Cake decoration is very important in cake business this is because a well decorated cake attracts people. One of my sisters said to me I don’t care if a cake is not sweet what I am after is how beautiful the decoration is. She said is just for posing (photos) and that is what many people are asking for too. Nobody wants a shabbily decorated cake in this era where everything is done for the public.
Some people assume that a beautifully decorated cake has a good taste even before eating it. This is one reason you should take time to design an appealing cake. Of course it matters much in cake business because nobody will want to patronise a not too good-looking cake. Most cake bakers flaunt their beautiful cake to attract greater patronage.
What is cake decoration? To me it is simply the style and colour used in designing or giving a finishing touch to a cake. And this can be achieved by the use of fondant or icing. In this post I shall be giving a step by step guide on how to prepare cake icing, fondant, how to apply and tips on applying them.
TYPES OF CAKE DECORATION
There are many kinds of cake decoration:
- Butter icing
- Royal icing
- Fondant
- Roll butter cream
- Butter cream
BUTTER ICING
RECIPE
Butter 140g
Icing sugar 250g (3 cups)
Milk 2 tablespoon
PREPARATION
- Beat the butter in a large bowl till it becomes very soft
- Add some of the icing sugar until it is smooth
- Add the remaining sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk
- Beat the mixture until creamy and smooth
- Stir the food colouring until well combined
FONDANT PREPARATION
RECIPE
- Icing sugar 2 packs (7 cups)
- Glucose syrup ½ cup
- Gelatine 1 tablespoon
- CMC ½ tablespoon
- Cold water ¼ cup
PROCEDURE
- Sieve the icing sugar into a large non-metallic bowl and add the CMC
- Create a big hole at the centre
- In a small sauce pan add water and gelatine over a low heat
- Place the dissolved gelatine into it. Note, do not heat it to boil
- Remove the sauce pan from the heat and add glucose syrup
- Stir until it is completely mixed
- Pour the gelatine mixture in the big centre-hole of the icing sugar gradually
- Mix until all the icing sugar is combined
- Knead the icing until it becomes a smooth dough.
- Mix the butter with icing sugar and stir, don’t add water, you can as well use the butter alone without mixing with the ice.
- Rub it on the cake to serve as gum. Use tiny water to dissolve the colour. Dried colour is more preferable than the liquid because it brings out the desired colour more than the liquid. Use liquid sugar to roll after taking out some of the dough for colour mixing.
- Measure the cake with the pan using tape to know the size
- Rub Chisco or vegetable shortening white fat on the table for rolling
- If rain is falling don’t use the fat, it will burn the fondant.
TIPS IN COVERING A SQUARE SHAPED CAKE WITH FONDANT
Apply butter cream all over the cake using palette knife; concentrate on the edges. Lift the fondant gently and place it on the cake. Use a smoothner to roll down the fondant on all side until it flattens. Use two fondant smoother a this time to rub them all over the cake including the edges. Use smoothner to smoothen sharp edges . Use cutter to cut out excess fondant.
WHAT TO USE IN ROLLING THE ICING SUGAR
- Corn flour
- Chisco or vegetable shortening white fat
- Icing colour: for colouring the cake (dried or liquid)..
- water to dissolve the colour
Everybody have different recipe and procedure for making icing. Just make sure you have accurate measurement for the gelatine, water, CMC and glucose. After mixing everything you keep adding icing sugar to it until you get your desired fondant texture
ROYAL ICING
RECIPE
- Icing sugar 3 cups
- Egg white 2
- Lemon juice 1 teaspoon
METHOD
- Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl this will help it to become lumpy
- Separate the egg white
- Add lemon juice to the egg white and mix thoroughly with a wire whisk
In a big bowl, combine the mixed lemon and egg white with sugar. The sugar should be added little by little. - To get a piping mixture mix the royal icing till soft
- Continue the mixing and the adding of sugar bit by bit for a firmer peak
- Adjust as desired with icing sugar or egg white.
- Use royal icing immediately or transfer to an airtight container.