Decorating a cake is easier than you think. Watch baker and author Liv Hansen for Betty Crocker Kitchens demonstrate how it’s done. After you practice a little, you’ll be piping like a pro.
Cake decorating ideas and piping tips
How To Make A Pastry Cone
1. Roll out a square of parchment paper. Fold bottom edge up in a triangular fashion until it meets the top edge. Cut parchment from the roll. You will be left with a triangle.
2. Open the parchment. Use the crease as a guide to cut your triangle out.
3. On the long side of one of the triangles, draw a small line along the top of the parchment in the middle. This is where your point will form.
4. Take one corner of the paper and roll it in on itself until the corner lines up with the bottom point. Repeat with the other point, folding the point down and to the back. The two sides will line up down the middle of the cone.
5. Wrap clear tape around the tip of the bag to prevent the point from opening as you use it.
6. To fill the pastry cone, hold it in your hand. Put frosting on a spatula, and place spatula slowly into the bag. Pinch your fingers down on the spatula and slide the spatula out, keeping the frosting in the bag.
7. Fold the edges of the pastry cone into the middle, and roll the top of the pastry cone down to pack the frosting tightly.
8. Snip a small hole in the tip of the bag so you can pipe the frosting.
How To Work With A Pastry Bag
1. You can use either disposable or reusable pastry bags.
2. Open the pastry bag and place a coupler inside.
3. Select the cake decorating tip you want to use. Place the tip on the outside of the bag. Put a ring over the tip and screw the tip onto the bag.
4. To fill the bag, turn the top edge over. Cup your hand like a C, holding the bag, and place the edges of the bag over your hand.
5. Use a spatula to scoop the frosting inside. Fill the bag half full.
6. Bring the sides of the bag back up. Twist the sides of the bag to squeeze the frosting down towards the tip. Squeeze a little frosting back into your frosting bowl to eliminate any air bubbles.
How To Practice Piping
1. Lay a piece of parchment paper onto your counter top.
2. Prepare a pastry bag using a round cake decorating tip.
3. Twist the pastry bag and hold the bag at the back edge. Squeeze this edge to control the flow of frosting.
4. Practice making straight lines. Keep your hand moving at an even pace, and keep even pressure on the bag to ensure you have a solid, straight line.
How To Make a Shell Border
1. Place a star tip on the pastry bag.
2. Hold the bag at a 45-degree angle. Touch the bag down to the paper. Squeeze and hold in place until the design starts to bulge. Release the pressure, pull down onto the paper and release the frosting.
3. Repeat, overlapping the edge of your first scallop with the next scallop.
How To Make A Rosette
1. Place a star tip on the pastry bag.
2. Hold the pastry bag perpendicular to the surface.
3. Squeeze, rotate the bag and tail off. When you stop the flow of frosting, you are tailing off.
How To Make Bubble Letters
1. Use a pastry cone filled with frosting.
2. To make a letter H, make a dot, squeezing and holding the cone in place. Pull straight down, squeeze and hold to make another dot, and then tail off.
3. Repeat, making another line next to the first.
4. Connect the lines in the middle to complete the H.
5. If you want thicker lines, cut a larger hole in the tip of the pastry cone. Keep your scissors perpendicular to the bag when cutting to ensure a nice, neat line of frosting emerges from your pastry cone.
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How to make two kinds of panda cupcakes.
I based these on photos I found on the internet combined with my own twists.
Hello Cupcake uses a mini cupcake for the panda head, that’s cute too.
Bright white buttercream frosting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLGDPYcrOnI
This will be the second (and last for this year) Father’s day cupcake. I saw a photo of a BBQ cake and then designed this cupcake, but then found “my” design on this website, not so original I guess, lol.
They give alternatives to different kind of food in this one (pork chops, skewers) and they use chocolate icing with orange sprinkles to make the “coals”. This is a good idea and I think was the missing “something” I was looking for.
They also use a toothpick and make “grill marks” on the food with black food colour, I also wish I would have done this too!
How to make monkey cupcakes two ways.
Can easily be converted into “girl monkeys” or even into Abu the monkey from Disney’s Aladdin movie.
Found the ideas for the cupcakes here:
I know it is inevitable that I get the question, what if I don’t have caramels or nilla wafers?
You can re-create the monkey face shape with light brown frosting or you can use starburst candies for a funky coloured monkey. Fondant or gumpaste is also an option.
You can also use sliced almonds (with or without the brown “skin” on them) for the ears.
I also didn’t mention that I added eyebrows to the second monkey to soften his “glare” he was scaring me a little, lol!!
I also added some frosting details to Abu’s hat.
How to decorate a cupcake to look like a frog.
Kermit the frog is Muppet but he also appeared on Sesame Street when I was a kid, long before most of you were born I think.
From Wikipedia :
“Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson’s most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over the years. Kermit was performed by Henson until his death in 1990. Since then, Kermit has been performed by Steve Whitmire. He was voiced by Frank Welker in Muppet Babies and occasionally in other animation projects.”
You LOVE cookie decorating. You HATE the clean-up! Here are some simple tips to keep the mess down to a minimum. I have set up cookie decorating parties for tons of kids using these methods. They have a blast and clean-up is a piece of cake! (or… um, a bite of a cookie )
Visit http://www.karenscookies.net for lots more cookie Decorating tutorials, recipes, and supplies.
Candy melting wafers (also know as candy melts) can be purchased at craft stores like Michael’s or at places that sell candy making/cake Decorating supplies like the Bulk Barn (in Ontario, Canada). They are also available for purchase on-line under the brand names Merckens and Wilton.
http://bit.ly/betty_crocker_youtube
Found these cupcake ideas in “Hello Cupcake” by Richardson and Tack
How to make two kinds of panda cupcakes.
This will be the second (and last for this year) Father’s day cupcake. I saw a photo of a BBQ cake and then designed this cupcake, but then found “my” design on this website, not so original I guess, lol.
How to make monkey cupcakes two ways.
How to decorate a cupcake to look like a frog.
Here is Domo in action:
http://www.KarensCookies.net
How to decorate a cupcake to look like a pig.
Candy melting wafers (also know as candy melts) can be purchased at craft stores like Michael’s or at places that sell candy making/cake