Novelty Cakes

Build Your Collection of Cake Design Tools

2010-10-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

Those who are just starting out probably won't have the best tools for the job just lying around in their kitchen drawers. Fortunately, finding the right tools for just about any cake decorating challenge you decide to take on is far easier today than it was just a few years back.

There are plenty of places that now sell a variety of cake decorating tools. When you're trying to decide which pieces to pick up first, it's often easiest to simply buy the tools you need for the cake you're planning to make during your next project.

A great alternative to this is to take advantage of the growing popularity of cake decorating and pick up one of the cake decorating tool kits that are now available. These kits includes all the basics that you'll need to get started including piping bags, pastry bags, paper cones for decorating, different sized frosting spatulas and a nice collection of various tips.

Topping Your Cake with the Right Icing

2010-10-14T18:26:00.000-07:00

Another key element of successful cake decorating is the selection of icing to go over your cake. Icing is usually broken down into one of three types. The type of icing is based on the consistency. You'll notice that professional bakers describe icing based on one of these consistencies - either soft, medium or stiff.

When you're just learning how to decorate cakes, you'll probably want to stick with icing that's either soft or medium. Soft icing is usually thinner than the other varieties and is used to write messages on the cake. It can also be used to cover an entire cake if you want to create a unique look.

On the other hand, if you want to add more complicated designs like scrolls, scrollwork or decorative borders, you should use medium icing. Icing that has a medium consistency will hold its shape much better than a soft icing, yet you can still scoop it up with a spoon.

The last type of icing is the stiff icing. This is used for much more complicated design elements, like flowers or leaves. Because these designs are so elaborate, the icing must be stiff enough that the pattern will be able hold its shape. The more complicated pieces will require a very stiff icing which is probably inedible - clearly these pieces are just for looking, not eating.
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Practical Hints for the Beginner - Start with the Perfect Cake

2010-10-14T18:23:00.000-07:00

The real fun begins with the most essential part of any cake decorator's tools - the cake itself. Even if you've never baked a cake before, you'll need to put one together before you can start decorating. The easiest way to create a good cake is to buy a box of cake mix from the grocery store.

The directions for using the mix are very easy - all you need to do is add water, oil and eggs - and as long as you follow the directions, you should have a nice cake to work with.

If you're feeling a little more brave, you can make a cake from scratch. Homemade cakes are no longer the difficult chore they used to be.

The ready availability of fresh ingredients has made it much easier for bakers to create their own homemade cakes. For long-time bakers, you can select any recipe you think will work well but if you've never made a cake from scratch before then you should start with the simplest recipe you can find.

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Easy Tips To Get You Started

2010-10-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

Cake decorating is one of the most fascinating and fun vocations of the culinary arts. It requires such a wide range of skills, including baking, sculpting, and a finely honed artistic sensibility to create delightful desserts that are wonderful to look at, and with a bit of luck, even better to eat. Here are some easy to follow instructions for achieving the very best conditions for cake decoration.

1. The Easy Kind Of Cake To Work With

What kind of cake is the right kind of cake? It is smooth and golden brown with a springy surface, and has a slightly bouncy crust. Hopefully, the cake will be even on the bottom and the top. If you are a beginner and this is your first time baking a cake, you may want to try using a box mix that you can buy from the grocery store. Just follow the instructions on the box and you’ll be safe.

2. The Best Conditions For Decorating

There are certain conditions that you need to determine in order to get the best kind of cake for decorating. First, it is very important for you to let your cake cool before you begin to apply the icing. You may want to consider freezing your cake before you begin to decorate it. Freezing will allow the cake to become solid and make it easier to work with and easier to decorate.

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Fondant Recipe

2010-10-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

Fondant

If you ever watch any of those cake decorating shows on television than you are familiar with the use of fondant. Fondant has the consistency of molding clay and is commonly used to make figurines and is easily shaped into fun characters. Fondant can also be used to cover and entire cake when it is rolled out flat with a rolling pin. It is soft and pliable and provides a great and stable base for your cake decorations. I recently used fondant to make some sesame street characters for my grandson’s second birthday party and he went wild. Now you can actually buy fondant that is pre made or you can make it your self and just add food coloring to get the colors you want.

Fondant Recipe:

2 Tbsp of unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup of cold water

2 tsp of almond extract

1 cup of light corn syrup

2 Tbsp of glycerin

4 lbs confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp of vegetable shortening

Add the gelatin to cold water in a bowl and let it stand until soft, put in microwave for 30 seconds and add almond extract. Next, mix corn syrup and glycerin until smooth & clear. In a large bowl add the sugar, make a hole in the center and add liquid mixture, stir with a spoon until sticky.

On a smooth work surface sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar kneed the fondant until it becomes smooth and pliable. Rub the shortening onto thumbs and knead into fondant.

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Royal Icing

2010-10-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

Royal Icing

Another popular icing used in cake decorating is royal icing. Royal icing is usually made with meringue powder and has a very sweet taste. It is different than butter cream because it dries faster and has a firm texture. It is great for doing intricate lace work , piping flower designs. It is great for holding parts together. A gingerbread house is a perfect example of a great use of royal icing.

Royal Icing Recipe:

4 tablespoons of meringue powder

5 cups of powdered sugar ( confectioners’ sugar)

7 tablespoons of warm water

Mix all ingredients for about 10 minutes with a hand held mixer on high speed , or until icing starts to form peaks. Add more or less water for your desired consistency.

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Easy Butter Cream Recipe

2010-10-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

When it comes to cake decorating, icing is your secret weapon. Not only can you cover up many baking boo…boo’s, but you just can't decorate a cake without icing. It’s the glue that holds everything together and the sweet stuff that makes it all taste so good. Three of the most commonly used types of icing are butter cream, royal icing, and fondant. Here is a quick look at the three different kinds of cake decorating icing and their uses.

The Basic Ingredients

All cake icings are basically created from a combination of sugar, butter, egg whites, and flavoring. Here is a quick and easy recipe for simple cake icing.

Butter Cream

Butter cream icing is probably the most commonly used form of icing used in cake decorating. Butter cream icing is creamy, light and easy to work with. It is usually used as the base layer of frosting on a cake or what is called a crumb coat. It is easy to make butter cream thick or thin by adding more or less of your wet ingredients. Simply add coco powder or orange extract to the recipe below and you’ll have an easy to make home-made butter cream recipe that can be used for any occasion.

Butter Cream Recipe:

6 cups powdered sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup very soft butter
3 tsp vanilla extract

Just mix together the above ingredients and add food coloring & flavorings of your choice. Will cover two 9x11 cakes.

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Easy Birthday Cake Decorating Ideas

2010-10-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

One of the best parts of decorating a birthday cake is the gathering of ideas. With the ease of the internet, gathering ideas is simply just a few click away. Even though it can be a lot of fun to look for birthday cake ideas, sometimes it can be a little daunting, especially if you have put it off till the last minute. Here are few ideas and tips to help get your creative juices flowing.

1. Electric Guitar Cake

This one is great for the music lover in your family and was surprisingly simple to make. We just made a stencil out of poster board and cut out the guitar body and neck. Put the two pieces together and covered them with a thin coat of icing. Next we just decorated it with different colored icings and

BAMM … we were instant guitar heroes.

2. Butterfly Birthday Cake

This cake is really easy to make and decorate. Start with an 9 inch round cake and cut off the dome of the cake. Then cut the cake like a peace sign. Simply flip the four pieces of the cake over with all four corners facing the center and then you have a cool looking butterfly shape that is really easy to decorate how ever you like.

3. Fire Engine Cake

What little-boy doesn’t like fire fighters? So why not make a fire engine cake. Simply take three 8x4 cakes and cut off the dome of the cakes in order to have a flat surface on both sides. Then take two of the cakes and place them one on top of the other and glue them together with frosting. Take the third cake and cut it in half stack them on top of each other and stand them on end. Then place it on the end in front of the other cake. This will make the cab of your fire engine. Then decorate with red frosting and pipe on the accents.

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