Tips & Tools for Getting Started

I present to you this cake decorating how to for beginners. Think of it as an amateur’s guide to Birthday Cake Decorating.

How to start:

-Buy some decorator tips—not a whole set, just a few basic ones to start. Wilton is a great source for that. Find them online or in any craft of party supply store.

-Don’t worry about buying expensive pastry bags. You can use freezer Ziploc bags (because they are a little heavier). It makes for very easy clean-up.

-Find a picture of a cake you like and copy it.

-Practice! Make some icing and practice piping on a piece of parchment paper. Get a feel for which tips you like and the pressure you need to have on a bag and the consistency of icing.

-Experiment with different kinds of icings—it’s not all about piping. Not all icing is meant to be piped.

-Look for these icing recipes:
Seven-minute
Cream cheese
Chocolate Fudge
Ganaches
Glazes

-Play around with different types of cakes, too. Experiment with different fillings.

-Be creative! Explore! Personalize your cakes according to your own tastes and interests!

You can TOTALLY do it. It’s fun — like art class. Only you can lick your fingers! And this cake decorating how-to is only the beginning. Pretty soon it will be a “piece of cake.”

Credits: Written by Lindsey Rose Johnson.