I want to Decorate a Cake like a Pro

I want to decorate a cake, if not like a skilled professional at least like a gifted, artistic amateur. Can I do it?

How do real cake decoraters do it?

Cake decorating skills come with practice I'm sure and having the right tools, but where does the inspiration for beautifully decorated cakes come from?

Photo : Jamie Anderson

Make yourself a basic cake.

1 and a 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 cup milk

1 egg

3 and 1/4 cups self raising flour

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients and bake in a well greased pan in a preheated 350°F degree oven until the cake tests as done, about 30-35 minutes.

I've learned there are no less than three methods of cake decorating. It starts with the icing and I have a choice of two styles

1. Wiltons : Butter Cream Icing

and

2. Royal Icing

Just because something looks hard, it doesn't mean that is hard.

In the case of cake decorating, there must be an easier way, a method of cake decoration that can be done by a fumble-fingers like myself.

We like to experiment in Australia - at least with our cakes.

The Australian method uses overpiping on fondant covered cakes, with ornate scrollwork and lots of curtaining.

To get the effect of a beautiful beaded curtain cake in the Australian method, I'd need seed beads, pearls and little candies.

The lovely violet cake to your right is from The Australian Museum of Cake Decoration and Sugarcraft.

,But how could you bring yourself to actually cut into this work of art?

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