The Basics of Piping on Birthday Cakes
While many people order birthday cakes from a bakery, decorating the cake at home can be a fun experience. With some simple supplies, practice and patience, creating a gorgeous, unique cake can be as simple or complicated as desired.
Getting Started
Before undertaking the decoration of an entire cake, many people find it helpful to practice their piping techniques on smaller confections such as cupcakes. For an intricate or new design, practicing first on a plate is also a good idea. This will make it easier to remove mistakes or to wash the plate and start again.
Having the right supplies is also essential. A pastry bag with a selection of tips is the primary tool used in piping. A large glass or cup is also useful for loading the bag without making a mess. For the best results, using frosting that is slightly less firm than ideal will make the decorating easier than a thicker icing. Less firm icing will also make it easier to squeeze out, which can decrease mistakes. After filling your pastry bag, massage it gently to remove air bubbles. Twist the bag above the icing so you don’t get icing squirting out the bag. You want icing to flow out of the tip secured at the bottom of the bag.
Practicing with the Pastry Bag
Make sure that there is ample time to practice. Don’t wait until the cake is done to try out piping. Once the pastry bag is prepared, experiment with the different tips. Focus on using an even, steady pressure on the bag. Resist the temptation to squeeze harder. Either go more slowly or use a larger tip. Squeezing the bag too hard can cause the bag itself to rupture, or for the tip to fly off. Either accident can ruin the cake.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different thicknesses of icing, tips, and hand positions on the bag. For most people, gripping the bag with the dominant hand is easiest. For others, using the dominant hand to guide the tip provides superior results. As the bag can feel large and unwieldy, it may take several switches of hand to see which works best.
Decorating Birthday Cakes
Once confidence is established, it’s time to decorate a birthday cake. To make for a more firm surface, some people like to place the cake in the refrigerator for an hour or so. This will ensure that tiny amounts of pressure from the pastry bag tip doesn’t leave a divot in the base icing layer.
It is also a good idea to make sure that the icing used for piping doesn’t bleed when placed onto the base layer. This can be tried out on a plate. Simply smear a bit of the base layer and then put a dollop of the piping icing on top. If the color runs or bleeds over, using another brand of food dye can solve the problem. Another idea is to tint the base icing, so that the bleeding isn’t obvious.
By following these tips, using piping to decorate a birthday cake can be easy and fun. The recipient and guests at the birthday party will love a hand-decorated cake. As with any culinary skill, practice makes perfect!
