Easy ways to decorate a simple cake and make it look elaborate and professional are:
- Use one color icing
- Make random squiggles and designs
- Cover the entire top and sides of the cake with the designs
For this two-layer, red velvet mix cake, I spread a thin layer of store-bought, squirt can vanilla icing between the layers. The can of icing had been leftover and stored in the fridge for some time.
I had three, plastic, interchangeable pastry tips that fitted on the can tip. I don't think I'd ever used them. While I was introduced to basic, cake decorating in home ec, I don't have any experience. I like cake decorating but over the years hadn't taken time to build my skill.
I started in the center making a few long, leaf shapes with one tip. I then added large round shapes, in swirl shape, with the rosette or star tip. These were supposed to loosely resemble flower blooms. I used the same tip to make star designs around the outer border and to fill in.
I used the round tip or liner to make a few long vine shapes or squiggles to fill in. For the outer top border, I used the rosette, or star tip, and the leaf tip to make long designs. I waved some of them to make a somewhat rippled border. I covered the side of the cake with the same long piping strokes.
I like how it turned out because it reminds me of some type of traditional or ethnic porcelain or fabric design. Even if you've never had an introduction to cake decorating, you can do this too.
Whether you have some old pastry tips back in a drawer or you buy a little set of plastic ones, just make some squiggles. Keep them close together and cover the top of your cake. Make some simple, easy lines around the outside. If you don't have a steady hand, don't worry. Make the lines wavy. Use your skillful, wavy hand to completely cover the side.
Remember, squiggles, waves, circles and plops! You can easily decorate a simple, little cake. Those who matter will be impressed. Before you know it, people will be saying, That's SO pretty! Will you make one for me? Most of all, just impress yourself and it won't matter what others think!
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