Cake decorating can be considered a work of art. There are many experts across Atlantic Canada who make it look easy, but as Mercedes Lowther, owner of Skye's The Limit Custom Cakes in Halifax, N.S., says, cakes take time.
“Even the simplest birthday cakes take a few hours, at least, from start to finish. You have to plan the look, buy the ingredients, mix the ingredients in the perfect order, bake it, cool it, ice it, chill it, ice it again, chill it, and finally get to the decorating,” she says.
Although time consuming, it’s certainly not impossible, and by following these tips from the experts, the perfect cake might be in your future.
Start from scratch
If you enjoy baking and experimenting, then have a go at cakes from scratch, says Juanita Tobin, from Everything Cake: By Juanita based in Bay Roberts, N.L. They can be finicky but so worth the effort when you nail a great recipe.
If you don’t have the time or patience, there’s no shame in using a cake mix, she says.
“Doctor it up! There are a ton of things you can do and add to a mix to make it uniquely yours,” she says.
Using a cake mix is the quickest way to make a cake for practice decorating, says Lowther. After sifting the cake mix, try adding a box of pudding mix, a couple tablespoons of apple sauce or some sour cream to the already-listed ingredients.
“A little extra oil or an extra egg will give you a denser cake as well,” says Tobin.
Whether you are making a cake from a mix or from scratch, Chef Ilona Daniel, director of her hospitality and foodservice consulting firm Tribe Fresh, based in P.E.I., says it’s most important to read the recipe from beginning to end before you start - you don’t want any surprises! Next, measure out all of the ingredients.
And, when it comes to ingredients, the experts say to use real ones, and not make substitutions. Use cake flour when recipes call for it, use real butter, and if a recipe calls for hot water in chocolate cake, its almost always a good recipe, says Lowther.
Make sure your eggs are at room temperature, says Daniel, which will allow eggs to incorporate better and hold air.
Before putting it in the pan, line it with parchment paper instead of the usual greased pan. Lowther says this helps prevent crispy brown edges. Daniel adds that the parchment should be two inches above the rim of the tin.
Cathy MacDonald of Creative Slices by Cathy MacDonald in New Minas, N.S., says to paying attention to your oven is essential.
“Just because a recipe says bake at 350 for 50 minutes doesn’t mean that’s it,” she says. “I personally bake all my cakes about 50 degrees less than what a recipe calls for and extend the baking time a bit more.”
Frosting
When it comes to frosting, everyone has a preferred method, and getting a smooth frosting is no easy feat. Tobin says it took her years to fine tune a method that works for her.
Before starting to frost, the cake must be completely cooled.
Tobin says a great place to begin is by using a spatula - not a knife - to create a light coat, called a crumb coat. This thin layer gets rid of the crumbly bits so they don’t get in your decorations. Then, she says, put the cake in the fridge or freezer for at least 15 minutes before doing the final thicker coat of frosting.
Daniel recommends starting off with about one-and-a-half cups of frosting for a cake. It’s better to start with too much and remove some later, she says.
Have a deep cup full of hot water to dip your spreading tool in between spreads to help smooth the icing, suggests Lowther.
Daniel likes to use a straight and off-set (bent) spatula to apply frosting. They help get a precise covering that is difficult to achieve otherwise.
Or, MacDonald says, try frosting with a stiff, square piece of plastic. Try cutting up a dollar store placement and use the uncut edge - it does a great job on the sides of a cake, she says.
Most of all, Daniel says, take your time.
To fondant or not to fondant?
Fondant is another possibility for covering your cake.
“Fondant is pretty much edible Play-Doh. Remember the things you used to make with it as a child? It’s the same thing,” says Tobin.
It’s tough to get a good fondant cover on cakes, so don't get discouraged, says Lowther.
“Get to the gym and build some muscles if you plan on using fondant for covering cakes! It can be hard work rolling that stuff out, that’s why most of my cakes are buttercream with fondant for decorations only,” says Tobin.
If you are just starting out with fondant, MacDonald suggests buying a small package and playing with it. Roll it out like pie pastry and use cutters to create different shapes to place on your cake or try applying fondant to a small cake first. There is less waste if things go wrong, she says.
Lowther suggests microwaving fondant for 10 second intervals until its pliable and using corn starch or icing sugar to keep it from sticking.
If you plan to make figures with fondant, Tobin suggests add a little tylose powder to it. You will shorten the working time, but it will dry harder.
Try enhancing the flavour of fondant with almond or clear vanilla extract, says Daniel, as some people find the taste to be sub-optimal. Increase its lifespan by storing it in an air-tight container.
Keep fondant to no more than one-eighth of an inch thick, as it tends to crack. And, finally, make sure your cake or cookies have cooled for at least two to three hours before attempting to apply fondant; it will be a disaster if proper cooling is not followed, cautions Daniel.
Get ideas
If you’re looking for ideas, the experts suggest checking YouTube for tutorials, and look for suggestions and recipes on Pinterest.
And don’t expect to be perfect as you start with the beginner tutorials. It’s not about how perfect you can decorate a cake - it’s about how well you can cover your mistakes, Tobin says.
In the end, if you cannot fathom the idea of making and baking your own cake, both Tobin and Lowther to say to lose the parenting (mom) guilt.
“Never ever feel guilty because moms and dads have so much running through their minds all the time. Between all the planning for the party or big day, there is absolutely zero reason to feel guilty that you can't add making a special cake to that never-ending list of things to do,” says Lowther.
Tobin gets the mom guilt firsthand.
“Believe it or not, I rarely made a cake for my own children because I was busy making them for other children. I buy cakes and cupcakes from other cakers, and the supermarket for my family. I get it,” says Tobin.
Basic vanilla cake recipe
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1 1/3 cup milk
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla flavouring
Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat after each addition. Add vanilla, then add flour and baking powder gradually, alternating with milk. Bake at 350F in a pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted through the centre comes out clean.
Buttercream icing
1 cup butter
1 tsp flavouring (vanilla, almond or lemon extract)
4 cups icing sugar
7-8 teaspoons of milk or heavy cream
Icing colouring as needed
Beat butter and flavouring. Add icing sugar and beat until well combined, gradually adding milk or heavy cream until it reaches the desired consistency. Add in icing colouring if desired.
