Cake Decorating Hints & Brief How To's
Compiled by Diane Shavkin of New York

 
 
From: C oneof a kind
Individual, Frozen Buttercream Holly Leaves:
On foil and using the #352 tip, squeezed out 2 leaves with them meeting in the middle (pointed ends out).  Using a toothpick, shaped out the holly leaf by pulling out the points. Wet the finger and smooth the top.  Using the toothpick, make the lines down the holly.  Place the leaves on a foil-covered, flower former (to make the leaves curve slightly).  Place the leaves in the freezer.  When holly leaves are firm peel them off the foil, smooth out the edges a bit and set them in place on the cake.  Note:  Make sure the buttercream is stiff enough to be able to peel off the foil.  Charlotte

From: CTHOMCAKE
Homemade Doily Boards
You need never by all the expensive shaped dollies again. Buy a bulk package of large oil resistant parchment dollies.  Hot glue a dollie to your cardboard, leaving about 1 - 1 1/2 inches all the way around. Trim with special craft scissors that make a ruffled edge. (I use the green handled set and I bought them from Walmart.)
Cindy Thompson

From: whatsupy2k@yahoo.com
When you are working with candy moulds, if you keep the melted candies on a heating pad while you are
working they stay melted. 

Of course, the one where you measure your oil in the same measure as you measure your honey so the honey just rolls out.

When making buttercream, popcorn salt instead of regular salt because it isn't as grainy. 

From:  Ann Diehl WI
When you just need a tiny amount of icing piped out of a decorating tube (for facial features, a couple of flower centers, etc.), instead of wasting a parchment bag and coloring a lot of unneeded icing, just take the decorating tube (no bag) and fill it up with icing, place a very small piece of plastic wrap over the top of the tube and then just use your finger to push it out.

From:  George Fowler of IA
The following are tips I came across in an old cookbook that was put together by a group of church ladies:
To keep powdered icings moist and prevent cracking, add a pinch of baking soda or baking powder.

Icing won't become grainy if a pinch of salt is added to the sugar.  (I have a feeling this is referring to seven-minute icing).

If powdered sugar is sprinkled on top of each layer before filling or frosting, this will keep the filling from soaking through the cake.

When baking layer cakes, put a pan of water on the bottom shelf.  Cakes will bake more evenly and be wonderfully moist.

From:  Theresa Riga PA
Members, in a message board forum, discussed the topic of colors bleeding onto buttercream.  The advised was to pipe underneath the colored icing with clear piping gel, to prevent the contact between the colored buttercream and the icing layer on the cake.

 
Please send all your cake decorating hints & ideas to:  Diane Shavkin of New York
The information is greatly welcomed and will be posted as soon as possible.

 
 
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