How I ruined my cake decoration in 3 pictures ( I need tips on how to improve :(
How I ruined my cake decoration in 3 pictures ( I need tips on how to improve đ
by New_Independent_4316
40 Comments
alottanamesweretaken
I really thought this was going to be about your cake falling off the counter
TwoFishPastries
Crumb coat, chill your cake, then flat ice
L00selips
Aww it doesnât look horrific and at least itâs very edible lol!
I saw someone on here who makes amazing cakes and in the comments she recommended Georgiaâs Cakes on YouTube to learn how to improve decoration. She explains the different stages and how to make it look smooth and I find her explanations helpful without sounding condescending. She also demonstrates the wrong way to decorate which I really liked as I have been making many of those for years đđ Anyway I hope you find it helpful as I know I have as I try to improve đ
Quick-Cantaloupe-597
What were you trying to achieve. I mean, use a cake board next time and then clean up the board with a wet paper towel. That will give better results immediately.
jlaketree
You can smooth your icing by having a thicker layer and heating the icing spatula with hot water
75footubi
Next time, after you get to photo 3, chill the cake for a few hours and make more icing. Then put a second coat on the cake before proceeding with decoratingÂ
Oizys_MD
Friend it looks great! There are some improvements but thatâs better than what I can do.
Also when in doubt, move it to a cake stand or a clean ceramic plate. Then you can call it ârusticâ and say it was the look you were going for
sushicatt420
It looks kind of rushed on top of not having enough icing or having a cake stand (but that couldâve been fixed by just wiping the plateâs edge). Look up how to do a crumb coat like someone else suggested and like, quadruple your icing. And personally Iâd ease up on the amount of edible pearls because that many of those lil fuckers hurt to chomp down on all at once. Other than that, the cake itself looks great! Doesnât look like it stuck to the sides of the pans at all which is good. You could definitely salvage this cake too if you took off the pearls and did the above (and add the pearls back later).Â
Black-Willow
Frost her twice! đ That first one is a crumb coat- it’s thin and keeps all the crumbs out of your final frost. Stick her in the freezer for 10-15 mins or fridge for 30-40, bring her out and then put on the final coat along with your decorations, sparklies, etc.
snack-grade-2004
I think you needed to crumb coat, and as much as it might sound unhealthy, more frosting.
RhoynishRoots
Girl, trying to ice a cake on a flimsy paper plate with that high of a lip is a form of self harm.Â
In all seriousness: set the cake on a totally flat surface (cutting board will do), put it in the fridge between applying coats, and make more icing than you think you need.Â
Also I donât think the balls are adding anything and itâd look better (rustic, as someone else said) without them â a little sprig of rosemary and some berries could look nice. But if youâre set on using the balls, donât just dump them in a pile in the center lol. Google the company that made the balls and theyâll surely have example photos on their website.Â
SnappleSnapps
More frosting…
ComfyInDots
I’m not one of the fancy cake makers you see on this sub but my decorating game was lifted significantly when I saw someone put pieces of baking paper around the underside edges of the cake before icing it. That way you can ice the cake, do whatever you need to and then afterwards sloooooowly and geeeently pull the baking paper out – then the cake plate is clean and the cake edge is much neater.
FluxionFluff
The Cake needs to be completely cooled before you frost. If it’s remotely warm, it’ll melt the frosting.
To make your life easier, have a cake turntable. Next, you wanna put a thin layer of frosting (crumb coat). This will help to minimize crumbs when you put on the final coat.
After the crumb coat, put the cake in the fridge (30-40 min or freezer (10-15 min). Do NOT skip this step. The chilling is essential. Then you can take the cake back out and you can use more frosting for the final coat.
Use an offset spatula to help smooth it out. Having it on the previously mentioned turntable will make this process easier.
SirAerion
A lazy Susan is a real life saver if you want to get into cake decoration you can find very cheap ones almost everywhere these days.
Also always divide your icing/ganache in 2,maybe 3 portions. The first I look at as the foundation, try to get it nice but it doesn’t have to be perfect, the second is for fixing any unevenness. The third is for any decor you want to do on top/sides/bottom.
A tip that has save me lots of headaches is to get cake scrappers like these https://youtu.be/T0CpOYZZZW4. The icing is looking uneven? Use one of the pointy ones and voila! Cake decoration saved.
cooksmartr
Omg⊠yours looks way better than what I might do on photo day⊠I ruin the frosting, cut the cake into shreds, and ends up looking like a truck hit it. You did great. Tip- sprinkles and more sprinkles!! Plus plenty of piped whipped cream to cover up my mistakes! Maybe even some chocolate or caramel drizzle. Nobody will be mad about that!
Collosal_Moron
I like it
catstaffer329
Get an inexpensive cake turn table, it makes it a lot easier to get around the whole thing. Chill or freeze your cake after your first frosting application. Then apply then next layer and get either a bench scraper or a metal ruler and hold the straight edge flush against the frosting as you turn the cake. It makes a nice, flat even line that looks good.
OswinOswald4
Along with what everyone else recommended I would suggest leveling your cake layers. It will make the rest easier.
sohcordohc
Thatâs a dirty ice, you couldâve just iced it after that been cool
isnecrophiliathatbad
It’s still a fine looking cake, seen a lot worse being sold by online cake ‘experts’.
what_the_total_hell
Put the cake on a cardboard round so you can do the icing on a flat surface and lift the cake (still on the cardboard) onto the serving plate then the serving plate isnât all covered with icing drips. Or, put strips of parchment under the edges of the cake when icing on the serving plate and slide the parchment out after itâs iced.
_Pliny_
When I worked at a bakery we usually iced cakes that were frozen- helps keep the crumbs from coming up.
The older decorators said ânever go backwards,â meaning donât drag the spatula back and forth, smooth icing in one direction or toward the edges only.
And itâs easier if you use a shit ton of icing. We were making buttercream in 70 gallon barrels (the size of a commercial trash barrel).
jimilee2
Just looks rustic. It will catch on.
SoapySanders
That first layer looks like a crumb coat, aka the coat to get all the loose crumbs on the cake stuck onto the cake. Pop it in the freezer & then coat again with the thick layer we all love. It’s like a primer for paint essentially. You can scrape off the sprinkles and smooth out the top, put it in the freezer and fix from there. Easy!
rawgu_
Crumb coat, more frosting and piping florets along the edges
totalpowermoo
First of all, you didn’t ruin it. It almost looks like you stopped after the crumb coat. Did you run out of icing? I really think it would have turned out even better if you had chilled it for a short while and just kept going after that. Maybe consider investing in a cake turntable, it makes it so much easier.
Mysterious_Plum_4015
Looks good to me! Looks like a ânakedâ cake.
Tussubangsi
I second all the comments on crumb coats and cooling to get a nice clean finish on the second layer of frosting, but I also noticed in your pictures that the frosting you’re using looks rather soft, almost like soft whipped cream. The splatter in the bowl also looks alot like whipped cream with some sugar in it.
The type of frosting you use will affect how easy it is to apply and what the cake will look like in the end. You can try out different types of frosting to find the one that works best for the kind of decorating you want to do.
Ozziella
I’d suggest first getting a flat board to keep your cake on. It’ll help with frosting the sides.
catjuggler
This is why I mostly make bundt cakes- too much effort to frost otherwise lol
Primary_Context_6874
Besides what everyone already said about a crumb coat and chilling, the layers are not even, you should trim the tops off more than you did so theyâll be flat
Desperate_Dingo_1998
Don’t ice your cake on what you are going to display it on.
You can do the ice then refrigerate method
Always have an excessive amount of icing.
choc flakes or sprinkles are you friend at covering up mistakes (I get my kids to do this)
ganache is easy to make and easy to put onto a cake 1 part cream, to 2 parts chocolate. Slowly just melt the choc in the microwave/stove, then add cream until combined. Then wait for it to harden up a bit(or speed it up in the fridge) Then apply
Don’t decorate your cake hot
A little lazy Susan works super well
Once you master cake decorating, you can ice a cake on one hand if using butter cream or mock cream or fresh cream
backflip10019
Clean your counters and microwave.
youhavenosoul
Go to my profile to see mine. It was horrid, and I think it actually ended up in r/shittyfoodporn
pojdi
Tip n1, never decorate on the plate you will serve. Will save you tons of nerves đ
NNancy1964
You got in your own way with the plate you chose. Its raised edge got in the way, and it also looks like a paper plate that isn’t sturdy enough for this use.
Once you have a flat, strong surface start again, use more buttercream or ganache icing (not the canned crap from the grocery store, it’s terrible), and be patient and bold! Videos of cake decorating do a great disservice in setting unrealistic expectations for how long it takes to do a good job.
AgitatedInsurance716
Looks demicious đ„°
alone2692
Itâs the first time in like, 20 years, that I see that metallic ball decoration
DiffiCultmember
In *4 pictures. First 3 I was like, âI donât see an issueâŠoh.â
40 Comments
I really thought this was going to be about your cake falling off the counter
Crumb coat, chill your cake, then flat ice
Aww it doesnât look horrific and at least itâs very edible lol!
I saw someone on here who makes amazing cakes and in the comments she recommended Georgiaâs Cakes on YouTube to learn how to improve decoration. She explains the different stages and how to make it look smooth and I find her explanations helpful without sounding condescending. She also demonstrates the wrong way to decorate which I really liked as I have been making many of those for years đđ Anyway I hope you find it helpful as I know I have as I try to improve đ
What were you trying to achieve. I mean, use a cake board next time and then clean up the board with a wet paper towel. That will give better results immediately.
You can smooth your icing by having a thicker layer and heating the icing spatula with hot water
Next time, after you get to photo 3, chill the cake for a few hours and make more icing. Then put a second coat on the cake before proceeding with decoratingÂ
Friend it looks great! There are some improvements but thatâs better than what I can do.
Also when in doubt, move it to a cake stand or a clean ceramic plate. Then you can call it ârusticâ and say it was the look you were going for
It looks kind of rushed on top of not having enough icing or having a cake stand (but that couldâve been fixed by just wiping the plateâs edge). Look up how to do a crumb coat like someone else suggested and like, quadruple your icing. And personally Iâd ease up on the amount of edible pearls because that many of those lil fuckers hurt to chomp down on all at once. Other than that, the cake itself looks great! Doesnât look like it stuck to the sides of the pans at all which is good. You could definitely salvage this cake too if you took off the pearls and did the above (and add the pearls back later).Â
Frost her twice! đ That first one is a crumb coat- it’s thin and keeps all the crumbs out of your final frost. Stick her in the freezer for 10-15 mins or fridge for 30-40, bring her out and then put on the final coat along with your decorations, sparklies, etc.
I think you needed to crumb coat, and as much as it might sound unhealthy, more frosting.
Girl, trying to ice a cake on a flimsy paper plate with that high of a lip is a form of self harm.Â
In all seriousness: set the cake on a totally flat surface (cutting board will do), put it in the fridge between applying coats, and make more icing than you think you need.Â
Also I donât think the balls are adding anything and itâd look better (rustic, as someone else said) without them â a little sprig of rosemary and some berries could look nice. But if youâre set on using the balls, donât just dump them in a pile in the center lol. Google the company that made the balls and theyâll surely have example photos on their website.Â
More frosting…
I’m not one of the fancy cake makers you see on this sub but my decorating game was lifted significantly when I saw someone put pieces of baking paper around the underside edges of the cake before icing it. That way you can ice the cake, do whatever you need to and then afterwards sloooooowly and geeeently pull the baking paper out – then the cake plate is clean and the cake edge is much neater.
The Cake needs to be completely cooled before you frost. If it’s remotely warm, it’ll melt the frosting.
To make your life easier, have a cake turntable. Next, you wanna put a thin layer of frosting (crumb coat). This will help to minimize crumbs when you put on the final coat.
After the crumb coat, put the cake in the fridge (30-40 min or freezer (10-15 min). Do NOT skip this step. The chilling is essential. Then you can take the cake back out and you can use more frosting for the final coat.
Use an offset spatula to help smooth it out. Having it on the previously mentioned turntable will make this process easier.
A lazy Susan is a real life saver if you want to get into cake decoration you can find very cheap ones almost everywhere these days.
Also always divide your icing/ganache in 2,maybe 3 portions. The first I look at as the foundation, try to get it nice but it doesn’t have to be perfect, the second is for fixing any unevenness. The third is for any decor you want to do on top/sides/bottom.
A tip that has save me lots of headaches is to get cake scrappers like these https://youtu.be/T0CpOYZZZW4. The icing is looking uneven? Use one of the pointy ones and voila! Cake decoration saved.
Omg⊠yours looks way better than what I might do on photo day⊠I ruin the frosting, cut the cake into shreds, and ends up looking like a truck hit it. You did great. Tip- sprinkles and more sprinkles!! Plus plenty of piped whipped cream to cover up my mistakes! Maybe even some chocolate or caramel drizzle. Nobody will be mad about that!
I like it
Get an inexpensive cake turn table, it makes it a lot easier to get around the whole thing. Chill or freeze your cake after your first frosting application. Then apply then next layer and get either a bench scraper or a metal ruler and hold the straight edge flush against the frosting as you turn the cake. It makes a nice, flat even line that looks good.
Along with what everyone else recommended I would suggest leveling your cake layers. It will make the rest easier.
Thatâs a dirty ice, you couldâve just iced it after that been cool
It’s still a fine looking cake, seen a lot worse being sold by online cake ‘experts’.
Put the cake on a cardboard round so you can do the icing on a flat surface and lift the cake (still on the cardboard) onto the serving plate then the serving plate isnât all covered with icing drips. Or, put strips of parchment under the edges of the cake when icing on the serving plate and slide the parchment out after itâs iced.
When I worked at a bakery we usually iced cakes that were frozen- helps keep the crumbs from coming up.
The older decorators said ânever go backwards,â meaning donât drag the spatula back and forth, smooth icing in one direction or toward the edges only.
And itâs easier if you use a shit ton of icing. We were making buttercream in 70 gallon barrels (the size of a commercial trash barrel).
Just looks rustic. It will catch on.
That first layer looks like a crumb coat, aka the coat to get all the loose crumbs on the cake stuck onto the cake. Pop it in the freezer & then coat again with the thick layer we all love. It’s like a primer for paint essentially. You can scrape off the sprinkles and smooth out the top, put it in the freezer and fix from there. Easy!
Crumb coat, more frosting and piping florets along the edges
First of all, you didn’t ruin it.
It almost looks like you stopped after the crumb coat.
Did you run out of icing? I really think it would have turned out even better if you had chilled it for a short while and just kept going after that.
Maybe consider investing in a cake turntable, it makes it so much easier.
Looks good to me! Looks like a ânakedâ cake.
I second all the comments on crumb coats and cooling to get a nice clean finish on the second layer of frosting, but I also noticed in your pictures that the frosting you’re using looks rather soft, almost like soft whipped cream. The splatter in the bowl also looks alot like whipped cream with some sugar in it.
The type of frosting you use will affect how easy it is to apply and what the cake will look like in the end. You can try out different types of frosting to find the one that works best for the kind of decorating you want to do.
I’d suggest first getting a flat board to keep your cake on. It’ll help with frosting the sides.
This is why I mostly make bundt cakes- too much effort to frost otherwise lol
Besides what everyone already said about a crumb coat and chilling, the layers are not even, you should trim the tops off more than you did so theyâll be flat
Don’t ice your cake on what you are going to display it on.
You can do the ice then refrigerate method
Always have an excessive amount of icing.
choc flakes or sprinkles are you friend at covering up mistakes (I get my kids to do this)
ganache is easy to make and easy to put onto a cake 1 part cream, to 2 parts chocolate. Slowly just melt the choc in the microwave/stove, then add cream until combined. Then wait for it to harden up a bit(or speed it up in the fridge) Then apply
Don’t decorate your cake hot
A little lazy Susan works super well
Once you master cake decorating, you can ice a cake on one hand if using butter cream or mock cream or fresh cream
Clean your counters and microwave.
Go to my profile to see mine. It was horrid, and I think it actually ended up in r/shittyfoodporn
Tip n1, never decorate on the plate you will serve. Will save you tons of nerves đ
You got in your own way with the plate you chose. Its raised edge got in the way, and it also looks like a paper plate that isn’t sturdy enough for this use.
Once you have a flat, strong surface start again, use more buttercream or ganache icing (not the canned crap from the grocery store, it’s terrible), and be patient and bold! Videos of cake decorating do a great disservice in setting unrealistic expectations for how long it takes to do a good job.
Looks demicious đ„°
Itâs the first time in like, 20 years, that I see that metallic ball decoration
In *4 pictures. First 3 I was like, âI donât see an issueâŠoh.â