and tricks on how to start making your cakes look better. Making sure your wrist is straight, with the scraper leaning straight on the cake board and the long side against the cake, spin the turntable. This trick should only be used at the very end to smooth out the cake. Some people use a piping bag so they know they are 100% getting even amounts of frosting between the layers. Learn more about me! Then immediately take your spatula and smooth it over those hard spots. I barely got the cake done and made it back home in time for the ceremony and almost dropped one layer. But, this swooping action works. Some bakers gives some sharp edges to the cake which always amazes me. Still very stressful. Doing this helps to create a more even shape for the cake overall. I have read and accepted the Privacy Policy *, Have you ever been overwhelmed with too much information or rather too much conflicting information? To start, take a small amount, like a teaspoon size, of frosting and smear it in the middle of the bigger cake board. The more practice you have the better it gets though! Tada! Thanks so much Lisa! Advanced cake decorating techniques that will elevate your cake decorating skills. Remember to follow us on Pinterest, Facebook. What better way to celebrate. Your email address will not be published. Hold it vertically, standing on the cake board against the cake and spin the turntable to even it out. I'm a Le Cordon Bleu trained pastry chef who loves to bake all the pretty things, but would rather eat a bowl of pasta any day. Sam lives in Hollywood florida with her husband, two young kids, and french bulldog. On her blogs, you will find delicious, easy and practical recipes often with instructional videos and tutorials for the home cook. It can be difficult to get everything right for a complicated cake design, but these tips will definitely help. Now that you have a beautifully stacked cake, stick it in the freezer for 15 minutes. cake. The ones that are even and smooth and beautifully decorated. You can for sure decorate a cake on the stand you are serving it on, but if you plan on moving the cake around a bit you need cake boards. 2021 Samantha Adler/ Frostingandfettuccine.com. Using fondant, you'll learn how to mold decorative flowers, animals and other ornaments for cake toppers. In the beginning of my cake decorating days I was mesmerized with how cake could be decorated in so many different ways. You can totally split up the layers into thinner slicers, it’s just trickier to get them all level like you mentioned. Professional cake decorating classes lead by cake design innovator Sweet Heather Anne. However, it's important that you know your margins in order to turn your passion into a profit. Thank you so much Veena for sharing all your knowledge with us. Love the detailed post here. Hope it helps you make some cakes! - Frosting & Fettuccine, How to Stack a Two Tier Cake - Frosting and Fettuccine. Now those edges might be giving you a problem because when you smooth the sides they stick up at the top. Hey Rebecca! Keeping your knife level, score the cake's edge. I love baking cakes n decorating them. Then plop some icing on the top and use the spatula to even it out. Some bakers gives some sharp edges to the cake which always amazes me. These techniques are SIMPLE and EASY and your cupcakes will look just as good as the ones you buy from bakeries. Using the spatula, or a knife if you don’t have one, work from the middle of the cake to the outside, spreading it evenly all around, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edges. Sandy Sheppard shows you the basic techniques of cake decorating. Thanks for your help in supporting my blog! Do you wish that someone would help by filtering out all the resources so you can watch only the cream de la cream tutorials? To decorate a cake, use any kind of frosting that's thick enough to stick to the top and sides, like buttercream, royal icing, or cream cheese frosting. Happy you enjoyed . Being that is such a crucial part of the decorating, would you kindly explain it further or show us a video in stories? When combined with the buttercream they end up being  5”-5.5” tall. The canvas may be quite small, but the results are often breathtaking. It’s finally time to decorate! Watch these tutorials for a few quick cake-decorating lessons and be on your way to starting your own cake business. He will demonstrate step-by-step how to ice a round cake and a square cake using a number of different tried and tested techniques that will serve you well for a lifetime of cake decorating. We asked Jay to walk us through the steps of creating professional-looking sugar cookies. A flat cake is a heck of a lot easier to stack than a cake that has a dome top, so you need to level it off. I wondered how to stack my layers and how the frosting always looked so even. Cover both layers until you're ready to frost the cake. In this course, you will also learn all about pricing your cakes to make a profit. I have never been able to make a perfect cake. During the holidays, Jay Muse's team at Lulu Cake Boutique creates eye-catching cookies that almost look too nice to eat. Start where you have the sides sticking up over the edge of the cake. This will be filled in later when you do the crumb coat. I used cream cheese frosting with a few food colors and chopped... Just like you see in the bakery. Add more frosting as you see fit. You heard me. Required fields are marked *. In this tutorial, we’ll not only cover the techniques needed to execute our edible sequin designs but also give you an insight into our design process. Thank you for sharing your pictures. […] this cake decorating post to learn more about how to ice cakes and make them look more […], […] you need help with how to frost and decorate this cake- check out this post on how to decorate your cakes or this post on how to decorate your cakes with […], […] if you are struggling with how to make your cakes look more professional, be sure to read this post first for 10 tips on that and then start decorating […], […] 10 ways to make your cakes more professional […], […] read this post on how to make your cakes more professional if you are into that sort of thing, but you can frost this cake easily by frosting the top of one […], […] without sacrificing much on flavor. Good luck, happy birthday to your daughter and thank you so much! You may want to decorate the sides of your cake with a coating of sprinkles, nuts, red velvet crumbs, etc. Learn how to decorate cupcakes at home with this video tutorial. we prepare the cake for different occasion and we must be good at presentation. Place the whole thing on a cake turntable. Also remember not to be too hard on yourself, usually the things we notice, noone ever else would, so take it easy. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Repeat these last two steps with the next layer. A crumb coat is essentially a light coat of frosting over the cake done before the actual real buttercream coating to catch all the crumbs. Come And Learn The Best Secrets In Baking Trending 3D Cakes And More Confectioneries To Be Taught Cake board will make your cake decorating life easier, especially if you are transporting the cake. Veena is the author of three blogs - Veena Azmanov, Cake Decorating Tutorials, and East Indian Recipes. Yay Charlotte! Slice through in a push and pull motion (like slicing a bagel flat). Would it be wise to cut tinier cakes from the two cakes to get a total of four equal sized cakes? Just like you see in the bakery. This is how I frost and decorate a double layer carrot cake. It will not turn out well. Now look at the stacked cake from eye level and see if theres any unevenness to it. Awesome content. It just takes some practice like anything else! Using buttercream, gum paste, fondant and fresh flowers you'll decorate cakes for weddings, birthdays and other special occasions. Throw some sprinkles on top and on the sides. Maybe you want to start your own cake business and know nothing. There is definitely no right or wrong way to make and decorate cakes, this is just how I do it. Now, place your thickest (lets be honest here, the cakes might not be the exact same size even if we try our hardest) cake layer down on the cake board. Well that's what we aim to do here. You are just coming down onto the frosting on an angle and then landing and going straight onto the cake. Running your own cake decorating business can be one of the most satisfying things you can do. Side note- this needs to be done right after icing while the buttercream is still sticky- if you wait for the buttercream to crust the sprinkles won’t stick. Step 2: Take a Cake Decorating Class. Leave the link to your tutorial (or your favorite tutorial) below. Im not talking douse it. This was purely serendipity that I found this blog because just yesterday I was talking with my mother about how I am not very good at stacking, frosting and decorating round cakes (even though I love the idea of them). Thank you so much Im so glad you found it helpful!! Thanks. Watch later. There. Top your cake with cookies in a fun pattern. This will help to minimize the amount of crumbs that come loose when you start icing it. Hi Linda!So happy you enjoyed, good luck with everything! DECORATING YOUR CAKE LIKE A PROFESSIONAL. Copy link. Learn how to decorate cakes professionally with Sweet Heather Anne. 98% off The 2021 Premium Learn To Code Certification Bundle; 62% off MindMaster Mind Mapping Software: Perpetual License; 41% off NetSpot Home Wi-Fi Analyzer: Lifetime Upgrades; Our Best Phone Hacks Gadget Hacks' tips — delivered daily. If you're still into it, see our guide to buying cake decorating tools. These were a few examples on how to decorate your cupcakes. P.S if you are using a cake turn table, I do all this on there, turning as I frost, but if you don’t have one, just do it on any cake stand that fits. CREATE BASIC CAKE DECORATIONS – Learn how to custom color fondant, how to cut shapes, how to adjust sides. I love the pirate cake in the second picture. In this free taster tutorial, David discusses with you all about pricing your cakes to make a profit. The only part I could not visualize is the airplane explanation. We’ve assembled tips to make even the most intricate techniques seem simple. Im so happy you found this helpful! Cupcakes can also decorated with sparkling sugars, pearl dots, colorful sprinkles, pretty flowers, & etc. Place another small amount of frosting on the smaller cake board, but spread it around more evenly- the offset spatula works wonders for this. Border the bottom part and/or sides of the cake with nuts, pretzels, candy, Top your cake with fresh flowers. Maybe you want to impress your in-laws. Spray that beautiful cake that you just obsessed over with water. Press a cake board that is the same size of your cake on top. Learn how to decorate cakes professionally - Pricing your cakes for a profit. Smear a small amount of buttercream on that cake board and press the first cake layer down. I decorated my daughters wedding cake with flowers. My daughter’s birthday is in three weeks and she is having a unicorn party. Freeze for 15 minutes. I’ll search for a cake shop that makes custom cakes so I can order a unicorn cake for her Birthday. Learn how to frost a cake with these 10 easy steps! Once the cake is mostly covered switch to a bench scraper to even it out as best you can. You just did magic- Now the cake won’t slide around while your stacking and icing it. You want to completely cover the cake so none of the cake shows through. Well what was I going to do with all that caramel? I know it sounds weird. Slip your hand under the cut layer, and gently transfer the cake to a sheet of plastic wrap. After you have smoothed down the edges, you might just need a little extra help to get those tricky cracks and annoying spots. Once you have your first cake layer secured onto your cake board its time for the frosting or buttercream. A more professional looking cake = a tall cake, so double up! Along with these basic tutorials, you will also need a few must-have recipes that you can master. Those ones with the straight edges, and the sprinkles put in just the right place and wonder how do they do it!? I will def do it on my stories next time I make a cake! More concentrated in colour (so you use less) and less liquid than traditional food colouring (so the consistency of your icing won’t be affected), … Decorate the cake with flowers, candy, sprinkles, a cake topper, or anything else you like. This is a place where you will find impressive yet achievable dessert ideas and recipes. Smooth out any cracks or bumps with your offset spatula and bench scraper. Using the back of your offset spatula, scoop up about 1/4 cup buttercream and apply it to the sides of the cake, starting from the bottom leading up to the top, spinning as you go to distribute the frosting as evenly as you can. Fill a clean food safe spray bottle with water and lightly spray your cake. Course Breakdown and Links Fill a spray bottle (THAT YOU ONLY USE FOR FOOD) with clean water and spray. Glide your spatula over the edges as if a plane was coming in for landing. Don't worry about it being perfect, it doesnt have to cover the whole cake, its ok if some peeks through. The secret to bold, vibrant colours in any kind of icing (sugarpaste, buttercream, fondant, royal icing, you name it), without any nasty aftertaste, is colour pastes. Lay the smaller cake board centered on top of the bigger one. How do you cover the edge of the cake board when you stack it in a tiered cake, without a border? As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Being self-taught is not easy, so don’t expect to get it perfect at the very start. Thank you for the airplane effect! Thes, How to create a memorable and lasting impact with, How to stack a 2 tier cake! add frosting onto a cake using a flat regular spatula, a knife, or even the back of the spoon. It’s so easy to decorate […], […] you need some tips on how to decorate easily with buttercream be sure to check out this post for some […], […] I always like to bake and stack my cakes in 3 layers because it gives the cake height which makes is more professional looking. No, layers and tiers are not the same thing. It’s fine if you can still see the cake layers, really you just want to seal the crumbs. We might even add it to the post. Icing cakes is an essential skill for anyone who wants to learn cake decorating and here Paul provides a free master class! Decorating cupcakes with … Watch these tutorials for a few quick cake-decorating lessons and be on your way to starting your own cake business. Im glad you found the other tips helpful!! This video shows you how to create all kinds of cool visuals to any cake. Learn about the job description and see the step-by-step process to start a career in cake decorating. Start on the sides from the bottom and work your way up with the spatula, going around and around, spinning and spreading as you frost. Info. Shopping. And that is your Cake Decorating 101. These are great tips to help you design a cake that looks like it came straight from a professional cake shop. Continue spinning with the bench scraper up against the cake and it will even it out. Indeed. The good news is that there are plenty of resources that you can use to learn these skills. Learn how to decorate cakes professionally as well as baking yummy moist cakes which is obviously a very important part of cake decorating as you can’t just set about decorating any type of cake.. Cake Smoothers; Spatula and offset spatula; Cake Turntable; Bench Scraper Unfortunately I don’t have a way to freeze, but I do refrigerate in between the steps. But mostly, I was wondering why the hell couldn’t my freaking cakes look the same! Thanks! When she’s not baking and dancing in her kitchen you can find her at her favorite yoga spot. This is called your top coat. Loved the way you made cake decorating look so easy n quick. For more info, please go to http://www.decoratecakes.net I however, do not have the patience for using and cleaning another tool, and am lazy, so I just use my offset spatula. Baking blog: 10 Ways To Make Your Cakes Look More Professional, how to decorate a chocolate cake, how to decorate cakes, how to make a professional cake, prossional cakes. When the rest of the cake is covered and you get up to the top, stop and switch from the spatula to the bench scraper to smooth out the sides even more (not working on the top just yet). Home » Tutorials » Cake Decorating 101 – Tutorials for Beginners. I totally agree, hoping this would shed some light on that! I am saving it ^_^. Let me know what you choose to do. Thank you for sharing this with us sam. Transcript. To do so, hold a bowl under the edge of your cake and pat a handful of your decoration onto the side of your cake, allowing the excess to fall into the bowl below. The process you suggested is very homely for smoothening our cake. Or, you like to decorate cakes as a hobby. If there is, you can press down on the opposite side of the cake to try to even it out, or carefully lift the edge of the cake where it is uneven and add more buttercream to level it out. Learn How To Bake And Decorate Cake Like A Pro For Any Occasion With Or Without Oven…For Beginners And Intermediate. Thank you Vivian! It worked great. I totally hear you on that, it is hard to explain! Great post! That means if you purchase something from one of these links, I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Depending on what cake recipe you are using, this may mean that you have to double up the recipe. With the information, you can decorate like a pro. Copyright © 2020 Veena Azmanov owner of the Cake Decorating Tutorials, Cake Decorating 101 – Tutorials for Beginners, Vanilla Swiss Roll Cake Vanilla No-Fail Recipe ». Students learn to bake cakes, pastries, pies, and other desserts. Sam Adler is a Le Cordon Bleu professionally trained pastry chef, Saveur Blog Award winner, food photographer, and food blogger over on FrostingandFettuccine.com. Our goal is that you’ll leave the course a more confident cake designer with a new arsenal of tools to use in your work. Using the back of your spatula, scoop up some frosting and smear it to the side of your cake, turning with the other hand as you go (see, tricky).