If you have been reading my blog for more than a few years, you may remember that I just love surprising my family and friends with simple and creative cakes to celebrate any number of occasions. It is true, in the past I have mostly relied on paper cut outs, mini bunting, flags of all kinds and even origami to make fun cake toppers, but now, thanks so my teen daughter who is quite the baker, I have come to realize that there are many simply gorgeous ways to decorate cakes without having to get out the colored paper! It is true, you may need a few simple supplies that requires planning ahead, but most of the ideas I've compiled here are really quite simple and can be assembled in a pinch.
So whether you are a beginner and might purchase a plain cake to decorate yourself, or an experienced baker, these ideas will help you take your cake decorating skills to the next level! I can't wait to hear all the oohs and aahs, so lets get started!
1) Melted chocolate or ganache with a candy and cookies covered top
This is perhaps one of the easiest techniques to do, but it creates a stunning effect! One can melt chocolate with a bit of oil, to make a glaze that will harden, or make a chocolate ganache, which is a combination of chocolate and heavy whipping cream (or a non-dairy option) and hardens somewhat. Either ganache or melted chocoate can be poured over the top of the cake and encouraged to drip down the sides. Then if you like arrange candy and cookies in a variety of shapes and sizes, as shown to fill the top of the cake. Voila, so impressive!
2) Fruit toppings.
Fruit cut into slices, or whole berries dusted with powdered sugar makes a simple cake topping that is elegant and delicious! All you need to do is arrange the fruit you desire on your custom made cakes in a decorative way. The flavor can be as simple or as elaborate as you desire, and it can be used with almost any cake style. Strawberry toppings are usually a favorite and can be combined with blue berries for a stunning look. Include some fresh mint leaves tucked under the berries for a natural look, or go modern by simply lining up the fruit piece by piece.
3) Real flowers.
This is another technique that can create a truly simple yet eye-catching effect. Wash any leaves, such as the eucalyptus leaves seen here and check your flowers for bugs before applying to the cake. Just a few red blooms, some black berries and sprigs of eucalyptus is really all you need! Simply arrange the flowers you desire on top of your cake, and keep it very simple for the most elegant effect. NOTE: Please do not use any real flowers or plants without first checking to make sure that they are not poisonous whatsoever!
4) An Iced Cookie
Isn't this just adorable? Buy some cute as can be iced cookies to use as your cake toppers, either on a stick, (you can ask the bakery to do that for you!) or used around the perimeter of the cake. Consider several small cakes rather than one large one, and don't forget tiny details like delicate ribbon, barely pink frosting and some finely chopped nuts and pieces of raspberry!
5) Meringue Kisses and Animal Figurines
Another great cake idea that is elegant for any winter celebration and works for children as well. Start with a white iced cake, add a border of meringue kisses, and then some animal figurines in the center, simple as can be! Add some metallic silver or gold balls if you want to make it just a bit more playful or consider another row of meringue kisses around the perimeter of the cake, but keep it simple!
6) Buttercream and frosting designs.
You can create beautiful designs with frosting and buttercream! You'll need a frosting bag and the necessary tips, but learning to frost a cake with piped frosting is a great thing to learn!
7) Ready to roll sugar paste and fondant.
While making fondant can be well, daunting, you can purchase it ready made! Working with fondant does require skill and knowledge, so don't think about covering the entire cake in fondant unless you've done it before, but you can certainly use rolled and colored fondant to make flowers and other shapes to decorate your cake.
This is just a short introduction to the art of cake decorating, and hopefully you'll take some of these ideas and make memories, without spending a huge chunk of time or stressing out about it. Remember, minimal is always elegant, and a great cake stand can be make by simply putting a large dinner plate on top of an upside down cereal bowl or small planter. Most importantly celebrate your loved ones and don't worry too much, the cake will get eaten, right?
