Bhg
  • Shop
  • News
  • Food
  • DIY
  • Garden
  • Renovating
  • Decorating
  • Health
  • TV
  • Hard to Find
Bhg
  • Shop
  • News
  • Food
  • DIY
  • Garden
  • Renovating
  • Decorating
  • Health
  • TV
  • Hard to Find
Subscribe
  1. Home
  2. Food

Cake decorating ideas and tips

Does the idea of baking, frosting, and tastefully decorating a cake from scratch seem a bit overwhelming? It shouldn't. - by Better Homes and Gardens
  • 13 Sep 2017
Cake decorating ideas and tips
Getty Images

Get cake decorating inspiration with our easy ideas, and follow our basic steps to turn batter, frosting, and your desired toppings into a showstopping centrepiece.

Easy Cake Decorating Ideas: Add Piping

An easy technique to give your cake a sophisticated look is to pipe your frosting through a pastry bag. There are different types of bag tips that will get you different looks on your cake:

  • Round tips are used to make lines, dots, and writing.
  • Star tips are used to create stars, shells, flowers, decorative borders, and rosettes.
  • Leaf tips are used to make leaf shapes.
  • Basket-weave tips are used to make lattices and ribbon-like lines and borders.

Easy Cake Decorating Ideas: Add Creative Toppings

Instead of achieving the perfect look for your cake with piped frosting, you can get a creative look by adding fresh fruit, purchased cookies, and nuts. Here are a few creative cake-topping ideas:

  • Whole small berries
  • Sliced fruit
  • Pecan, cashew, or walnut halves
  • Sliced or slivered almonds
  • Chopped hazelnuts, pistachios, or peanuts
  • Toasted or raw flaked or shredded coconut
  • Gingersnaps
  • Cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies

Cake Decorating Tip: Be sure to serve cakes embellished with cookies or fresh fruit within two hours.

Easy Cake Decorating Ideas: Use Baking Decorations

Check out the baking aisle at supermarkets, crafts stores, or specialty food stores for some of these edible garnishes. Here are a few that you'll find, plus tips on how best to use them:

  • Nonpareils: Available in mixed or single colours, these tiny opaque balls add a touch of color and texture to your cake.
  • Coloured decorating sugars: Choose from a wide variety of colors of coarse sugars, such as sparkle sugars, or finer-grain sanding sugars to add sparkle to your cake.
  • Pearl sugar: These small, opaque white balls of sugar add a unique texture to cakes.
  • Edible glitter: This flaked coloured sugar adds a glistening look to cakes.
  • Jimmies: Also called sprinkles, these tiny cylindrical decorations are available in single or mixed colours.
  • Confetti: These colourful, flat cake decorations come in many shapes for just about every occasion and holiday.

Cake Decorating Tip: Use stencils to create shapes such as hearts with edible glitter, decorating sugars, or nonpareils.

Easy Cake Decorating Ideas: Use Candy

Decorating a cake with candy provides you with tons of creative ideas. Here are a few types of candy that can easily be arranged to make decorative patterns and borders:

  • Miniature candy-coated chocolate pieces
  • Chocolate-covered peanuts or raisins
  • Jelly beans
  • Gumdrops
  • Licorice strips
  • Fruit rolls or leather
  • Peppermint sticks
  • Whole or crushed malted milk balls
  • Sour fruit-flavor straws

Cake Decorating Basics: Choosing the Frosting

Before getting started on any cake decorating, you'll have to choose a frosting. You can easily whip up a homemade frosting, or if you're tight on time, use store-bought frosting (it's just as good!). Keep in mind that creamy frosting varieties work best for piping, and whipped frosting varieties spread and swirl smoothly and evenly.

This article originally appeared on www.bhg.com

  • Food
  • Better Life

Treat yourself to a subscription-Save up to 25%

Plus, your chance to win

Subscribe Now
Treat yourself to a subscription

Treat yourself to a subscription-Save up to 25%

Plus, your chance to win

Subscribe Now
Treat yourself to a subscription

Recommended to you

YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR
Watch 6:32

YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR

{headline}

{headline}

4 celebration cakes for Mother's Day

4 celebration cakes for Mother's Day

The difference between baking soda and baking powder

The difference between baking soda and baking powder

10 of the best cuts of meat to use for slow cooking

10 of the best cuts of meat to use for slow cooking

Fast Ed's garden herb, almond and rose petal cake

Fast Ed's garden herb, almond and rose petal cake

{headline}

{headline}

Is this the prettiest $5 Woolies cake hack?

Is this the prettiest $5 Woolies cake hack?

Confetti cake

Confetti cake

Almond brown butter cake

Almond brown butter cake

{headline}

{headline}

This is the adorable Woolies cake hack you need to make for Australia Day

This is the adorable Woolies cake hack you need to make for Australia Day

4 quick and easy ways to decorate any cake

4 quick and easy ways to decorate any cake

This is the difference between the shiny and the dull side of aluminium foil

This is the difference between the shiny and the dull side of aluminium foil

Ice your cake like a professional with this clever hack

Ice your cake like a professional with this clever hack

This is the $4.40 Coles cake hack that is breaking the internet

This is the $4.40 Coles cake hack that is breaking the internet

This unexpected ingredient makes everything taste better

This unexpected ingredient makes everything taste better

Defrost meat faster with this chef’s clever hack

Defrost meat faster with this chef’s clever hack

Bhg
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Bhg Magazine Subscribe
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

Brands

  • All Recipes
  • BHG Shop
  • Girlfriend
  • Home Beautiful
  • New Idea
  • New Idea Food
  • Practical Parenting

Our Network

  • marie claire
  • Beauty Crew
  • Who
  • Women's Weekly Food
  • Bounty Parents
  • That’s Life
  • Perth Now
  • The West Australian
  • 7Plus
  • 7mate
  • 7NEWS
  • 7Sport
  • Sunrise
  • Starts at 60
  • Hard to Find
© 2022 Are Media PTY LTD
All products are independently selected, tested or recommended by our team of experts.If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Get more from Better Homes and Gardens

Magazine Subscription Offer

Treat yourself to a subscription-Save up to 25%

Shop This Offer
Treat yourself to a subscription