Homemade cakes are much tastier, aromatic and healthier than store options. However, many are interested in how to decorate the cake on top. Today, there are a huge number of ways to decorate confectionery. Most of them are quite simple and can be easily implemented at home.
Ways to decorate cakes
An important element of the holiday cake is its decoration. It will not only give the confectionery a more elegant look, but also create the necessary festive mood and atmosphere. What decorate the cake? To create a culinary masterpiece, you can use a variety of ways to decorate. The choice depends on the presence of certain skills and the need to use additional products and devices. To decorate cakes at home, you can use the following products:
- Cream (oil, protein, custard, etc.).
- Meringues of various shapes and sizes.
- Mastic.
- Jelly
- Icing.
- Chocolate and figures from it and much more.
Each option has its own characteristics of use and advantages.
Cream
When it comes to decorating a cake at home, this option is undoubtedly a favorite. Preference is usually given to oil cream, as it is more persistent and holds its shape perfectly. It is usually prepared with just two products - high-quality butter and condensed milk. To do this, you only need to whip the cream with a mixer until a voluminous, lush mass is obtained, gradually adding raw or boiled condensed milk. Simplicity and speed of preparation are the indisputable advantages of this option.
For decoration of confectionery products, the cream can be used immediately after preparation. In order to obtain an additional effect, you can also use food colors, as well as special curly nozzles. This can be easily replaced with available products. For example, carrot juice, beetroot juice, chocolate, etc. are excellent as food products. A special confectionery syringe can be replaced with an ordinary bag made of paper or polyethylene.
Meringue
Another popular option for decorating pastry at home. How and what decorate the cake in this case? You can use both ready-made bought meringues, and cook it at home yourself. To do this, you will need five egg whites and a glass of sugar. Proteins are whipped to a state of foam, while adding sugar. The dense mass is squeezed out using a syringe onto a baking sheet and baked at low temperature.
Ready meringues can be placed in different ways on the cake. This can be done in a circle, in the form of a slide, etc. The choice depends on the imagination and personal preferences.
Mastic
The most popular and frequently used product for decorating confectionery products to date. Sometimes you can hear the question: “What is the decoration of cakes with as plasticine?” In this case, it is about mastic. A variety of figures can be molded from this product, which in principle resembles working with plasticine.
Ready-to-use mastic can be bought at the store, but it is easy to make it yourself. To do this, mix in equal proportions milk powder, powdered sugar and condensed milk. The dough should be very dense and viscous, but not sticky. Mastic can be made colored, but liquid dyes cannot be used, but only gel or paste options. How to decorate a mastic cake from above? To do this, you can use cream, nuts, chocolate, meringues, fruits, as well as a variety of figures molded from the same mastic.
Icing
What decorate the cake except for mastic? Aising is also suitable for this. This term means a very dense glaze, from which you can make a variety of figures, including elegant lace.
To prepare the mixture for the glaze will take a lot of time and patience, since everything needs to be done with your hands. Using a mixer or other equipment is not possible here. For cooking, you will need egg whites, which you need to slowly beat to obtain a foam. After that, it is necessary to add powdered sugar to them until a dense mass is obtained. At the end, you also need to add a little lemon juice.
After that, with the help of a confectionery syringe, a variety of patterns can be squeezed out with glaze. Aising needs to dry well (about 10 hours). Ready-made figures can decorate the cake.
Jelly
A great option for decorating pastries is jelly. The main attention should be paid to the process of its preparation, since it should hold well and not melt. To do this, pour gelatin with cold water and let it swell for 1-2 hours. After this, the mixture must be brought to a boil and cooked in a water bath for 5 minutes. The mass must be cooled and add fruit juice, compote or other filler, and pour it into prepared molds.
What decorate the cake in this case? For decoration, small shaped products, as well as jelly cut into pieces, are suitable. If desired, you can completely cover the cake. To do this, as a basis, you can use the form that was used for baking a cake.
Chocolate
This is one of the easiest, but at the same time exquisite ways to decorate the cake. To do this, you can use icing, shavings, as well as various chocolate figures. The easiest way to get the icing is to melt the bar of chocolate, pour the mixture with the cake and let it cool. A product with shavings looks good. To do this, put the chocolate bar in the refrigerator, and then use the knife to cut the bar into chips. Such curls will be an excellent decoration of the cake.
Openwork chocolate deserves special attention. To do this, melt the chocolate, pour it into a plastic bag, at the bottom of which cut a small hole. You can draw any patterns with chocolate and let them cool. Finished figures must be placed in the refrigerator, and then carefully move them to the cake.
other methods
You can decorate the cake with other simple, but at the same time spectacular ways. To do this, use the following:
- Candy. Great option for baby cake. You can use both chocolates and colorful dragees.
- Marmalade and candied fruit.
- Fruits. Any fruit and berries will look great on the cake.
- Nuts. How to decorate a cake in the fall? Nuts, as well as various seeds, are perfect for this. Such a cake will be not only original, but also useful. For decoration, you can use halves of walnuts, peanuts or almonds.
- A variety of colored powders that are used to decorate Easter cakes.
- Cookies and wafer rolls. This is especially impressive on the edges of the cake.
Using a stencil will also be a great idea. To do this, you need to draw or find a beautiful pattern on the Internet, cut it out and carefully place it on the cake. On top of the product you need to sprinkle with powdered sugar or cocoa, and then carefully remove the stencil. At the same time, the original drawing remains on the cake.
There is a huge selection of ways to decorate the cake. To do this, it is not necessary to be a pastry chef or have certain skills. For decoration, you can use the simplest products and improvised tools that can be found in any home. For this, fruits, nuts, sweets, as well as creams, mastics and glazes, which you can cook yourself, are suitable.