Common Cake Decorating Terms
Monday, March 16th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
Terrific New eBook On How To Broil Delicious Foods If cake decorating is new to you, then you may be confused by the many cake decorating phrases. While these terms may be scary at first, if you take the time to get familiar with them, then you will attack them with assurance. Presented below are some of the most common cake decorating terms, and what they mean. After you master these terms you will likely be inspired with your own cake decorating ideas. Airbrushing Airbrushing a cake is a rapid way to add a picture or background onto a cake’s surface using food coloring. Airbrushing uses an artist’s paint gun that uses an compression air pump. Border The border of a cake is a constant thread of icing that beautifies the top, sides, and/or bottom edges of a cake. Buttercream Buttercream is a rich icing that is created by mixing together either butter or shortening (or both) together withicing sugar, and beaten until smooth. Buttercream is an all-purpose icing, easily made, that can be used to both decorate and cover a cake Decorating Bags Decorating bags are also known as icing bags, frosting bags, or pastry bags. Decorating bags are small, triangular shaped bags that are made from cloth, plastic, or parchment paper. The bags are outfitted with decorating tips and filled with icing and used to pipe decorative items such as icing flowers, edges, scrollwork, and lacework patterns. Decorating Tips Decorating tips are also called decorating nozzles. Decorating tips are used to make decorative items such as basketweave patterns, icing roses, and shell borders. Tips come in varying shapes, and are used with an icing or pastry bag filled with frosting. When the bag is pressed, the icing or cream is piped out in the shape of the tip. Drop flowers are produced with a single squeeze of the icing bag, while rose petals are produced with expert maneuvering of the tip and icing. Flower Nail A flower nail is shaped like a nail with an large, oversized head. A flower head is used for piping royal icing and buttercream flowers that are transferred to a cake after drying. Frosting Frosting and icing are often exchanged for each other. Americans tend to use the word “frosting” for the creamy, sugary substance covering a cake, while individuals in other English speaking nations tend to use the phrase “icing”. In the U.S.A., “frosting” normally refers to the icing that is spread over the cake, while “icing” usuallyrefers to decorative icing, such as piped borders and icing roses. Fondant Fondant is also called sugar paste. Fondant is an icing sugar dough that can be worked in much the same way as pie dough. Fondant can be rolled into smooth sheets and draped on top of cakes, producing a smooth, perfect finish. Ganache Ganache is a velvety smooth frosting. It is made by melting either dark or white chocolate, then mixing it with heavy cream. Gumpaste Gumpaste is an edible, clay-like dough. It is created by mixing glycerin, gum Arabic, and icing sugar. Gumpaste is used to mold eatable flowers and designs. Gum paste can also be rolled super thin and used to make complex ribbons and lacework, as well as delicate flower petals. Marzipan Marzipan is a doughy almond substance. It is created from the very ingredients as almond paste, though marzipan has more sugar, fewer almonds, and has a smoother consistency. Marzipan is often used for modeling cake decorations, and as a base covering underneath fondant. Piping Piping is a embellishing method where a decorating bag or tube is filled with icing and fitted with a decorating tip. Piping happens when the bag issoftly squeezed to make shaped dots and ribbons of frosting toadorn cakes and other baked goods. Royal Icing Royal icing is a sweet white frosting that is produced by whipping icing sugar with either fresh egg whites or dried egg whites and meringue powder. Royal icing makes crisp icing edges. It is ideal for piping complicated writing, borders, scrollwork, and lacework on cakes. Royal icing dries very hard and preserves indefinitely if stored in a cool, dry place, but is susceptible to softening and drooping in high humidity.
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