How to Learn About Common Cake Decorating Terms
Learn about the technique of airbrushing., Learn about adding a border., Know your buttercream., Understand the use of decorating bags., Purchase as many decorating tips as your budget permits., Consider getting a flower nail., Learn about the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Learn about the technique of airbrushing.
Cake airbrushing is a high-speed way to add a picture or setting onto a cake's surface using food coloring.
Airbrushing uses an artist's paint gun that uses a compression air pump. , The border of a cake is a continuous thread of icing that embellishes the top, sides, and/or bottom edges of a cake. , Buttercream is a rich icing that is made by mixing either butter or shortening (or both) together with icing sugar, and beaten until smooth.
Buttercream is an all-purpose icing, easily made, that can be used to both cover and embellish a cake , Decorating bags are also known as icing bags, frosting bags, or pastry bags.
Decorating bags are small, triangular shaped bags that are made from cloth, plastic, or parchment paper.
The bags are equipped with embellishing tips and filled with icing and used to pipe ornamental items such as icing flowers, borders, scrollwork, and lacework patterns. , Decorating tips are often called decorating nozzles.
Decorating tips are used to create decorative details such as basket-weave patterns, icing roses, and shell borders.
Tips come in different shapes, and are applied with an icing or pastry bag full of icing.
When the bag is pressed, the icing or cream is piped out in the shape of the tip.
Drop flowers are produced with a single squeeze of the frosting bag, while rose petals are produced with practiced maneuvering of the tip and icing. , A flower nail is shaped like a nail with a large, oversized head.
A flower head is used for piping royal icing and buttercream flowers that are transferred to a cake after drying. , Frosting and icing are often switched for each other.
Americans tend to use the term "frosting" to mean the creamy, sugary substance that covers a cake, while individuals in other English speaking areas tend to use the term "icing".
In the U.S.A., "frosting" commonly refers to the icing that is spread over the cake, while "icing" usually refers to decorative icing, such as piped borders and icing roses.
There is different types of frosting (which can also double as filling where needed):
Fondant
- Fondant is also called sugar paste.
Fondant is an icing sugar dough that can be worked in much the same way as pie dough.
Fondant can be rolled into smooth sheets and draped over cakes, making a smooth, flawless finish.
Ganache
- Ganache is a velvety smooth frosting.
It is prepared by melting either dark or white chocolate, then mixing it with heavy cream.
Gumpaste
- Gumpaste is an edible, clay-like dough.
It is prepared by combining glycerin, gum Arabic, and icing sugar.
Gumpaste is used to mold edible flowers and designs.
Gum paste can also be rolled exceedingly thin and used to make intricate ribbons and lacework, as well as delicate flower petals.
Marzipan
- Marzipan is a doughy almond substance.
It is made from the identical ingredients as almond paste, though marzipan has more sugar, fewer almonds, and has a smoother consistency.
Marzipan is often used for modeling cake decorations, and as a base covering underneath fondant.
Piping
- Piping is a decorating method where a decorating bag or tube is filled with icing and fitted with a decorating tip.
Piping takes place when the bag is gently squeezed to make shaped dots and ribbons of icing to adorn cakes and other baked goods.
Royal Icing
- Royal icing is a sweet white icing that is prepared by whipping icing sugar with either fresh egg whites or dried egg whites and meringue powder.
Royal icing makes crisp icing borders.
It is perfect for piping intricate writing, borders, scrollwork, and lacework on cakes.
Royal icing dries very hard and preserves indefinitely if stored in a cool, dry place, but is vulnerable to softening and drooping in high humidity. -
Step 2: Learn about adding a border.
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Step 3: Know your buttercream.
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Step 4: Understand the use of decorating bags.
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Step 5: Purchase as many decorating tips as your budget permits.
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Step 6: Consider getting a flower nail.
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Step 7: Learn about the different types of frosting.
Detailed Guide
Cake airbrushing is a high-speed way to add a picture or setting onto a cake's surface using food coloring.
Airbrushing uses an artist's paint gun that uses a compression air pump. , The border of a cake is a continuous thread of icing that embellishes the top, sides, and/or bottom edges of a cake. , Buttercream is a rich icing that is made by mixing either butter or shortening (or both) together with icing sugar, and beaten until smooth.
Buttercream is an all-purpose icing, easily made, that can be used to both cover and embellish a cake , Decorating bags are also known as icing bags, frosting bags, or pastry bags.
Decorating bags are small, triangular shaped bags that are made from cloth, plastic, or parchment paper.
The bags are equipped with embellishing tips and filled with icing and used to pipe ornamental items such as icing flowers, borders, scrollwork, and lacework patterns. , Decorating tips are often called decorating nozzles.
Decorating tips are used to create decorative details such as basket-weave patterns, icing roses, and shell borders.
Tips come in different shapes, and are applied with an icing or pastry bag full of icing.
When the bag is pressed, the icing or cream is piped out in the shape of the tip.
Drop flowers are produced with a single squeeze of the frosting bag, while rose petals are produced with practiced maneuvering of the tip and icing. , A flower nail is shaped like a nail with a large, oversized head.
A flower head is used for piping royal icing and buttercream flowers that are transferred to a cake after drying. , Frosting and icing are often switched for each other.
Americans tend to use the term "frosting" to mean the creamy, sugary substance that covers a cake, while individuals in other English speaking areas tend to use the term "icing".
In the U.S.A., "frosting" commonly refers to the icing that is spread over the cake, while "icing" usually refers to decorative icing, such as piped borders and icing roses.
There is different types of frosting (which can also double as filling where needed):
Fondant
- Fondant is also called sugar paste.
Fondant is an icing sugar dough that can be worked in much the same way as pie dough.
Fondant can be rolled into smooth sheets and draped over cakes, making a smooth, flawless finish.
Ganache
- Ganache is a velvety smooth frosting.
It is prepared by melting either dark or white chocolate, then mixing it with heavy cream.
Gumpaste
- Gumpaste is an edible, clay-like dough.
It is prepared by combining glycerin, gum Arabic, and icing sugar.
Gumpaste is used to mold edible flowers and designs.
Gum paste can also be rolled exceedingly thin and used to make intricate ribbons and lacework, as well as delicate flower petals.
Marzipan
- Marzipan is a doughy almond substance.
It is made from the identical ingredients as almond paste, though marzipan has more sugar, fewer almonds, and has a smoother consistency.
Marzipan is often used for modeling cake decorations, and as a base covering underneath fondant.
Piping
- Piping is a decorating method where a decorating bag or tube is filled with icing and fitted with a decorating tip.
Piping takes place when the bag is gently squeezed to make shaped dots and ribbons of icing to adorn cakes and other baked goods.
Royal Icing
- Royal icing is a sweet white icing that is prepared by whipping icing sugar with either fresh egg whites or dried egg whites and meringue powder.
Royal icing makes crisp icing borders.
It is perfect for piping intricate writing, borders, scrollwork, and lacework on cakes.
Royal icing dries very hard and preserves indefinitely if stored in a cool, dry place, but is vulnerable to softening and drooping in high humidity.
About the Author
Kimberly Cook
Experienced content creator specializing in practical skills guides and tutorials.
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