14 best cake decorating books

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A Little Llama Cake

From baby showers to birthday parties, llamas are everywhere these days! This cake combines a variety of the layering, shaping, and piping techniques you’ll learn, and you can switch out the colors and flavors for any combo you like!

Night Sky Ombre Cake

The ombre design is rapidly becoming a classic, and this cake lets you put your newfound frosting and color-mixing skills to the test with a night sky theme that any partygoer will admire.

Sweetheart Chocolate Cake

This lovely heart cake is perfect for a romantic dinner or small party, and no special pans are required. It’s a triple threat that will use your new talents for making chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, and whipped ganache frosting.

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Cake Decorating at its Finest!

Celebrating special events with cake is tradition. Whether the party is a simple family affair or a fullblown extravaganza, the cake is an important part of the party. There is nothing like being a part of the party by sharing your talents. If you are a beginning decorator, this book will serve as a step-by-step course in cake decorating. If you are an experienced or professional decorator, this book will quickly become your go-to guide when seeking out new techniques.

Product description

Wilton-Lesson plan in English: course 1. Learn how to decorate cakes and more in beautiful designs and techniques. This book contains four lessons with step-by-step details. The difficulty level increases with each lesson. Published year: 2014. ISBN 978-1- 934089-59-0. Made in USA.

• Wilton-Lesson plan in English: course 1
• Learn how to decorate cakes and more in beautiful designs and techniques
• This book contains four lessons with step-by-step details
• Used for decorative purpose
• It is imported

User questions & answers

Question:	Is this appropriate for a 10 year old child to learn technique
Answer:	I’m sure they wouldn’t hurt kids BUT my kids wouldn’t ever be able to swollen them, there pretty large. I’d look up info and dosage for kids and turmeric to be sure.
Question:	Does it includes decorating tips such as star 16,18 , couplers, or flower nails
Answer:	09/2020
Question:	Does this book have the buttercream recipes
Answer:	mykind Organics Extra Strength Turmeric is made in the U.S.A. from foods grown in the U.S.A. and other countries. We use the highest quality ingredients from around the world depending on where we can find the cleanest source. Therefore, it is possible for an ingredient to be sourced from other countries. I hope this helps. Thanks, Erin M. Garden of Life
Question:	Does this book work well even if I am not taking a class? Many people are saying they bought this for a class they are in
Answer:	mykind Organics Extra Strength Turmeric is made in the U.S.A. from foods grown in the U.S.A. and other countries. We use the highest quality ingredients from around the world depending on where we can find the cleanest source. Therefore, it is possible for an ingredient to be sourced from other countries. I hope this helps. Thanks, Erin M. Garden of Life

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Rick Reichart, cakelava, USA

There’s nothing like a dessert table, a Willy Wonka dream where everything is sweet, enticing, and edible. Even better? Seven dessert tables (some are pictured here), is what our family created when the whole town was invited to a scrumptious gala in celebration of our grandma’s ninetieth birthday. We were fortunate to grow up in a family of bakers, decorators, and overall party planners, where the preparation for the event was as much fun as the party itself. But we admit that there was some resistance from us, at first.

Liis Florides, www.tourtes.com, Cyprus

Remember grade-school bake sales? Our mother would send us to school with trays of colorful, beautifully decorated minicupcakes, which were always the first item to sell out. Once, we were foolish enough to say to Mom, “Cupcakes again? Why can’t we make Rice Krispies Treats like the other families?” But, our wise mother would smile and say, “You eat with your eyes!”

Jackie Rodriguez, www.lasdeliciasdevivir.com, Dominican Republic

Back then, despite our mom’s creativity, it seemed that overall there was much less experimentation in cake decorating. The big choice for a wedding cake was the color (or lack thereof) of the flowers. Now, in addition to more color and finish choices, items like edible markers and computer imaging have elevated this art form. The finished product can be anything from the most perfectly smooth fondant, to intricately modeled sugarplums.

Lindy Smith, www.lindyscakes.co.uk, UK

The following chapters present a visual feast for your inspiration: a range of confectionary treats that add magic to both special and everyday occasions. Your muse, for example, might be the seasons: the crystalline beauty of winter; the emerging flowers of spring; the sparkling celebrations of summer; or the changing displays of fall. Or, you may be attracted to the use of color, pattern, and composition. Think about how you can reinterpret a theme to create your own magic. And don’t be afraid to think outside the (cake) box! An elegant entertaining cake can be a wedding cake, as can a holiday cake, as can a … You get the idea.

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Toaster Cake from Cake My Day.

May we propose a toast? Here’s to how easy it is to turn a single cake into a retro appliance. The vintage look comes from poured frosting for the red enamel and chocolate cookies for the Bakelite handles.

Directions

1. For the bagels, preheat the broiler. Cut the doughnuts in half horizontally. Place the pieces, cut side up, on a cookie sheet. Toast the doughnuts under the broiler until just golden brown around the edges.

2. Place the cake on a work surface, bottom side up, and cut it in half crosswise to make 2 smaller rectangular cakes. Spread some vanilla frosting on the bottom side of 1 cake and place the other cake on top, bottom side down and cut edges adjacent to each other, pressing it into the frosting. Place the cake, cut side down, on a cardboard cut to fit. Use a serrated knife to round the corners of the top of the cake. Spread a thin crumb coating of vanilla frosting on the cake, filling in any gaps, and smooth. Place the cake in the freezer until set, about 30 minutes.

3. Spoon the dark chocolate frosting into a freezer-weight ziplock bag. Press out the excess air and seal the bag. Spoon 1/3 cup of the vanilla frosting into a small dish and cover with plastic wrap. Place the remaining vanilla frosting in a glass measuring cup and tint it red with the paste food coloring. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying.

4. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. As the parts are made, transfer them to the cookie sheet. For the lever handles, cut 1/2 inch from one edge of each of the 4 chocolate mint cookies. Snip a small (1/8-inch) corner from the bag with the dark chocolate frosting. Pipe a dot of frosting on the flat side of 1 cookie and press another cookie on top, flat sides together, with the trimmed edges lining up. Repeat with the remaining 2 cookies.

5. For the electric cord, twist the licorice laces together to make a double strand. Insert one end of the laces into the round end of 1 black spice drop. With a small knife, cut 2 slits parallel to each other on the flat end of the spice drop. Insert the small end of a white gum rectangle into each slit.

6. For the controls, cut a 1/8-inch slice from the flat end of the black gumdrop. Press the red pearl candy into the cut side of the slice for the button. Pipe lines of black decorating icing on the white flat candy and attach the cut side of the black gumdrop as the dial.

7. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and place a wire rack on top. Place the chilled cake on the wire rack. Microwave the red frosting in the glass measuring cup, stirring every 5 seconds, until it has the texture of lightly whipped cream, about 25 seconds. Pour the melted frosting over the cake to cover completely, allowing the excess to drip onto the cookie sheet. Place the cake in the refrigerator to set the frosting, about 30 minutes.

8. Use a large spatula to transfer the cake to a serving platter. For the toaster openings, use toothpicks to mark 2 side-by-side 3/4-x-4-inch rectangles on top of the cake. Use a small knife to remove about 1 inch of cake along the length of each rectangle.

9. Pipe a line around the base of the cake with the dark chocolate frosting. Press the fudge-covered wafers into the frosting, trimming as necessary to fit.

10. Starting about midway up from the base of the cake and centered from side to side, pipe a vertical 2-inch line of dark chocolate frosting on both short sides of the cake. Press the cut edge of the chocolate mint cookies into the cake, crosswise, as the lever handles. Insert a thin pretzel stick into the cake under the cookie for support.

11. Press the black gumdrop candies on one long side of the cake as the button and the dial. Insert the licorice end of the electric cord near the bottom of one end of the cake. For the toasted bagels, pipe a dot of dark chocolate frosting on one edge of 2 of the doughnut slices. Insert the frosted edge into the toaster openings, standing upright.

12. Sprinkle the top of the reserved vanilla frosting in the small dish with the green sugar for the cream cheese.

13. To make the knife, cut the stick of gum into a long peanut shape. Trim 1/8 inch from each flat side of the remaining 4 black spice drops and discard the trimmings. Press the cut sides together to make 2 balls. Trim one rounded side of each ball and press the cut sides together to make the handle. With a small knife, cut a slit in one rounded end of the handle and insert the stick of gum as the blade of the knife. Serve with the 4 extra toasted doughnut slices.

Perfect Cake Mix

For projects in this book, you will be stacking cakes on top of cakes, cutting them into shapes, and covering them with frosting and candy. The addition of buttermilk to our Perfect Cake Mix cake creates a firm cake that is the best base for decorating. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make it by adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice to 1 cup whole milk and let stand for 10 minutes to sour.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of the pans with wax paper cut to fit and spray with vegetable cooking spray (bowls will not be paper lined).

2. Following the box’s instructions, combine the cake mix, eggs, buttermilk, and oil in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat, scraping down the sides, until thick, 2 minutes longer (it makes about 5 cups batter).

3. Stop at this point for projects calling for Perfect Cake Mix batter and follow the instructions in the project. Otherwise, continue with the next step.

4. Divide the batter between the pans called for in the recipe, spread the batter to the edges, and smooth the tops. Follow the indicated baking times. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Invert, remove the pan(s) or bowl(s), and cool completely.

6. Cakes that are not used immediately may be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 2 weeks.