How to Decorate a Strawberry Shortcake Wilton Cake

Strawberry shortcake isn't just a dessert -- it's a popular cartoon character as well.

Strawberry Shortcake was initially developed by a greeting card company and grew into a line of children's toys and a 1980s cartoon series popular with young children. The Wilton company's Strawberry Shortcake cake pan allows you to make a birthday cake form of this character to delight fans of this cartoon. Although it may take some practice, you can decorate this themed cake by using several icing techniques.

Things You'll Need

• Prepared Strawberry Shortcake Wilton cake
• Flat cake icing spatula
• 1 cup white butter cream frosting mixed with 1 tbsp. light corn syrup
• Size 3 cake decorating tip
• Size 16 cake decorating tip
• 7 decorating bags
• 1/2 cup light pink butter cream frosting
• 1/3 cup pink butter cream frosting
• 2/3 cup copper butter cream frosting
• 7 fresh strawberry halves
• 1/2 cup red butter cream frosting
• 1/4 cup brown butter cream frosting
• 1/4 cup green butter cream frosting
• 1/2 cup white butter cream frosting

Instructions

1. Spread an even layer of white corn syrup butter cream frosting with the spatula over the top and sides of the cake.

2. Outline Strawberry Shortcake's apron, facial features, hands, dress and large strawberry in brown icing using a size 3 decorating tip. Once you have outlined her eyes, fill in her pupils with brown icing.

3. Change to a pastry bag with a number 3 tip filled with white butter cream frosting without corn syrup. Pipe in the whites of Strawberry Shortcake's eyes.

4. Switch the tip on the white icing bag to to a number 16 tip and fill in the skirt and apron using a star technique. To do this, hold the pastry bag vertically with the tip touching the cake and squeeze a small dollop of icing onto the cake so that it leaves a star shape.

5. Decorate the apron ruffle and dress cuffs with the white icing using a zigzag technique. Hold the tip at a 45 degree angle from the cake and gently squeeze the icing out onto the cake while making a "Z" pattern.

6. Fill in Strawberry Shortcake's hat in light pink icing using the star technique using a number 16 tip.

7. Place the copper colored butter cream icing in a bag with a number 3 tip. Place the tip vertically over Strawberry Shortcake's nose and squeeze a mound of icing out until it is about 1/4 inch tall.

8. Switch the copper icing bag to a number 16 tip and fill in Strawberry Shortcake's face and hands using the star technique.

9. Decorate around the base of the cake with copper icing using a shell pattern. Place the tip of the bag at a 45 degree angle towards you, slightly above the corner where the cake meets the serving tray, and gently squeeze out a dollop of icing. As the icing touches the tray, relax the pressure on the bag to slow the amount of frosting coming out and move the tip away from the dot. Repeat this process around the entire cake.

10. Decorate Strawberry Shortcake's hat by placing seven strawberry halves where the cake form indicates.

11. Fill in the collar, sleeve and hat ribbon using the star technique with red icing in a bag fitted with a number 16 tip.

12. Make Strawberry Shortcake's hair with the red icing by using the e-technique. To do this, hold the tip of the bag at a 45 degree angle and squeeze a short line of icing in the shape of a cursive letter "e" and then by pulling the tip away from the cake.

13. Switch the red icing bag to a number 3 tip and place 4 dots on each of Strawberry Shortcake's cheeks to make her freckles.

14. Decorate the strawberry that Strawberry Shortcake is holding with the pink icing using the stars technique in a bag with a number 16 tip.

15. Color in the stem using the zigzag technique on the strawberry that Strawberry Shortcake is holding with green icing in a bag fitted with a number 3 tip.

16. Switch the green icing bag to a number 16 tip and color in the leaves on the strawberry that Strawberry Shortcake is holding using the stars technique.

17. Place dots on the fringe of Strawberry Shortcake's hat with white icing in a bag fitted with a number 3 tip.

18. Write a message on the cake using white icing and a number 3 tip.

References

• The Eighties Club: Cartoons of the 1980s
• Wilton: Instructions for Baking & Decorating Strawberry Shortcake Cake