How to Decorate Cakes & Cupcakes
A well-decorated cupcake or cake tantalizes the visual senses before someone even enjoys the flavor. Cupcakes and cakes are a special treat, and their appearance adds to the culinary anticipation. Even if you are not an experienced cake decorator, you can make your cakes and cupcakes beautiful. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Cake leveler or serrated knife
- Jam
- Pastry bag or plastic freezer bag
- Scissors
- Star tip
- Large glass or jar
- Wax paper
- Spatula
- Frosting
- Pastry brush
- Sprinkles, chocolate curls or ground nuts
Instructions
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1
Prepare your work surface by placing a cake or cupcake on a plate. Place pieces of folded wax paper partially under the cake or cupcake (about half an inch under the cake) on all sides so that any stray frosting can easily be removed with minimum cleanup. If you are only frosting the top of a cupcake, this step may not be necessary but it is important when frosting the sides and top of a cake.
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2
Use a cake leveler to smooth the top of the cake so that it appears flat and even. If you do not have a cake leveler, use a large serrated sharp knife, but a leveler will make the cake top more uniform.
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3
Heat jam for approximately one minute over medium flame and brush it gently over the top of the cake or cupcake to minimize excess crumbs. Refrigerate the glazed cake for an hour to seal in the crumbs.
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4
Fit a pastry bag with a star tip and fold the bag over the top of a large glass. If you are using a freezer bag, cut a small piece of the corner off so that the pastry tip fits snugly in the hole.Then fill the bag two-thirds full of frosting.
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5
Twist the bag tightly and use your hands to guide the bag in a circular manner starting at the outer edge of a cupcake and working inward to create a large swirl that covers the top of the cupcake. When decorating a two-layer cake, use a spatula to place a generous amount of icing on the bottom layer, smooth it with a spatula, and place the second layer on top. Place a generous amount of icing on the top layer and smooth it with a spatula. Use the spatula to coat the sides of the cake with frosting.
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6
Use a knife to make eight small evenly spaced marks around the cake. Take the pastry bag and make small star shaped swirls over the eight marks.
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7
Place sprinkles, chocolate curls or decorations on top of the cupcake swirl or on top of each star-shaped swirl on the cake. Place finely chopped or ground nuts on the sides of the cake.
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8
Remove the wax paper and serve the cake or cupcakes.
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Tips & Warnings
If you have not previously used a pastry bag, practice before trying to decorate your cake or cupcakes.
Very finely chopped or ground nuts will adhere to the cake better than large pieces.
Avoid using a very thin layer of icing because stray crumbs are more likely to get mixed with the frosting.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
