Things You'll Need:
- Wilton icing tools Wilton piping supplies Wilton fondant/gumpaste supplies
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Step 1
A turntable helps rotate the cake evenly.Begin with a smooth foundation for your cake designs. Wilton sells cake turntables that allow the decorator to rotate the entire cake, making the application of icing a snap. By using a long spatula, the decorator can smooth the sides and the top of the cake.
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Step 2
Pipe borders and designs in buttercream.Pipe buttercream borders, flowers and leaves with a combination of metal piping tips in various sizes and shapes fitted into pastry bags to hold and control the icing. Buttercream icing is a common cake covering and it is soft enough to pipe when writing names on cakes, adding shell borders or creating soft flowers. Wilton offers a wide assortment of tips that also create a basket weave effect or enhance your cake with swirls and dots of all sizes.
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Step 3
Create lifelike flowers with fondant or gumpaste.Work with fondant or gumpaste to create delicate flowers and other three-dimensional items that hold their shape when dry. Wilton instructional manuals and local classes teach the cake decorator how to knead the clay-like fondant or gumpaste and mold it into intricate items. Because these substances can make very thin petals, the results can be stunning. Tools for using fondant and gumpaste include silicone mats to work on and nonstick rolling pins, cutters and molding tools.
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Step 4
Royal icing creates delicate, very hard decorations.Create cake decorations that dry to a very hard consistency with the same tips used for piping buttercream, instead using royal icing, a semisolid confection made from egg whites. Royal icing may be used to pipe very delicate designs on waxed paper that are carefully peeled off when dry or used to form beautiful piped roses and other flowers and placed upon the cake before serving.
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Step 5
Locate a Wilton cake decorating class if you enjoy hands-on instructional courses, where you bring your own icing to class, and professional cake decorators teach you the many Wilton techniques. Wilton classes include three levels of techniques, each one serving as a basis for the next, more advanced level (see Resources).
