As far as our tradition of festivals and parties goes, well-decorated cakes are at the top of the must-have list. Basically, cake decorating is a way of using colored sugar icing to make a simple cake more visually interesting. A decorated cake is a perfect way to add an artistic dimension to any celebration, from birthdays to religious holidays, graduations and much more. Pretty much any reason to celebrate is reason enough to have a beautifully decorated cake!
Learning the art of cake decorating can not only be an enjoyable and artistic hobby, but it can also be a great way to earn money from home, as many people don’t think they have the artistic ability to professionally decorate a cake. and always have your cake decorated. by professionals. However, you will find that it can be really fun and also a rewarding hobby once you get the hang of it.
There are two basic types of cake decoration. One is to decorate with words and objects on a flat cake surface, such as icing a simple cake, and use good calligraphy and a steady hand to write the message on the cake with the icing, along with some basic borders and small objects, such as flowers.
The second type of cake decorating is making an object out of a cake, which can be more difficult, but certainly more fun and visually appealing. This type of cake decorating involves building an object from multiple cakes, such as a popular cartoon character, and detailing that character through the use of icing techniques.
There are two basic types of icing that anyone interested in cake decorating should be familiar with.
First of all there is buttercream which is a frosting made with powdered sugar, butter, cream and usually vanilla, however one of the nice things about buttercream is that it can be flavored with other extracts, such as rum, almond, lemon, etc. This frosting is generally considered the best in flavor.
The second type of icing that is commonly used in cake decorating is fondant icing. Fondant icing doesn’t taste as nice as most people find it to be very sugary and chewy, while buttercream tends to have that melt-in-your-mouth quality. However, when it comes to achieving a perfectly smooth, flawless look on a decorated cake, the best option is fondant icing.
Here are two of our favorite icing recipes, one for buttercream and one for fondant. Try each recipe and see which one you like best!
Basic Buttercream Cake Frosting:
2 cups unsalted butter or shortening, room temperature
1 cup cream, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons vanilla or other desired flavoring
4 pounds of icing sugar
In a mixer, mix your butter or shortening with the salt and vanilla and slowly start adding the sugar in small amounts until you’ve almost reached the end of the sugar. Make sure to stop every few minutes and scrape down the edges of the bowl and taste the glaze to make sure it has the flavor you want. At the end of the mixing process, add the cream and mix for about 20 seconds. Refrigerate as soon as possible.
Basic Marshmallow Fondant Frosting:
16 ounces mini white marshmallows
2 to 5 tablespoons of water
2 pounds of icing sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
Melt the marshmallows in the microwave with the water until completely melted. Place on a work surface with 3/4 of the sugar and grease your hands with the vegetable shortening. Begin kneading the marshmallow mixture into the sugar to make a dough, making sure to keep your hands greased with the shortening. Once everything is fully mixed, roll it out with a rolling pin, spread it over the cake and cut to size.
Now you have enough ideas to start. So go ahead and let the fun begin.
