This is my first real attempt at cake decorating. I’m feeling pretty proud of myself.
My brother and I have enrolled in a 5 week course in Basic Cake Decorating. The first class was all about how to bake the perfect cake. I still need to work on that. 
The second class was very hands on. It was all about frosting – how to make and use it. We worked with 4 different decorating tips: #2, #18, #67 and #104.
The frosting was a meringue type, which can tend to get a tad sticky after a while.
I took pictures to document my progression. I can’t wait for the next class. We’re going to learn about drawing/painting with frosting.
My bows need a *little* work and the combing on the side was a wee bit too forceful. 
My favorite thing I learned was how to make roses!
Some tips I learned:
- Keeping powdered sugar in the fridge helps it to not clump up
- If you live in Costa Rica, Fischel Pharmacy sells a powdered sugar that is one of the best you can get to work with in the country. The brand name is Yorkies.
- Americolor and Chefmaster
are excellent options for colorants in gel form.
- A cooked merengue frosting can be made with dried egg whites with better results. The recipe using dried egg whites is: 40 grams dry egg whites, 1/4 cup cold water, and 1/4 cup sugar. Beat together in mixer til soft peak stage is reached. Color and use as desired.
- For practicing piping skills use a mixture of corn flour (masa harina) and water. Mix together to form the correct frosting-like consistency. This is a cheap and easy way to practice without having to whip up a whole batch of frosting. I love the way Costa Ricans are so resourceful and find ways to save money in very practical ways.
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Very nice job, looks good enough to eat. Thanks for all the good tips. Time to dig in.