If you know anything about cake decoration, you know that fondant in cake decoration is scary to a lot of folks. Why is fondant so scary? Fondant is a type of icing that can be very tricky to work with, but many amateur and professional pastry chefs brave the rough fondant waters in order to seek the beautiful rewards of their culinary bravery: fondant can result in a gorgeous, satiny finish that is hard to beat by any measure. Here are some tips for braving the fondant waters.

Why Fondant May Seem Like a Challenge

Fondant is not only difficult to work with; it can also be a little costly. If you decide to purchase pre-made fondant, you will find that the costs of this beautiful icing can add up. There are a handful of cake decoration companies that specialize in making and selling pre-made fondant. As of late, you can purchase fondant for roughly $6 per pound. Although initially this may not seem like much, it can add up, especially if you are baking a medium-sized or large cake. A pound of fondant will only realistically cover a two-layer 8-inch cake. So if you are planning on making a 3-layer cake, you will need to order more fondant. However, the worst thing about this pre-made fondant icing is not the cost, but the taste. In order to get the most out of fondant, you will want to make it fresh. The pre-made, pre-rolled fondant simply does not compare in taste and texture to the fresh stuff. In fact, most pre-made or pre-rolled fondant is simply peeled off of the cake since the texture is not always that appetizing.

Rule # 1 – Have Fun with the Fondant

If there is one thing that you should know when you are working with fondant, and when you are working on cake decoration in general, is that you should really try to relax and have fun. It can often be difficult to relax and have fun while baking and cake decorating, since sometimes these activities are linked to high-pressure events such as big birthday parties, anniversary parties and weddings. But remember that stressing out or striving for constant perfection will not necessarily result in the perfect cake. In fact, not being able to relax and enjoy the experience of baking a cake and cake decoration in general will usually only tend to impair your ability to produce a beautiful end result.

Remember that Perfection is Not Your Ultimate Goal

It may help slightly to relieve the stress of baking and decorating a cake to realize that there is no such thing as the perfect cake. True, when you look at the cakes on display at the bakery or at the glossy portfolios of bakers and wedding cake designers, it may seem like there is such a thing as a perfect end result. But as any professional cake designer and pastry chef can tell you, there really is no such thing as a perfect cake. All great bakers and chefs understand this, and that is why they correct their errors as they go.

Basic Tips and Hints for Dealing with Fondant

Here are some tips for working with fondant. Although fondant can be notoriously difficult to work with, and all fondant dough and recipes will vary slight, these tips are presented in order to give you an overall sense of what you should expect from working with fondant. You will want to make sure that your hands and fingers are pliable and greased when you work with many fondant dough. You will need to knead the dough as you would regular bread dough, even though this may not seem natural at first.

It is an easily overlooked step, but it is essential: you will need a cake before you can get started in cake decorating. Cake decorating is a singular art, often know as one of the edible arts, but in order to get started in this artistic endeavor, you may have to conquer another art altogether: the art of baking. But what can you do to ensure that your baking skills are up to snuff? Here are some tips on preparing your cake, your template, if you will, so that you can create something unique and beautiful.

Baking Your Very First Cake

Are you baking your very first cake so that you will have something to decorate? If you do not mind not baking from scratch, you may want to begin with a regular old cake mix from your local supermarket. These cake mixes in boxes may not be made from scratch, but they taste fine, bake easily and will get the job done. However, if you prefer to start from scratch, try to find an easy recipe to work with, the simper the better.

The Tricky Part – Removing Your Cake from the Oven

One of the toughest parts of baking the perfect cake comes at the very end when you are preparing to remove the cake from its pan. If you remove your lovely cake from its pan too early, you risk having the cake break up on you. But if you let it cool too long in its pan, you risk having the cake stick, which will then cause you to try to wrench it loose from the pan, which will then cause it too break. The trick is to wait just enough for it too cool off, but not cool entirely. Of course, it will depend on the type of cake that you have baked. In general, you will want to tap the bottom of the pan against the countertop to release any air pockets that may have formed. You can use a spatula or thin knife to edge around the pan, which can also allow the cake to be released more easily.

Prepare Your Work Station

You will want to prepare your work area so that the cake is easily accessible from all angles. The easiest and simplest option is to use a cardboard base that is at least one to two inches larger than the cake pan you are using. You can also use a plastic turntable.

Torte Your Cake, If You’d Like

If you’d like to torte your cake, now is the time to do it. What does “torting” a cake refer to? To make a torte cake means that you will be making it a four-layer cake. You will need a cake leveler or a knife in order to slice each layer of the cake in half. To torte your cake, use a knife to score the around the cake, and then use these guiding points to slice through the cake all the way. You can also use toothpicks to mark the areas where the cake is to be sliced. To use the toothpicks, simply insert them at regular intervals exactly midway around the cake’s circumference. Then all you have to do is slice towards the toothpicks.

Preparing Your Cake to Be Decorated

To prepare your cake for the next step, make sure to brush away any loose crumbs. If you want to have the easiest time of it, you will want to freeze the different layers of the cake. Freezing your cake is one of the easiest ways to make sure that your cake is solid and easy to work with while you decorate.

It used to be that cake decorating was simple. You bought some frosting in a can, smoothed it over the cake with a butter knife, stuck a candle in the middle (or whatever little decorative touch you could muster) and you were done. Time to enjoy the delicious cake. Of course, there is nothing wrong with this method at all, but it does seem like the pressure is on these days to create a little something more impressive in the cake department. Cake decoration has skyrocketed in popularity lately. More and more people are choosing to take their cake decoration to a new level. Here are some tips on taking your cake decorating on a whole new level.

Rule # 1 – Don’t Freak Out

So let’s say that you have felt inspired lately to experiment in the kitchen, and you have decided to bake and decorate your own cake from scratch. Perhaps you think it a worthy goal, and not terribly lofty or complicated. Maybe you even tell a few people that you are going to bake a cake. Maybe you even promise to share your cake at dinner or to bring your creation to the next dinner party or potluck. Whatever the case may be, don’t panic. In fact, when it comes to baking and decorating your first cake, it is best not to “give” your cake away to other people your very first time. That is, the first time you bake and decorate your own cake, do it for yourself. Don’t bake and decorate your first cake for a big special occasion, because this will automatically put on the pressure to produce a fabulous and perfect result.

Rule # 2 – Remember That There Is No Such Thing as the Perfect Cake

As you begin to make your entrance into the fabulous world of baking and cake decorating, you may begin to wonder why your first efforts are not perfect. The plain truth is that there is no such thing as a perfect cake. The very nature of baking precludes you from being able to produce the perfect baking result. Each cake you bake and decorate will be slightly off, slightly irregular, because that is the nature of baking, and that is what makes it so exciting and interesting and challenging to amateur and professional chefs alike. Even the most experienced pastry chefs understand that mistakes and irregularities will happen, and they know how to cover their tracks.

Rule # 3 – Take Baby Steps Toward Your Confectionary Creation

One of the most important things you can do when you are baking and decorating your first cake is to start small. That is, don’t choose to make your first cake an elaborate affair. You might be setting yourself up for disappointment if you are trying to create something too elaborate for your first attempt. Start small with little decorative touches and experiments. For instance, start by using ingredients that you have never thought of before, such as decorating with nuts and dried fruits and even edible flower petals. Keep it fun and light at first.

Rule # 4 – Look Through Books and Magazines But Don’t Become Intimidated

It can be a lot of fun to look through books and magazines to get ideas for your foray into baking and cake decorating, but don’t let it intimidate you. These days, baking and cake decorating has gone well beyond the usual butter cream variety. If you are interested in getting more involved in baking and cake decoration, there are many fine selections out there that can give motivated about this endeavor and that can provide you with many ideas about how to go about decorating.