How to Decorate a Cake
Step 1
1
Select a frosting for the cake. Use any frosting that’s thick enough to stick to the top and sides of the cake. If your frosting is too runny to pipe or spread using an offset spatula, mix in powdered sugar until it thickens. Consider using:
Buttercream or Vienna cream
Cream cheese frosting
Marshmallow frosting
Royal icing
Swiss or Italian meringue buttercream
Ganache
Step 2
2
Use an icing smoother to create evenly frosted sides. Use an icing tip on a pastry bag to pipe thick bands of frosting around the sides of the cake. Keep going up around the sides until they’re coated with frosting. Then hold an icing smoother or bench scraper vertically against the side of the cake. Run the smoother around the cake to create an even surface.
It’s easier to use the icing smoother if the cake is on a turntable. Then you can slowly rotate the cake while holding the icing smoother against the side.
If you choose to leave the sides of the cake “naked,” spread just a few thin patches of frosting along the sides so the layers of cake are still visible.
Step 3
3
Fill a piping bag and pipe a pattern onto the cake. Choose a piping tip that helps you create the design you want. For example, select a petal tip to pipe a ruffled edge along the cake or use a plain round tip to pipe dots across the top of the cake.
If you don’t have a piping bag, put the frosting into a food-safe plastic bag and cut off the bottom tip of the bag. You won’t be able to control the level of piping detail, but it will give you a simple piping bag.
Did You Know?
Popular patterns include basketweave, ruffles, scallops, stars, and lace.
Step 4
4
Use piping tips to create decorative shapes, flowers, or words. Once you’ve covered the cake with the frosting of your choice, decide if you want to add a few embellishments. Change the tip on the piping bag so you can write words or pipe flowers. Some tips are designed for specific shapes, such as leaves.
For example, to make an elegant fleurs-de-lis, use a star tip to pipe 3 reverse shells. You can also use the star tip to pipe the frosting into a simple rosette.
