How Do I Decorate a Cake

One of the best and easiest methods you can adapt is to get used to using your favorite cake mix. That’s right. Whether it’s Pillsbury or Betty Crocker… your choice. Use the same one everytime. This will insure repeatability in your cakes.  I personalize my cakes and therefore do not follow the instructions on the box. You can add or change ingredients. 

Step 1:  Bake your cakes. Best to line your pans with parchment.  Half way through cooking, rotate your cake, switch sides, if you have two cakes in the oven. Only do this one time and don’t open that oven again.

Step 2:  Let cool and then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely before wrapping.  After they cool, you can wrap up well and freeze for up to 1 month or continue with the decorating.

Step 3:  Make your cake wash. A cake wash is a sugar syrup which is brushed on your cake prior to icing to make it super moist. So if you mess up and bake it too long, you need to wash it really good.  For a standard 10″ round cake or 9×13 layer cake, pour 1/2 cup sugar in saucepan and cover with 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minute. Let cool.  Add 1/4 cup flavor such as Vanilla, Amaretto, Almond….etc.

 

This is your bare cake and the cake wash next to it.

 

 

Step 4: Put your first layer on a lined cake board and brush with part of the wash.  Then heat in the microwave, some jam such as apricot or for a chocolate cake, I like Black Raspberry or Black Cherry. Make sure it is seedless. I use about 1/3 cup and heat for about 20 seconds.  If it’s too hot, I add a bit more cold jam.  Brush this on top of your cake.  You can also do a crumb coat then use the jam but it won’t soak in at this point.

Step 5: Hopefully you have already made your frosting. If you need  help with frosting, email me and I have a recipe for standard buttercream.  With a piping bag, pipe some frosting around the edge of your cake layer to stop your filling from coming out.  You may either frost a thin layer or you may apply your filling.  Top with your second cake layer. 

Step 6:  Wash your second layer and then crumb coat the entire cake. 

 

 

 

 

 

 I like the icer with the angled edge, medium size. Use hot water and keep dipping it in to make your frosting smooth.

 Step 7:  Coat with your top layer of frosting and decorate.  You can use decorating tips, or you can use paint brushes to put pictures, etc. on your cake.  Email me for more specific details. 

Step 8:  Finish your cake with the edging last.  In the picture, I have used basket weave and 4 “plaques” on each side of the cake. 

 This cake is topped with chocolate covered strawberries. 

 

 

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