Despite what you might see on social media, my cake decorating journey has been filled with its fair share of mistakes and mishaps. But each mistake taught me valuable lessons, that I want to share with you, so you can avoid making the same mistakes.
1. Less is More
Instead of elegant, straight tiers, my early cakes looked like they were ready to burst at the seams. I was far too generous with the filling. Less is definitely more when it comes to filling those layers. And when I discovered ganache and started using it as a crumb coat underneath my fondant it was an absolute game-changer for achieving that perfect cake silhouette.
2. Pristine Cake Drums
If your attempts at covering cake drums results in dented and patchy fondant your’re probably rolling your fondant too thin. Or not giving the fondant enough time to set. Here’s a great tip for you that will give you firm covered boards in no time.
Bake. Your. Boards.
Yes, that’s right, bake your boards as if they were a cake. If you’ve never done this and want some tips, head to this post on my TikTok page that shows you how. Video
3. Stacking Squares
I was so proud of this three-tier square cake when I made it. But now all I see are flaws. And there are a lot. Overfilled tiers (again), badly proportioned, and no clean lines. Avoid these issues by making sure there is plenty of room on your cake drum for your cake and ensure there’s at least a 2” size difference between tiers. Ohh, sharp lines and level cakes are a must when working with square cakes!
4. Floppy Fondant
Using the wrong type of paste and not giving your decorations enough time to dry will result in saggy or floppy decorations just like the bow on the above cake. Make sure you use modeling paste or gum paste for decorations that need structure and let them set properly before attaching to your cake.
5. Poor Piping
If you haven’t struggled with buttercream consistency are you even a cake decorator? What these swirls lacked in height they made up for in moisture, thanks to some misguided experimentation with pureed strawberries. Now, when I want buttercream with great flavour and consistency I reach for my flavoured icing sugar or use ground freeze-dried fruits for maximum flavour that doesn’t compromise the consistency.
So, there you have it – five cake decorating mistakes straight from my kitchen to yours. Remember, every mishap is just another step on your journey to becoming a cake decorating pro! ✨
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