Wilton Cake Decorating – Some Great Tips

One of the post popular ways for an amateur to decorate a cake so it looks professional, is by using the Wilton cake decorating method.  Here are some tips that will help you when you decorate your cake the Wilton way.

So what sort of cake mixture should you be using? Really the answer to this question is to use any that you like – whatever works best for you. The mix that is recommended within the Wilton Method is the Duncan Hines cake mixes, as these ensure that the same volume of batter is achieved within each separate cake – although as mentioned you could use any cake mix.

Whilst you are using the Wilton cake decorating method you may well want to add in 1 or 2 tablespoons of the Wilton meringue powder – as this will help the cake to rise more than usual.

How to prepare the cake pans – A great tip for perfect preparation of the cake pans, when using the Wilton Method is to brush vegetable shortening onto the pan using a two inch paint brush. Once the pan has been greased, you need to give it a small dusting of flour. If any of the pan still looks shiny, you will need to brush on some further vegetable shortening, then dust again with flour.  Never fill the cake pan so that it is more than half full.

Some Tips Before you start to decorate your cake – always allow the cake to set for at least one day, and preferably overnight.  The cake should be stored in an airtight tin or container.

When you are ready to start your icing the Wilton Method, take a bit of time to ensure your cake is properly prepared. Use a cake leveller on the top of the cake, so that you know you are going to be working with a nice level cake. If you don’t have a professional cake leveller you could just use a serrated knife. Brush away any crumbs that have been left behind, remember you want to work with a nice even, smooth cake.

Adding the First Coat of Icing –  The first tip regarding the icing is not to be too stingy with it! You also need to avoid the spatula actually touching the cake itself, as this will make the crumbs from the top of the cake stick to the spatula and ruin the surface.

Put a large dollop of icing on top of the cake and then spread it around – this first layer is really to keep the crumbs attached to the cake. When the first layer of icing is in place, leave the cake to set for a minimum of 15 minutes, longer if you are able.

Icing the cake sides – This is one of the trickiest things to do when cake decorating, even more when you are a novice. The Wilton Method has dealt with this by providing a special tip which will help you to achieve icing that is uniform, and to control the icing while working on the sides of your cake.

You can buy all the supplies you need for Wilton Cake Decorating here