By Michelle Anderson
Cake Decorating Exper, about.com
Everyone has their own idea about what constitutes a gorgeous cake
and what they want at their own event, especially for weddings. This
means that cake designs can pretty much be absolutely anything from
starkly simple to completely out of this world. Picking cake design can
go far beyond simply choosing a dream cake and either creating it
yourself or hiring someone to do it. This also applies to making cakes
for other people, as well. There are some important considerations to
keep in mind in order to have the best cake experience possible.
You
should always make sure that the finished design is within your skill
level. This might seem like a bit of an obvious requirement but some
designers bite off more than they can chew, so to speak. If you want a
design with elements you have never tried before the best strategy is to
practice, practice and practice more. Do not try a piping technique that you have not attempted on your actual event cake or decide to try your hand at freestyle painting on fondant the day you need the cake.
Look very carefully at the venue, date, and weather of the proposed
event before choosing your decorations. A venue with absolutely no
refrigeration will require a cake that can hold up to being at room
temperature for a length of time which could mean fondant covered or
marzipan covered tiers. You should also avoid whipped cream or mousse
filled layers in the case of no fridge. If your day is supposed to be
humid than chocolate is probably not the best choice. Be flexible as
well when it comes to weather related circumstances. If your day is
suddenly extremely hot and you know the cake will be out in the
reception it might be a good idea to go with a naked, unfrosted cake
with some gorgeous gum paste flowers rather than something more heat
sensitive.
Think about all the things that can be done in advance
or purchased ahead to save time and stress. Fondant can be stored in the
freezer for months in advance and buttercream is fine at least a month
in the freezer. You can make gum paste design elements and store them in
sealed containers in a cool, dark place up to 6 months or even a year
before you need them. Stencils, templates, royal icing decorations can all be done ahead.
There
are many interesting and beautiful cake decorations that can be bought
outright and then incorporated into a cake design. Look at truffles,
cookies, ribbons, silk flowers, paper flowers, candy and fresh flowers
for your cakes. A design does not have to be entirely made from scratch
to be absolutely gorgeous. Experiment and see what works for you.
