Cake decorations

When spreading icing dipping your knife into hot water can help as it

• Helps the icing to stick to the cake

• Helps to remove any air bubbles from the icing

• helps you spread your icing easier and prevents it sticking to the knife

• Helps to create texture to your icing

It is important to wait until your cakes are cool before icing them.....

• So that the colour of the icing does not fade

• To help the icing stick to the cakes better

• To stop the icing from melting off the cakes

• To help the decorations e.g. lollies stick to the icing better

When decorating large cakes a 'crumb coat' is often used. Why is the function of a crumb coat?

• Add flavour to the cake

• Add a crunchy texture to the cake

• Helps the icing to stick to the cake

• Helps to seal the crumbs on the cake so that you have a nice clean final layer of icing

Identify some other examples of how you could decorate cupcakes.

Buttercream icing is

• Is icing that combines fat with sugar and is used for frosting cakes

• Is a hard, brittle icing used for decorating cakes and cookies. It combines powdered sugar and egg whites

• Is chocolate melted with heavy cream. This frosting makes a beautiful shiny coating on cakes and cookies

• Is used to decorate or sculpt cakes. It is made from sugar, water, gelatin, vegetable fat or shortening, and glycerol

Fondant icing is

• Is icing that combines fat with sugar and is used for frosting cakes

• Is a hard, brittle icing used for decorating cakes and cookies. It combines powdered sugar and egg whites

• Is chocolate melted with heavy cream. This frosting makes a beautiful shiny coating on cakes and cookies

• Is used to decorate or sculpt cakes. It is made from sugar, water, gelatin, vegetable fat or shortening, and glycerol

Ganache is

• Is icing that combines fat with sugar and is used for frosting cakes

• Is a hard, brittle icing used for decorating cakes and cookies. It combines powdered sugar and egg whites

• Is chocolate melted with heavy cream. This frosting makes a beautiful shiny coating on cakes and cookies

• Is used to decorate or sculpt cakes. It is made from sugar, water, gelatin, vegetable fat or shortening, and glycerol

Royal icing is

• Is icing that combines fat with sugar and is used for frosting cakes

• Is a hard, brittle icing used for decorating cakes and cookies. It combines powdered sugar and egg whites

• Is chocolate melted with heavy cream. This frosting makes a beautiful shiny coating on cakes and cookies

• Is used to decorate or sculpt cakes. It is made from sugar, water, gelatin, vegetable fat or shortening, and glycerol