Cake Decorating Tips

I recently took a cake decorating class and I thought I would share a few tips that I learned that are really simple, but make your cakes look really good.  For these specific tips, they apply best to a round cake.

Frosting the Cake
I never used to do this until I took my cake decorating class, but you should level the tops of both layers of your cake.  Once the layers have cooled, I do this by take a knife and cutting off the doom so the top of each layer is flat.  This makes decorating a lot easier.

When frosting the cake, do one very thin layer of icing.  This is called the crumb layer.  Put it is the refrigerator for an hour and then apply a second thicker layer.  The crumb layer keeps the crumbs in place so when you add the second layer of frosting, it will look a lot smoother.

Decorating the Cake
I recommend getting a simple cake decorating kit with a few different icing tips and icing bags.  I bought mine at the local craft store.  Experiment with the different tips to see what designs you can come up with.  A lot of the kits will come with instructions on how to use the tips as well.

This is a cake I made just experimenting with the different icing tips.

When it comes to icing, consistency is the key.  For borders and flowers, you need stiffer icing.  If your designs/borders aren't holding its shape, just add some more powdered sugar until it is to a stiffer consistency.  For writing and lines you need thinner icing.  You can make it thinner by adding a little bit of water or milk.

One of the tricks we were taught was to use cookie cutters to make imprints on your cake.  Then fill the shape in using your icing bag and different tips.  You can use cookie cutters to create all kinds of scenes on your cakes.  It is really easy and turns out looking really cute.

I used cookie cutters to create the design on this cake.

Second easy trick we learned was using piping gel to put pictures on your cake.  Piping gel is a clear gel you can buy in the cake decorating aisle.  It comes in a little tub.  Pick out a simple image you would like on your cake, like something from a coloring book with distinct lines.  Place some parchment paper on top of the picture and trace the picture with a small paintbrush using the piping gel.  (I would only use a brand new paintbrush, just saying...)  Once you have traced the picture with the piping gel, flip the paper over on top of your cake and press lightly.  Peel the paper off and the piping gel leaves a clear outline of the picture.  Use your icing bags and tips to fill the picture in.

I used piping gel to transfer this image on to my cake.

Those are just a few tips I learned in my class.  If any of you have tips for cake decorating, I would love to hear them!