Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Stumped? How to Find Creative Cake Decorating Ideas

You can have the skills of the amazing cake decorators on the Food Channel, piping, rolling, and tiering with the best of them. But when you get a request for a cake you can’t seem to conceptualize, you’re stuck!

Good thing for the internet, because a great idea is literally at your fingertips. You can click and find tons of ideas you can either use as is, or else they’ll probably nudge your brain into action and you’ll suddenly find a great way to make that cake.

Here are a few excellent sources for creative cake decorating ideas:

1. Google Images is your best friend online. If anyone’s baked the cake you need to make, and put it online, you’ll find it here. Use quotation marks to get the most relevant search results. For example, if you want to make an iguana cake, type “iguana cake” in the search box and see what comes up.

2. If you could get your hands on an ostrich template… Sometimes you just need a little help in designing the cake. Look for coloring pages online. They’re usually fairly simply designed. Print the coloring page, then get it blown up to the size of your cake. Do a crumb coat on the top of the cake, then trace around the image, shape the cake, then do another crumb coat to seal the cut edges.

3. Forums know all – and they’ll tell you. There are quite a few cake decorating forums out there, and in them you’ll find some of the nicest people in the world. They’re usually happy to share their experience, photos, and advice. Chances are, whatever you’re trying to make, someone in a forum has done it. Just remember that forums are a give and take situation – be sure to be a giver, and you’ll become a valued member.

So, the next time you find yourself stumped in your search for creative cake decorating ideas, get yourself online and find something awesome to bake!

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