Thursday, October 08, 2009

Cake Decorating 101

I've been a stranger to my sewing room lately, but I'm hoping to rectify that this next week while I'm on vacation!

In the meantime, DD and I have decided to take a cake decorating class. Last weekend was our first class, and basically, it was all demonstration for that first day. Our homework assignment is to come in on Saturday with a frosted cake ready for decorating, and 3 different consistencies of frosting divided into different batches for coloring and decorating. Sounds so simple, doesn't it?

Well, let me tell you that cake making has never been my forte. They always come out tasting good, but usually are about 1" tall. Grace and I decided we'd better make some practice cakes before we have to do the "real thing" Grace made the first cake earlier this week. Hers came out pretty good, but one layer broke when she turned it out of the pan, so she had to glue it back together with icing. Her icing was a little too thick, so she had trouble getting it to go on smoothly. Also, her sides were not straight up and down, but more at an angle going toward the top.

Last night I made another cake, and she and I frosted it today. Well, my icing was too thin, so it kept sliding off the cake! Also, my layers shifted because the icing was too slippery. Who knew that the perfect consistency for frosting would be so difficult to attain? My goal is to have one of those cakes where the top is perfectly flat and absolutely parallel to the bottom, and the sides are perfectly smooth and perpendicular to the top.


This cake is not it. I figure by the time I make 30 or 40 cakes, I should have it down! I think my co workers are probably going to love me because I will be bringing these cakes to work lest I eat every one of them!








Well, since we had left over icing, and since we could tell how badly we suck at the basics, that we better get a little practice on using the tips and the decorating bag. We practiced on wax paper first, and then put a little design on the cake. Hopefully the next cake I post will look better than this one!

10 comments:

Elaray said...

Your cake has a quilter's touch - the icing looks like stiple quilting!!! I think that's great! Sounds like a fun class for you and DD!

Myra said...

If you have questions, ask me. I took the classes years ago and decorate cakes for the kid's birthdays and sell cakes from time to time. For the broken cake, use cake release from wilton to coat your pans. Your stipping looks good.

gail said...

how fun to take a class with your daughter =) and youre' right, who knew that icing is so hard to perfect. good for you at practicing.

Summerset said...

I remember my mother taking cake decorating classes when I was in 7th grade. She was always taking cake to work, too. Enjoy the time with your daughter.

Maureen said...

...ahem....the Garver's like cake :)

Sally McCormick said...

Excellent looking cake! Your should be proud of your creation - I love the way the green adds the look of texture to the top of the cake.

designdreamer said...

Not my forte either! When ds was young (he just turned 24) I bought a cookie monster cake pan, since my sister had created an awsome cake for HER son (using the same pan) with great results! Well, if memory serves, you had to use one of the decorative tips to create a "fur" look. I spent hours on that cake, and I don't think it looked that good either! Sigh. Now I just buy the icing in a tube, write "Happy Birthday __________" and I'm done. Would much rather be doing my embellishment on fabric! LOL! At least it lasts, and no one can eat it! I DO like to bake however!

Sue said...

At least you will enjoy eating all the trial cakes!

BTW,I have selected you for a "Kreativ Blogger" award.

Maureen said...

Seriously, where's my cake?

cake decorating books said...

It looks great! Love the pattern on the cake!

Debbie from cake decorating books