This post will quickly review some of the basics to cake decorating. Some of the bascis tools needed to assist with your cake decoarting include (but not limit); decorating bags, tips, cuplers, gel colours, base tray, icing, leveler/knife.
Decorataing bags; these are bags that contain icing while decorating. Often you can purchase disposable bags in large quantaties or there are plastic cylinders that can be used other then bags. I prefer bags since you are more easily able to control the icing, with pressure, speed and monitor the temperature. Remember to burp your bag before decorating!
Tips; these determine how the icing will decoart the cake. There are many types of tips and sizes. Being familiar with tips, you will be able to make flowers, lettering, leaves, trimming, ets. please refer to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POspM-fN6ck to better understand the concept of tips.
Cupler; a device that is placed in teh bottom of the decrating bag to allow easy changing of tips and allows the tips to stay securely in place, it is mentioned in the above video.
Gel Colours; food colouring as a gel based to provide vivid colours to the icing. Often you will just need a tiny amount of gel to get popping colour. These are higihly recommended since it would not interfer very much with the consistency of your icing.
Base Tray; Something to display or decarte your cake one. Often one the take rotate provides a better decrating experience.
Icing; Decorating bags tend to use buttercream icing or Royal icing, these recipes can be seen in a previous posting called "Ice, Ice, Baby"
Leveler/Knife: Proior to decorating a cake would need to be leveled and torted. Thw Wilton compant have a cake leveler, leveling with wire, however a basic sheared knife that can slice the whole cake in one attempt would work well too.
to end this posting, below is a link that allows you to gain a better understanding of the basic cake decoaring tools needed and required. This clip is giving step on how to level a cake.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvScYh5ghA8
thanks fro following! Happy Decorating!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Wedding Bliss
A little over a year ago I got married, here in Iqaluit. With the limited resources Iqaluit has to offer in almost everything, cakes are no exceptions. I decided to make my own cake, and three tier, buttercream massive cake. This cake was made to feed 60 people, while we had tonnes of leftovers! I was very lucky to have a supportive sister whom finished off the decorating touches the day of the wedding.
A few months ago, my family and I traveled to Igloolik to make a cake for our cousin's wedding. It was a beautiful 4 tiered pink heart-shaped cake. We had gorgeous white roses covering the cake.
And most recently, a few weeks ago we were hired to do a 4 tiered, red velvet, white fondant wedding cake. All this has been very exciting since creating wedding cakes is a very different process than making birthday cakes or special event cakes.
Larger tall cakes need reinforcements and support throughout the cake. Each cake must be leveled perfectely to ensure a straight and leveled cake. Often a major issue we encounter is storing the cake until the big moment, these large cakes can't fit into the regular fridges without a very tight squeeze. Also finding a sturdy base fro the cake offer cause headaches, especially during winter when my husband isn't able to rummage through constructionsites so freely.
Much of the rewards and excitemnt is seeing the reactions and smiles these cakes make to the guests, groom and mostly importantly, the bride :)
 |
| First Wedding cake made |
 |
| Pretty in Pink wedding |
And most recently, a few weeks ago we were hired to do a 4 tiered, red velvet, white fondant wedding cake. All this has been very exciting since creating wedding cakes is a very different process than making birthday cakes or special event cakes.
Larger tall cakes need reinforcements and support throughout the cake. Each cake must be leveled perfectely to ensure a straight and leveled cake. Often a major issue we encounter is storing the cake until the big moment, these large cakes can't fit into the regular fridges without a very tight squeeze. Also finding a sturdy base fro the cake offer cause headaches, especially during winter when my husband isn't able to rummage through constructionsites so freely.
Much of the rewards and excitemnt is seeing the reactions and smiles these cakes make to the guests, groom and mostly importantly, the bride :)
Decorating school
Last year, after having more than family asking for cakes to be made on special occasions, my sisters and I decided to enroll into cake decorating lessons, to better polish our skills and techniques. We traveled to Ottawa for the first course offered in the Winton School ( there are series of courses). We had a wonderful time, lots of laughs, and developed a greater understanding in the world of cakes!!!
We explored starring techniques, ball techniques, dirty icing, edging techniques and building roses or clowns! We were taught about pressure, consistency, burping, and cake troubleshooting (how to cover up mistakes). We also got a glimpse of transferring images onto cakes. With these basic skills the options and ideas of cake decorating is endless!!
Currently, we are in the process of setting up our next few decorating course. I look forward to developing my talents, the moment my panik is starting to pick up some the skills she'll been seeing us do. She always wants to join in decorating when we are in production. The children in my family are so tired of cakes that they no longer eat cake, nor want us to 'decorate' them- my oldest son, one year, asked for plain green circle cake for birthday- nothing more!
 |
| eager students with their textbooks out |
Currently, we are in the process of setting up our next few decorating course. I look forward to developing my talents, the moment my panik is starting to pick up some the skills she'll been seeing us do. She always wants to join in decorating when we are in production. The children in my family are so tired of cakes that they no longer eat cake, nor want us to 'decorate' them- my oldest son, one year, asked for plain green circle cake for birthday- nothing more!
 |
| my Panik adding her touches to some leftover cake |
ice, ice, baby
Over the few years, I've gained new knowledges around icing (also known as frosting my be American friends).
I really like the basic Wilton Buttercream recipe; this icing can be used for every type of cake!! It is bested for decorating since it doesn't melt too fast while decorating (and substituting butter with shortening will also delay melting), the recipe can be modified however you choose (consistency, flavouring, etc.).
Another icing I enjoy using is Royal Icing. This icing allows you to create pieces for the cake. You design or decorate separately and once dried, you are able to place the items onto the cake. Generally, you want the Royal icing to be as thin as possible, that way when placed it can gain moisture from the buttercream to soften before serving. Yes, the experience of eating 'hard' icing is not nice, however it makes for nice decorating. Side note, the recipe asks for Meringue Powder, which is pretty nonexistent in Nunavut. Replace 1 tablespoon Meringue Powder with one egg-white made into meringue.
These are the two types of icings I am most familiar with. I will continue decorating and experimenting with various types of icing. Please leave any recipes you can suggest on the comment post, thanks!
I really like the basic Wilton Buttercream recipe; this icing can be used for every type of cake!! It is bested for decorating since it doesn't melt too fast while decorating (and substituting butter with shortening will also delay melting), the recipe can be modified however you choose (consistency, flavouring, etc.).
Another icing I enjoy using is Royal Icing. This icing allows you to create pieces for the cake. You design or decorate separately and once dried, you are able to place the items onto the cake. Generally, you want the Royal icing to be as thin as possible, that way when placed it can gain moisture from the buttercream to soften before serving. Yes, the experience of eating 'hard' icing is not nice, however it makes for nice decorating. Side note, the recipe asks for Meringue Powder, which is pretty nonexistent in Nunavut. Replace 1 tablespoon Meringue Powder with one egg-white made into meringue.
These are the two types of icings I am most familiar with. I will continue decorating and experimenting with various types of icing. Please leave any recipes you can suggest on the comment post, thanks!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Parla
It has been about 3-4 years that I have been decorating cakes for family & friends. The cakes have started off pretty simple, with the starred teachnique and shaped cakes. Over the years, I've tried to gain new techniques trying to incorporate more and more creative ideas. Personally, I enjoy having a plain circle or square cake, that I can make decorate any which way!
With lots of kids in our family, we started to decorate lot of cakes, developing and learning decorating tips. We make so many cakes that the children in our family no longer want to eat cake (and if they do, it must be from scratch). With more and more experience, our skills continue to develop. We have now even been getting involved with event planning. Most recently, we traveled to Igloolik to help with a cousin's wedding.
Overtime, Parla became the best name for our services.
 | |||
| Ariel for my niece's birthday day party! |
 |
| my nephew gives a birthday cake as a present to a friend |
With lots of kids in our family, we started to decorate lot of cakes, developing and learning decorating tips. We make so many cakes that the children in our family no longer want to eat cake (and if they do, it must be from scratch). With more and more experience, our skills continue to develop. We have now even been getting involved with event planning. Most recently, we traveled to Igloolik to help with a cousin's wedding.
 |
| Birthday cake for a sister- her party was 'Nose' themed |
 |
| 2008 Birthday cake for my oldest son |
First Try
Well, here I am trying to catch up with some of the school work I had been missing. One of the class' tasks requested, was to create your own blog... intimidating. I did not want to start a blog that I didn't 'know' about or did not have a genuine interest in. I decided to have this blog based on cakes; cake decorating, recipes, decorating techniques, etc. etc.
Let's see how it goes and thanks for your interest! :)
Let's see how it goes and thanks for your interest! :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)