Top 5 Cake Decorating Tips
Planning your child’s birthday party is so much fun but can also be very time consuming. Birthdays are special occasions for everyone. It’s a day where children get to celebrate and parents get to enjoy the company of their loved ones.
A cake is an essential part of every celebration. It’s delicious, it’s fun to eat, and it makes people happy. So why not use it to make your child’s party memorable? Any party needs a cake, including Baby Showers, Halloween and even Christmas Parties, so don’t just stop at your kids Birthday Party.
And if you are hosting a birthday party, you might want to consider making a cake for your child’s birthday party. Here are some tips for making an amazing cake.. You don’t have to be a professional baker to create beautiful cakes that will wow your guests. All you need is a little creativity and patience! Here are some tips to help you along the way.
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Tip 1 – Bake Your Cake Ahead of Time.
This is such a great tip that had never heard of until last year and wow what a time saver. This works with most cakes and allows you to bake your cake earlier in the week and pop it in the freezer until needed, so no last minute stress baking the day before the party. Don’t worry, your cake can be frozen for up to a week and still taste completely fresh on the party day. As an added bonus, it is easier to decorate and frost a frozen cake as it wont crumble and the frosting stays in place better.
Just bake your cake and once cooled completely wrap with plastic wrap and cover with aluminium foil. Place into a ziplock bag or a sealed container and pop into the freezer. If you are making a layered cake, wrap each layer separately.
Tip 2- Crumb Coat Your Cake
Take your frozen cake out of the freezer and sit on the bench and allow to soften a little before you unwrap. Now is a great time to level your cake. This involves slicing off the dome shape on the top of the cake which will make your cake look nicer and be easier to frost. Do not do this while the cake is frozen solid as it can cause your cake to crack. Best to use a serrated or bread knife for this part.
If using more than one layer, stack and fill your layers.
Now comes the fun part, a crumb coat. To do a crumb coat, you will use a thin layer of frosting around the cake. The purpose of this coat is to effectively seal the cake and stop the cake crumbs from showing through your final layer of frosting.
Once you have finished your crumb coat, place your cake back in the freezer for 20 minutes before applying your top coat of frosting.
Tip 3 – Use The Right Equipment
Now you don’t need to rush out and buy a whole bunch of fancy cake decorating utensils but a couple of inexpensive items will make the job much easier.
You will definitely need something to spread and smooth your icing. You can use a knife dipped in hot water but I have found an offset spatula or cake smoother does the job well. If you are going to be decorating cakes fairly regularly, then a rotating turntable is a great investment. Here are some must have cake decorating supplies
Tip 4 – Keep It Simple
You may be impressed by the elaborate cakes you see on pinterest and wonder how your cake can look like that. My advice is to take inspiration from these cakes but simplify them. You can use figurines, a glittery tiara, artificial flowers or candy on top of your cake and it will look amazing.
Tip 5 – Be Proud
Be proud of your efforts and do not feel you need to compare your decorated cake to the ones from a professional cake bakery. Your child will love their cake and will feel special knowing you spent time lovingly creating this masterpiece just for them.
