7 Tips for Decorating Your First Cake

If you’ve decided to decorate a cake for the first time, congratulations! You’re about to start a fun and delicious new hobby. But, first-time cake decorating can be kind of intimidating. There are so many techniques and supplies available that it can be hard to decide the best way to start. Well, we’re here to help you feel a little more confident as you decorate your first cake. These are our top seven Cake Decorating 101 tips:

1. Make a plan — This is where most cake decorating can go awry. Newbies — and sometimes experienced professionals — think they can just wing it when it comes to their cake decorating. Starting without a plan in place can leave you without the supplies you need in a crucial moment. Whether you want to sketch out your cake idea or just think through what you want the final product to look like, making a plan can make or break the final design of your cake.
2. Gather the supplies you’ll need — Cake decorating supplies make the process a whole lot easier. From cake decorating tips and pastry bags to edible decorations and icing flavoring, having the right supplies on hand can really take your creation up a notch.
3. Prepare the surface — A well-decorated cake starts with a well-formed cake. Think through the final design and use a special-shaped cake pan to make a cake with the right shape and surface for the design. Then, make sure the cake has cooled completely — consider letting it rest for a full day — before you begin to frost.
4. Don’t be afraid to use a lot of icing — Sometimes, stunning decorations require a lot of icing. Extra icing can also help to correct for any mistakes you might make when you decorate a cake for the first time.
5. Know when to stop — It’s easy to get carried away when adding edible decorations, but the key to making anything pretty is knowing when to resist adding “just a little bit more.” Simpler decorations can keep your cake from looking like a kindergarten art project.
6. Show your cake off to friends and family — Don’t let your gorgeous creation hide in the shadows. Take photos of the cake and invite your loved ones over to share in your delicious work of art.
7. Be ready to improve over time — As with anything, it’s unlikely you’ll be a master the first time you try cake decorating. So, start with simpler techniques and designs and work your way up to the more complicated ones. Consider taking pictures of each of your cakes so you can see your improvement as you continue decorating cakes.

After you finish decorating your first cake, come back and tell us about the experience, or share your pictures with us on Facebook!