Final Project

At my last cake decorating class, we each brought a cake (already iced) to decorate for our final project.        

First, we learned how to make ribbon roses. We put a piece of sticky tack on the flower nail and put a square piece of parchment paper on it. You could also use a dot of icing to stick the parchment paper on, but sticky tack is less messy. Next we piped a base for our flower using stiff consistency icing with tip# 12. Then, we switched to tip #104. When using this tip, hold it so the wider end is at the bottom.  Then we stuck the tip into the base and started squeezing. As we squeezed, we pulled out, and wrapped it around. 

Next,  we started a little lower and, holding the bag in one spot, piped while turning the flower nail to make the first row. Then, we piped two more rows each lower than the previous one, and angled out a little more. 

My cake decorating instructor also showed us how to make flowers called sweet peas. Using tip #104, hold the bag so the wide end of the tip is touching the cake. As you start to squeeze, lift the bag slightly of the surface and then back again without changing position. Then make two more pedals, positioning the bag a little to the left and right of the first pedal.

For my cake, I piped vines, using thin consistency green icing. Then I added sweet peas and a few leaves. Right at the point where the vines all started, I added 3 of my best ribbon roses. Then I just put some leaves around them. For the border of my cake, I piped shells in medium consistency blue icing. 

Decorating Cupcakes

Last Thursday at my cake decorating class we learned how to decorate cupcakes. First of all we learned how to make leaves on our practice sheets. Using tip #352 with thin consistency icing, we held the tip so it looked like a birds beak at a 45 degree angle. Then we squeezed hard to build the base while pulling the bag towards us, drawing it to a point. Then we stopped squeezing and lifted the bag away.

Next we iced our cupcakes turning the cupcake nail while we piped using tip #1M. Then we learned how to make pompom flowers. First we piped a dot in the centre which would be our base for the flower. Then, using our darker colour of icing, we made stars in the centre using tip #16. Then, around the base, we piped the first row of pull-out stars using tip#18 with our lighter colour of icing.  For the second row, we piped in between the stars in the first row and angled them slightly more upward. The final row was almost straight up. After that we added a few leaves to make it look more realistic. 

Transferring a picture onto a cake

I signed up for a cake decorating course at Bulk Barn. The Thursday before Easter we learned how to transfer a picture onto a cake. We had to come to class with a cake, one recipe medium consistency buttercream icing, and one recipe thin consistency icing (already coloured). First, we iced our cakes with thin consistency icing. Then, because Easter was coming up, the instructor handed out Easter pictures to put on our cakes. I chose to use the Easter egg one. We put a piece if parchment paper over the picture and traced over it in white decorating gel. 
Then we placed the parchment paper face down on the cake and lightly went over the picture with a small paint brush to make sure all the decorating gel would stick. Then we carefully peeled the parchment paper off and there was the picture drawn in decorating gel! After that, we filled it in with medium consistency buttercream in the colours of our choice. 

First Try

Last week I baked a cake and decorated it with rainbows because I like colourful things. First I covered the cake with blue buttercream icing. This is the recipe I used for the buttercream:

1 cup salted butter

4 cups icing sugar

3 tsp vanilla

4 tbsp half and half cream

(I doubled the recipe)

In the end the consistency was perfect.

Then, using tip #32, I piped around the top and bottom of the cake using white icing.

Then, I made the rest of the colours of the rainbow ( red, orange, yellow, green, and purple icing).

The first time I tried to make red icing I accidentally used pink food colouring. I then added more red food colouring and a bit of cocoa to get that perfect shade of red. 

Then, also using tip#32, I piped the rainbows on the cake.

I also added clouds around the rainbows.

Having so many colours was a bit of a pain because I had to keep switching the tip from bag to bag and washing it out in between, but pretty happy with the end result.

Tip: When you take your cake out of the oven and put it on the cooling rack, tent aluminum foil over it to keep it from drying out.

Introduction

For my passion project I am going to learn more about cake decorating. I have always loved baking and decorating, but I have not always been able to try new ideas and designs. Making this a school project will make me more motivated to research and learn new techniques and designs. 

My goals for this project are to learn some new piping techniques and ideas, practise working with fondant,   learn how to pipe flowers such as roses, sweet peas, chrysanthemums, and ribbon roses, and try making buttercream icing from scratch. I am also hoping to take a basic cake decorating course at Bulk Barn.