Cake Decorating

Cake decorating or sugar craft, has currently become one of the most popular fields in the culinary arts. More and more people are expressing an interest in baking and cake decorating. Why has cake decorating become so very popular of late? Cake decorating has become popular because it combines a variety of different skills and interests. If you think about it, cake decorating encompasses a great variety of skills and talents, including design, color patterns, baking and sculpture. If you are interested in getting involved in cake design, here are some hints and tips that can help you get started.

Baking the Perfect Cake – Hints of the Newbie Decorator

Before you can get started with the fun of cake decorating, you will need, of course, to have a cake to decorate. If you have never before baked a cake, now is the perfect time to start. You may want to get started by baking a cake from a store bought box mix. These cake mixes are easy to work with—simply add oil, water and eggs—and if you follow the directions, the results are nearly almost always satisfactory. However, another possibility is that if you can make your own homemade cake from scratch. It is easier than ever to bake a cake from scratch. That is because it is easier than ever to get a hold on fresh ingredients. However, if it is your first time baking a cake from scratch, opt for the easiest recipe you can get your hands on.

Choosing the Right Kind of icing

You will also want to choose the right kind of icing when you are decorating your own cake. There are three basic kinds of icing that are available. These are known as icing consistencies. The three basic types of icing consistencies include soft icing, medium, and stiff. Chances are that, at least at the beginning, you will only be working with soft and medium icing. Soft can be thin and thus used to write on cakes. Soft icing can also be used to ice the entire cake. Medium icing is used for making decorative borders, scrolls and scrollwork. Medium consistency icing is strong enough to keep its shape, yet pliable enough to be spooned off the cake and eaten. The third basic icing consistency is stiff icing. Stiff icing is used for more elaborate means such as decorative flowers. The icing has to be stiff enough so that the flower (or other decoration) will hold its shape. Clearly, this type of icing is often too stiff to be eaten and is purely decorative.

Gathering the Right Kind of Cake Decorating Tools

If you are a cake decorating newbie, there is a good chance that you just don't have the right kind of tools in your kitchen arsenal. It is now easier than ever to get access to the kinds of tools you need in order to decorate your cake the way it should be decorated. Fortunately, there are many easy ways to take care of this problem. The easiest way to go about gathering the essential tools for cake decorating is to gather the tools you need according to the project at hand. However, because of the popularity of cake decorating, there are also many nifty cake decorating tool kits available now that offer you all the basic essentials in one package. Essential cake decorating tips may include pastry bag, paper cones for decorating, different sized tips, piping bag and different-sized frosting spatulas.

Collect Books and Magazines to Inspire You

One of the most important things you will need is inspiration. Surround yourself with inspiring pictures and ideas so that your own cake decorating is sparked with ideas.

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What Exactly is Sugarcraft?

Sugarcraft is an all-encompassing word that describes icing and any kind of decorative work that is used to create well-defined and sometimes elaborate cake designs. However, more specifically, sugar craft describes a specific kind of cake decorating that involves creating a three-dimensional modeling technique to create elaborate decorative cakes. Sugarcraft stands in contrast to more simple styles of cake decoration.

Basic Design of Sugarcraft

There are many basic designs that are associated with sugar craft. One of the most basic designs of sugar craft is the use of icing dots in order to form a larger overall pattern. Many sugar craft edible artists take these designs a few steps beyond in order to create more elaborate modeling figures on the cake. Many professional edible sugar craft artists liken their craft to the art of sculpting, and indeed the two have much in common.

Special Icings Used in Fondant

The art of sugar craft tends to require the use of specific icings. The most common type of icing is known as the rolled fondant. The rolled fondant is special icing dough that can be used in many different ways. Rolled fondant is a kind of icing that is used both for making specific icing decorations, and for covering whole cakes. If you have never used rolled fondant icing, you will find that it can be compared to the texture of play dough.

How Sugarcraft Artists Use Rolled Fondant

Sugarcraft artists used rolled fondant in many different ways. The most common methods for working with rolled fondant are to manipulate it into sheets and then drape it over the cake. The rolled fondant can also be cut into various shapes and sizes. Common shapes include flowers, ribbons and bows. In order to be able to manipulate rolled fondant, you will want to prepare it in advance and keep it stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Preparing Rolling Fondant for Sugarcraft

There are many useful tips and techniques for preparing rolled fondant. One of the tricky parts of preparing rolled fondant is to add color. You may be tempted to add liquid food coloring to your rolled fondant in an attempt to add some quick color. You should resist this urge. Instead, use coloring paste, which works much better with rolled fondant.

Overcoming the Rolled Fondant Learning Curve

Working with rolled fondant can allow you to create exquisite and elaborate cake decoration designs, but rolled fondant is also notorious for being difficult to work with. That is, there is a steep learning curve that often accompanies using rolled fondant. Many novices tend to find rolled fondant frustrating and difficult to work with. For many novices, it can take months of practice and visual guidance in order to master the basic techniques of cake decorating with rolled fondant.

Using a Visual Guide to Learning Sugarcraft

Although there are many fine sugar craft books out there, you may find it helpful to take a more visual and hands-on approach to learning sugar craft and cake decorating. Many local community colleges offer cake decorating classes where you can learn the fine art of sugar craft. Another way to learn through visual instruction is to invest in a cake decorating video or DVD set. This is a fun and easy way to learn about cake decorating from the comfort of your home.

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