Need Help...with Order Of Events(See Last Post)
Decorating By shelain22 Updated 11 Jun 2006 , 1:18pm by shelain22
Ok, My stepdaughter will be 9 on the 16th and she just loved the flower cake I made and asked if I could make her b-day cake. Problem...
I have only decorated 2 cakes, and I really have no idea what I am doing!
Here are my thaughts...
cake decorateing (like many other crafts) has simple techniques that when placed right, will make a cake look great, am I right? Being new at this, I dont know which those are so could yall tell me? any ideas on a simple, pritty cake that will make her happy?
huggs
Val
How about checking out the wilton website (www.wilton.com)? They have a huge number of decorating techniques shown on their website and a gallery of recipes with cakes from past yearbooks that they give step by step directions to decorate. If you can invest in one of their yearbooks (usu around $14, but you can use a coupon if you have a hobby lobby or michael's near you), they will have a lot of ideas with directions and basic techniques in it. Good luck and ask for help here if you need it!
Yes, there are a lot of simple techniques you can use to make a very pretty cake. One that I'm thinking of is using Wilton's fondant cutters. They have all shapes and sizes. Using a smooth iced cake and these cutters with different colors of fondant, you can make a really pretty cake very easily.
The wilton cutters are a good idea, but they have a 7-10 day shiping time, and the b-day is 9 days away. Im going to make a big batch of buttercream today, and try to make roses after the kids go to bed. I made some and they were ok, but they need to be better. I think when my wilton board practice board comes in, Im going to try a few things on it and see what is good for me and work around that. here are a few cakes that I found on here that look like they use simple techniques, but im not sure... they are in order of the one I want to do the most, tell me what ya think. I am going to decide today because I am going to spend a few days just practicing the designs I decide on, and then at least one practice cake.
Ok, they are backwards of the order I wanted them in, but thats ok. I do not know how to make them smaller, and I did not mean to attatch that last on etwice, and I cant figure out how to remove it, sorry. When I get the cake done, feel free to delete the images if youneed to.
Man, I am alot of trouble for a newbie, but this is soooo important to me!
thank yall very much!
Val
The one with the "dots" will be the easiest to do for a beginner....and they turn out really cute too. You could incorporate the crown into that if you wanted to also.
Oh thank you! What size tip would you use that I can get at wal-mart, I dont have time to order one. That one looked like the easiest, and it sure would take some stress out of the situation! anouther ? can I make them in advance and freeze them already decorated? Hmmm, as Im typing it occurs to me that it would make it dificul;t to put them togeather and not mess them up if I do that...right? It will probably be smaller than the one in the pic, butstill..... 
Those are some good size dots, so I am guessing it would be either a #10 or #12 tip for the dots. I don't ever freeze cakes, so I can't help you out there. You can bake the cakes a couple of days ahead of time and just wrap them really good in plastic wrap ~ they will stay fresh for a while. Then the day before the party, ice, stack and decorate!
The pink cake with the hearts and tiara would not be hard to do! The hearts are just a round tip and you make each side of the heart separate. The top of the bottom tier is cornelli lace which is really easy and the border is a shell. All of these techniques are on the Wilton practice board so if you have that (or are getting it) you could easily do that cake! I say if that one is your fave, go for it! You can do it!
Any other questions, let me know!
HeatherMari
You can make the cakes in advance and freeze them, but I would freeze them undecorated. Having tried wrapping cakes in plastic wrap, foil, and both before freezing, I've found that plain foil works best. Just wrap well and make sure there are no smelly foods in your freezer.
You can do this!
I really do like that bottom cake alot! I have seen cakes with names or initials that stand up on top of a cake, they look like they are made out of iceing, how do you make those? I was thinking of putting the fuzzy stuff around the top, and putting her initials standing up in the middle. Or I thaught about putting happy birthday Carol (or princess) in the stand up letters on the cake board sticking up out of some sort of border piped onto the cake board. If I cant get the techniques for that cake down I will do the dots, but I still want to put her name on the top. I figure you have to use a certain kind of iceing, but im not sure...
thank yall so much! You have no idea what this means to me.
For the stand up letters you can either use gumpaste and let it dry or royal icing. Either would work great!
HeatherMari
Hi Shelain, Hey go out and by the June 20th issue of Women's Day Magazine. On the cover is the cutest cake that you can make with teddy bears. Infact there are 3 more EASY cakes to do with Step by Step directions. No one will no that you are not a pro. Infact for a 9 year old there is an adorable jewelry box cake. Go out and get it...its worth the $2.79. It should be on newstands now as I just got my issue yesterday. Good Luck!
Shelain, i would say the most important thing to remember is to have all of your supplies before you start. If your doing a stacked cake make sure you have the cake boards for top and bottom cake. If you have to you can put the pan on a cardboard box and cut it out. Also make sure you have the dowels. Or straws if necessary. And the board you are going to put it on. Sometimes when i was new i got frustrated because i'd be running to the store in the middle of the process. (OK sometimes i still do this, but not as often!! 
)
I agree the dots would be pretty, but i'd do a smaller dot, and more of them. (like a 3 or 5 tip. definitely available at walmart!! ) It would look more dainty. I love the white on pink look. The crown would be cute too. Everyone is right, you CAN do it!!
for the stand up letters...just print out some letters or write them on a piece of paper the size you want them to be and put wax paper over top and pipe royal icing over the outline, let it set for a few hours then go over it again and repeat a few times to make sure it's nice and thick so it will be really sturdy......you could also do this in chocolate as long as it's not going to be hot where the cake is. I like to pipe some "sticks" coming down from the bottom of the letters and when they harden you can use those like picks to just stick in the cake and if they break off inside the cake it's no problem because they're completely edible. Another cute idea may be to cut out polka dots in fondant and just lay them on the cake!
You can definitely do the polkadot cake! Dots are really simple to do and can make a real funky birthday cake with some bright colors like in the first picture you posted. I would choose 3 colors that go well together like the pink and green in that photo and maybe a royal blue or purple. One color would be your base color to ice the cake in, the second for the border around the bottom of the cake and also the top edge so you don't have to worry so much about a perfect edge 
, and the third for the dots on the sides and maybe top, too (unless you wanted to pipe a message there).
I use "chocolate" alot for decorating--I get candymelts from the local hobby store (like Michael's or Hobby Lobby) and they are super easy to work with as KHalstead said. The initials would be quite easy with these and fairly tasty, too.
be sure to post a pic when you finish!
If useing the candy melts for the name do I just melt them (there are instructions on the box, right?) and do it the same way that I would with the royal iceing? Im going to give it a dry run today to see how it goes. I got a package from joanns yesterday, but it was the wrong thing, so they are overnighting me the wilton practice board and I should have it tomorow. They origionally said next tuesday, but when I broke down in tears and sobed to them exactly why this cake was so important, they agreed to have it here by friday, thats one of the perks of being a woman, crying on demand, hehe 
Anyway, Im going to go ahead and practice the hearts today as well and I'll post pics to see what yall think.
huggs
Val
You can melt the candymelts in the microwave, just do it slowly so you don't overheat the "chocolate" and cause it to sieze up. It should be nicely melted and will drip/run easily from a spoon. If you have a lump or two, try stirring for a few seconds--that might just work rather than heating more. I melt in a bowl so I can add color and really get it uniform, but you can also melt in a disposable piping bag if you want--again careful to not overheat. I use a pattern under a sheet of parchment and trace it. Remember--the bottom side is going to be what you place facing out on the cake, so you have to turn your letters backwards. Does that make sense? That might be different than how you would work with royal icing--I've never used it, though so I am not sure. I put my melted chocolate in a disposable piping bag, snip off the tip to the desired opening size and then pipe an outline of the pattern. Let that dry a few minutes (you can put it on a cookie sheet and cool in the fridge if you are impatient like me) and then fill in you letters you have outlined, making sure you fill all the way to the outlines so they are sturdy. Let dry again (or cool) and then carefully flip over. You can reheat the candymelts if your bag starts to cool and the chocolate doesn't flow well.
If you are going to tint your candymelts, be sure to use candy colors. They are oil based so they won't cause your chocolate to seize. I found mine in the same aisle of Michael's as the candymelts. Or you can buy colored candymelts and combine them to make different colors.
I hope that doesn't sound totally confusing or daunting! Feel free to PM me if you want! Good luck!
Oh-- (newbie question--sorry) what's the Wilton practice board? something for royal icing?
Thank you for being so detailed! I didnt even think about the bottom faceing out. Im going to try it with the royal iceing today, mainly because I have everything I need to make it and Im not going to town till tomorow, I'll get the candy melts and thry them then. I am bound and determined to be prepared for this cake. The wilton practice boart is a set of vynal(I guess) sheets with iceing designs printed on it that you can pipe over to practice.
Ok, Im going to tell yall why this cake is so important, and risk yall think that I am being childish about it...
I have two wonderful stepdaughters that I am VERY close to. They even call me mom. Well, their real mother always makes Carols cake, usually a star piped cheracter cake. Carol saw the one flower cake I made and asked if I could make her cake for her big party this year. I told her to ask her Mother because even though I cant stand her, I do not want to step on her toes, ya know? Well, the mother called and blew me out for trying to take her place, and I was fine with that (sticks and stones, bla bla) Then she proceeds to tell me that I could never make a cake as good as hers and that I will inevitably(sp?) fail, that she wants me to do it just so that she can sit back and watch both families laugh at me. At that point I hear Carol in the background defending me. So you see, I do not want to let the girl down. That is why I am obsesing over this......
Ok, I made the royal iceing yesterday, and it didnt go so well. at first it was really dry, so I added 1 T water and that pulled it togeather from the crumblys, but it was so thick it wouldent even pipe out of a # 12 tip! I ran it under hot water and that helped, but when I tried to pick it up it just crumbled. I let it dry for about 3 hours I think and it was in the freezer. If I get this right, how long can I store it? If I am practiciang on monday and get it right can I keep em in the freezer till the 16th? I am going to make at least 2 of each letter just in case. Oh, and is there a site online where I can print off the letters? We just had to reformat our computer and I dont have and programs that have the diff fonts....
It was the wilton recipe I used and I did everything just like it said untill I added the extra water, but before that it was so thick my little blender was starting to smell burnt, lol.
You do not want to put anything made with royal icing in the refrigerator or freezer. The moisture from the condensation will ruin it when you take it out to come to room temperature.
You would put items (or letters) made with royal icing somewhere safe where it is dry and dust free, where air can circulate around them. They will keep just fine. I don't know who told you to refrigerate them......that is something you DO NOT want to do!
It was actually my sister in law who told me to put it in the freezer, she decorates a little, but aperently not much, lol.did I have the consistancy tight, was it suposed to be that thick? I have seen flowers made with royal iceing and they are so shiny and delicate, I cant imagine how you get that out of this stuf, im sure im doing it wrong. oh, and I am planning on makeing a key lime cake with cream cheese crusting cream cheese iceing, will that make the shell boarder and hearts and corneli lace and such? or do I need to use the regular thick buttercream for that?
huggs
Val
The royal icing needs to be stiff, but not quite as stiff as what you have described in your post. You have to be able to get it through the piping bag! I don't use the crusting cream cheese recipe, but I am sure it would work fine for the decorating you are going to do.
Ok, so I went and got all of the stuff to make a practice cake with, Im going to do a full size one so I can kind of get the feel of it since I have never done this before. The botton layer is going to be keylime cake(from scratch) with cream cheese filling and the top is going to be frence vanilla (box)with dreamsicle filling, all frosted in cream cheese iceing (I think...) IFirst question is what size cakes are those? I think that the bottom is 10" and the top is 6", both double layer, am I right? What I am so nervous about is in what order to do everything in, and what I can do ahead of time...heres what I ahve in my head....
Bake the cakes, wrap them and freeze overnight.
Make iceing and refridgerate overnight (can I make double and freeze it till next saturday?)
Crumb coat cakes and return to freezer for a bit. (about 30 min?)
place 10" cake board on turn table and ice smoothe.
do lines, then hearts, then bottom shell boarder.
place 6" cake board in center of 10" cake, place 6" cake on top and ice smoothe.
do the corneli lace on top of 10" layer
hearts on top layer, the rest of the shell boarders, place initials on cake.
Have I missed anything? If there is anything you would do differently please tell me.
huggs
Val
I would seriously reconsider making one from scratch. I am one who has a real hard time getting a scratch cake to turn out very good. (and I have 25 years baking experience) If I were you, I would do a mix for both layers for the first time making a big cake like this ~ one less thing for you to have to stress about, IMO.
I would also do a doulbe 9" layer for the bottom and a double 6" layer for the top - those are are pretty much basic size pans too.
You should NOT freeze the icing. It having cream cheese in it - might seperate when you thaw it. Just refrigerate it - DON'T freeze it.
Thaw the cakes completey before attempting to ice them. (I personally do not freeze cakes at all - the one experience I did have with that did not turn out well) Others do it with not a problem though!
Crumb coat them, again, you do not have to put them in the freezer - I don't even put mine in the frige, and they dry just fine. After the crumb coat dries, ice each layer with the icing, DOWEL THEM~ then stack, THEN do the final decorating.
I didnt see your post before bakeing, but Im glad I saw it before decorateing because I had not even thaught of the dowel's. I have some here, dh makes some of my crochet hooks out of em, I have oak and pine, are they ok? I will wait till tomorow and decorate so he can cut them for me, I need to do a little research on em first I baked the sizes I had mentioned earlier, except i flip floped the flavors because I didnt think i would have enough key lime for hte big one. I am very pleased with how they came out, they scratch one is actually better than the boxed one, beginners luck im sure, but I diped the part that I had cut off the top into the drizzle stuff and it is the best cake I have ever had. Its a really great recipe, yall should try it.
huggs
Val
Glad to hear the cakes came out so well! That is half the battle there, and you have already conquered that! I'll have to check that recipe out!
Make sure there are no splinters in the dowels when you make them. I am not sure about using pine......that has a strong smell to it.
I've used the fuzzy stuff previously.
I had a two tiered cake... It was white. There was wording on the top tier...
Described the 8 year old,
Then on the cake stand... I took double stick tape and wrapped the boa around the edge of the cake stand. Worked out find.
White cake, pink piping/words and pink boa... was not over done...
I cant believe Im up at 4 am worrieing about this cake, lol. This just hit me for some reason...
The lines that seperate the hearts on the botton layer, what tip do you use for that? I would think a flat one, but I dont have one, can a petal tip be used?
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