Cake decorating frosting is great! In fact, cake decorating is an art in itself. When you bake a cake you always want to decorate it before you serve it. There are many methods to decorate the cake. Cake decorating frosting is one of the methods to decorate your cake.
Another word used for frosting is icing. It is a sugar based mixture used to coat the cake. In addition to sugar it may contain different ingredients such as butter, milk, various flavorings, water and eggs. The frosting comes in two categories. One is a cooked and another is uncooked. The consistency range can be from thick to thin.
The purpose of frosting a cake or icing the cake is to give you a smooth and even platform to decorate it. It works as the back drop of your work of art. Generally two layers of cake decorating frosting are required. The first one is called a crumb coat and the other one is a final coat. There is no hard and fast rule about the layers of frosting. Sometimes you may need to put in another round of frosting on the cake.
Cake decorating frosting should be thick enough so that it sticks to the cake but at the same time it should be smooth enough so that it can be spread easily. Your frosting performs three main functions. They are,
* Cake decorating frosting provides a smooth surface to decorate and it contributes richness and flavor to your cake
* Cake decorating frosting improves the look of the cake so that the occasion becomes all the more festive
* Cake decorating frosting acts as a protective coating around the cake so the flavor and moisture remains inside the cake. So you can it the cake over a couple of days and still it will taste delicious.
If you are going to mix food colors in the frosting then make sure that you make the mixture more than you think you want, as it becomes very difficult to recreate the exact shade again. Another thing you should keep in mind that after the frosting is dried the color looks darker so while mixing the color in the icing make sure that the wet icing looks a shade lighter than what you want.
After you have finished frosting your cake it will stay fresh for couple of days. Once you cut the cake always remember to cover it with plastic wrap. If the icing or the filling contains perishable items always remember to put the cake in the fridge.
The basic trick to have a good looking finish on the cake is to choose correct icing for your cake. You have a variety of icings to choose from. Some of the icings that are available are,
* Bake shop icing
* Whipped cream, use it just before serving the cake as it will melt at the room temperature. Make sure that you have put the cake in the fridge before you use whipped cream.
* Buttercream, you should mix good quality of ingredients and vanilla on low speed. It minimizes the bubbles and you get a perfect frosting
Muna wa Wanjiru
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