Planning

• Before you begin decorating your cake, decide on a theme related to for whom and what occasion the cake will be served. Once an overall decor theme has been chosen, identify your cake's color scheme and make a rough sketch of your design to give yourself an idea of what it might look like. Purchase an inexpensive ready-made undecorated cake in the shape of the cake you'll be making and do a practice run of your idea. Tweak your design by eliminating those details that don't work and capitalizing on what appeals to you; trust your instincts. Creating a practice cake will also give you an idea of the ingredient quantities you'll need to decorate the final version of the cake. When push comes to shove, you won't have to make any last-minute changes due to a lack of ingredients.
  
  

Cake Preparation

• Before you begin decorating the cake, it must be properly prepared; a well-prepared cake is the key to decorating success. First, level the top of the cake by trimming it to a completely even surface with either a large serrated knife or a cake leveling tool. If you haven't leveled a cake before and don't have a leveling tool, practice on a ready-made cake to gain confidence; remember, you can trim it after it has been cut to make it as level as possible. Second, apply an even layer of thin-consistency icing around the entire cake; think of this as priming a canvas. Use a spatula to place a large amount of icing in the center of the cake, then spread the icing gently onto the cake from the center out. Never allow the spatula to touch to surface of the cake to avoid getting crumbs in the icing. Apply an even layer of the same icing around the side of the cake. Remove any large clumps of icing with the spatula.
  
  

Icing, Decorating Bags and Decorating Bag Tips

• Depending on your theme and color selection, some icings might be better for the job than others. Buttercream icing, for example, can be made in all colors, but light colors will fade if exposed to too much light. Conversely, fluffy, boiled icing is especially good for bold, bright colors but not necessarily light colors. See the Resource section for a full icing chart that outlines which icings will suit your needs best. Decorating bags are tubular containers that hold icing; a decorating bag tip is a cone with a shaped opening through which the icing is pushed. There are several types of decorating bag tips; choose a decorating tip that will help you create your design. Rose tips, for instance, are particularly good for creating flower petals while round tips are great for writing and fine detailing.
  
  

Decorating with a Decorating Bag

• When decorating with icing, a few elements need to be mastered for the best results, including decorating bag pressure and proper handling techniques. When decorating with icing, it's important to squeeze the icing out of the decorating bag with even pressure to ensure a streamlined look to your creation; practicing proper decorating bag handling techniques before working on the cake can help you create decorations with ease. Position the bag at a 90-degree angle, or perpendicular to the cake's surface, when creating flower petals and star decorations, and use a 45-degree angle when writing or decorating borders. If you're right-handed, create decorations left to right, and if you're left-handed, create decorations right to left, except when writing; this will give you better control over the decorating bag.