Going Back to Basics

When we hear the word 'Basic', most assume it is a level in the pathway of completion. There is structure in everything we do and without it, there can be destruction. When it comes to baking and cake decorating, I look at each project as a structure. To have a successful result you must have all the correct pieces or the structure will not be sturdy and may fall. This is where you must know the basics that goes into each piece.

If you are just starting out and following me along this journey, just remember that is ok to make mistakes along the way. It is a continual process of learning how each piece works together and my goal is to help as many learn as possible.

Here is one of my personal structures (completed project/cake). 

This wedding cake was exactly what the bride wanted and was loved by everyone. It stood tall, strong and radiated beauty. This was all possible by knowing the proper way to build the structure piece by piece.

In this post I will be covering the basics of assembly. If you have not completed the basics of baking yet, check out that blog where I discuss all of those details.

It does not take a ton of expensive supplies to decorate cakes, but there are a few basics I highly recommend. 

Basic Supplies

Cake knife

Offset spatula

Icing bags

Icing tips

All of these can be found HERE.

Pieces to a Great Structure

For all cakes, the foundation (first structure piece) is the cake drum and is the most important starting piece.

Here are some premade ones if your ready to get started now, or you can read here on how to make your own.

This piece of your structure has to be not only big enough and strong enough to hold the weight of your final project.

The second most important structure piece is going to be your cake recipe. You want a great tasting cake but you also need one that will hold up your icing, decorations and any other layers you add. I will be writing a more in depth post about this, but for now you can find my go to vanilla cake recipe here.

The next piece is going to be your icing and filling and how you apply them. If your icing it not strong then your layers can slide off and the same goes for your filling. If your filling is too liquidly and thick, your structure will not be sturdy. 

The final structure piece is going to be your center supports. With all layered and tiered cakes you add more stability when you add in supports. You can use dowels or boba straws for this.

Now that we have gone back to the basics, check out my other blogs for how to fill, stack, ice and secure your structure so that you will have an amazing final master piece.

If this blog was beneficial to you, be sure to leave me a comment as I would love to hear all about your cake decorating adventures.