Making Cake Decorations Ahead of Time with Royal Icing

I've found that planning a large cake decorating project can be daunting. The time line involved in making a special occasion cake is usually very long, and many times, last minute piping and decorating takes up time needed for preparing for guests or travel. One solution to this problem is to make as many of the decorations ahead of time as possible.

Having candy flowers finished and dried weeks before the event will simplify decorating and piping on the day. The best flowers can be chosen, and piping mistakes won't cause worry. The flowers and other small candy decorations will keep quite a while in air-tight containers and the leftovers can be kept on hand for decorating cakes and cupcakes on short notice.

I use royal icing when I am making decorations that will air dry and harden for later use. Theses dried decorations are very much like the candy decorations that can be purchased at grocery stores and craft stores, but these are custom made to match the theme and colors of the event.

Personally, I have had the greatest success using meringue powder from Wilton. I use the recipe on the can, and have always had the royal icing recipe come out well. One tin will make a number of batches of icing, and I've found it to be a good investment.

After I've mixed the icing, and it's the desired consistency, I separate it into smaller bowls for coloring. It's important to be sure to color all that's needed for any decorations that will be piped from each color all at once, because it is very difficult, if not impossible, to match the colors again afterward. The icing decorations will lighten slightly in color as they dry, as well.

I pipe the decorations onto waxed paper that has been taped to the back of a sheet pan, a large cake board, or a big piece of cardboard. This works well, because I can be sure that the waxed paper won't shift or wrinkle, marring my already piped flowers and stars. Also, I don't tape the waxed paper directly to the counter, because I want to be able to transport my piped decorations to a safe, out of the way place to allow them to dry.

Royal icing flowers and other decorations should be allowed to dry at least twelve hours and may take longer to dry completely depending on the humidity and the thickness of the icing. When the flowers have completely dried, they're simply peeled from the waxed paper and stored in an air tight container until they're needed.

To use the hardened decorations, simply "glue" them in place with butter cream icing on the cake, in clusters or singly. Pipe leaves and centers, or other details, and the job is done.