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.
Very nice job, looks good enough to eat. Thanks for all the good tips. Time to dig in.