Step by Step Directions for Cake Decorating

Cake decorating is a fun and creative way to present attractive desserts for a wide array of occasions. Whether you're going casual, or want something extravagant and formal, instructions for cake decorating are pretty easy to follow if you're creatively inclined. Using a variety of different sweet, decorating materials, your homemade decorated cakes can be enjoyed, eaten and stared at in awe by friends, family and special guests.

Things You'll Need

• Cake (prepared)
• Frosting
• Cake decorating accessories
• Candies
• Assorted embellishments

Step 1

Place a prepared cake on an adequately-sized cake platter. The cake should be cooled for an hour after baking, until it is room temperature. Any shape or size is fine. For example, you can use a single 9 x 9-inch round layer. Cake flavor choices vary immensely such as chocolate, butter yellow, cherry chip, vanilla, red velvet and carrot cake among several others.

Step 2

Stir a container of frosting, in a flavor of your choice, with a frosting spatula. Depending on the flavor of your cake, the frosting you choose can be a creative task. For example, a yellow butter cake tastes delicious with devil's food cake chocolate frosting. You can also use a chocolate cake with coconut pecan frosting to make German Chocolate cake. You can also opt to make your own homemade frosting by following your choice of frosting recipes.

Step 3

Coat the entire surface of the cake layer with the frosting you have selected. Start by pouring a cup of the frosting over the center of the top of the cake. Spread it out evenly, moving from the center and sweeping outward with the frosting spatula. Coat the sides of the cake with frosting as well, using as thick of a layer of frosting as you desire. You can create a completely smooth appearance with your frosting and spatula, or experiment with moving your hand in different directions to create texture.

Step 4

Select candies of your choice that suit the flavors of the cake and frosting. Line the candies around the outer edge of the cake like a border. Different candy choices include cordial cherries, chocolate kisses, candy coated chocolates and more. You can also add an extra creative touch by selecting candied lotus seeds from a specialty food store in place of normal candies.

Step 5

Add a focal embellishment to the center surface of the cake. If you're following a theme with color, you can use items like colorful flowers. For example, place four or five lush, red rose petals in an arrangement on the center of the cake layer. A dusting of colored, decorating sugars adds flair to the focal point and finishes a beautifully decorated cake.

Tips

Make a two or more tiered cake by slightly shaving away the top edge of the bottom layer of cake. This makes it flat instead of slightly domed like cakes get. Spread a layer of icing over the cake layer as you would do a one-tired cake and then stack a second layer on top of it.

Repeat with as many layers as you'd like and make sure to frost all the way around the edges and between the layers of the cake structure

Refer to cake making and decorating references to learn about more advanced techniques after you've mastered basic cake decorating, or if you simply want a challenge. Advanced cake decorating techniques include using materials like fondant and intricate tools to create edible, sweet works-of-art.