Cake Decorations

By Prof. Aparna Gawai

 Cake decoration is one of the sugar art by using icing, frosting, and other decorative material.  It can sculpt, molded and artificial toys can be used to attract. Decorated cake appeals to the eyes. Icing plays an important role in cake decorations for the following reasons.

• They provide variety.
• They improve their appearance.
• Improves the taste and contributes to flavor and richness.
• Improves keeping quality by forming a protective coating around the cake.

The flavor should be light and delicate. Colors too should be used sparingly. Pastel shades give the best result.

Types of icing:

Flat Icing: also known as water icings which are mostly used for coffee cakes, Danish pastry, sweet rolls, etc. It is a mixture of 10X sugar (powdered sugar, confectioner’s sugar, or icing sugar) and hot water, corn syrup (sometimes) coloring, and flavoring as desired. It is warmed at 380 degrees Celsius.

Glazes: are thin, glossy, and transparent coatings that give a shine to the baked products and prevents them from drying. The simplest and easiest glazy is a sugar syrup or diluted corn syrup brushed onto the coffee cake and Danish pastries. Syrup glazes may also contain gelatine or waxy starch. Fruit glazes such as apricot and red currants are easily available which when melted, thinned with little water and can be brushed onto the product when hot.

Royal Icing: It is also called decorating or decorates icing. It is traditionally used as a decorative coating and piping medium for celebration cakes. It is also used for preparing designs known as ‘run-outs’ which are used as separate pieces to decorate iced cakes. To prepare royal icing, beat egg white in a bowl and then add icing sugar and continue beating. Cream of tartar can be added in small amounts for whiteness. Continue beating till it becomes stiff and stable so it spread smoothly over the top and sides of the cake. This quality is achieved only when the icing is light in texture. Unused icing should be covered with a damp cloth to prevent hardening.

Marzipan: is a paste of ground almonds and sugar or honey, sometimes augmented with almond oil or extract, mixed in varying proportions according to the quality and purpose for which it is required. Marzipan is used for Cake modeling and petit (very small sweet cakes).  Raw marzipan is made up of two parts of blanched almonds and one part of sugar. Almond paste is made up of one part of almond and two-part of sugar, mixed with sufficient egg or glucose to make a pliable paste. Marzipan paste or products should be store correctly in airtight containers and in a cool place to preserve their shelf life.

Types of equipment used for preparing marzipan should be clean to preserve the color. Stainless steel mixing should be used rather than aluminum as it shall discolor the marzipan. While kneading the marzipan the workplace should be lightly dusted with confectioner’s sugar as the oil from almonds comes to the surface making the paste sticky. Marzipan can be flavored and colored as per the requirement. Colors should be used with utmost care as too much will not be pleasing to the eye and too little may have a dull effect. Colouring needs to meet the standards of the food and drug act.

Pastillage (Gum Paste): It is a paste made by mixing icing sugar, corn starch (as a drying agent), water, cream of tartar (to preserve whiteness), and gelatine (as a stiffing and stabilizing agent). Pastillage is called “Gum Paste” when a vegetable gum (gum tragacanth) is used instead of gelatine.  It is the sugar-based dough used for creating decorations for pastry displays. Gum paste is used for the preparation of ornaments, models, flowers, and other decorative accessories. Gum paste hardens very quickly. It is therefore advisable to make only the amount required for immediate use. The unused portion should be covered with a damp cloth. If stored in air-tight containers gum paste can stay for several days.

Precaution to be taken while preparing gum paste:

• To preserve whiteness ensure all equipment is clean.
• Liquid color should be used, as paste type colors can spoil the elasticity of the paste.
• Speed during production is important, as the paste dries quickly.
• If the paste is too wet, add more icing sugar to make a smooth, pliable, and not sticking to the surface.
• All scrapings should be kept separate, as it can spoil the finished surface of the rolled or molded items.
• The unused portion should be kept covered in a damp cloth and use only the amount required.

Fondant is the base for soft, creamy-textured sweets, éclairs, pastries, and gateaux. It is sugar syrup that is crystallized to a smooth creamy white mass. Due to difficulty in achieving a uniform texture and color and also the time involved, baker prefers to purchase readymade fondant. To prepare fondant sugar is boiled with water on low heat, removing any surface scum and any crystals forming on the side of the vessel. Add glucose when it boils and immerse the sugar thermometer. Boil till 118 degrees C. Pour the sugar onto the marble surface and sprinkle cold water over the top to prevent skin from forming or crystallization. Turn the fondant over and over using a metal scraper in one hand and a palette knife in the other until it becomes white and thick with a creamy texture. Flavorings and colors may be used as required. For coating or gateaux, the fondant requires to be thinner, éclairs require a thicker consistency.

Points for using fondant:

• Fondant if over-heated will crystallize and lose its shape.
• Make sure that the fondant is warmed to the right temperature. If too thin, it will run off the items and not set hard. If too thick it shall not flow evenly resulting in a lumpy surface.
• An item such as petit fours and fancies are best covered if placed on a wire rack which would allow the surplus fondant to drain through the wires onto the tray.

Marshmallow icing: Gelatine is soaked in cold water and then dissolved in warm water so it is evenly mixed this is then added to plain boiled icing and used while still warm.

American frosting: is used to decorate chocolate and fruit cake. Sugar is dissolved in water and cooked till soft ball consistency (240 degrees F). Cool till bubbles subside. Beaten stiff egg white is added to the cooled syrup gradually beating till the mixture is of piping consistency.

Creamed icing: Butter Cream: Icing is a light, smooth mixture of fat and confectioners’ sugar. Some creams contain eggs which increase smoothness and lightness. Buttercream icings are very simple to prepare and can be easily flavored and colored to suit a variety of purposes.

Variations of buttercream icing:

Simple buttercreams: are made by creaming fat and confectioner’s sugar till light and fluffy. A small quantity of egg yolk, egg white, or whole egg may be whipped in to get more lightness. Decorators’ buttercream: (also called rose paste) is used for making flowers and other cake decorations. The mixture is not creamed, too much air beaten into it would make it unable to hold it and the shape will be delicate.

 Meringue- heating a mixture of stiffly beaten egg whites and sugar until crisp. There are 3 types of Meringue, Italian, French, and Swiss. Italian meringue is the most stable of all the meringues, made with sugar syrup heated to the soft-ball stage (236°F to 240°F), French meringue. This uncooked meringue is the one most people are familiar with and Swiss meringue.

 French buttercream- is very rich, light icing. It is prepared by beating boiling syrup into beating egg yolks and whipping to a light foam. Soft butter is then whipped in.

Quick or emergency butter icing-are quickly made with only one or two ingredients on hand.

Fondant type: Equal parts of butter and fondant are creamed together.

Pastry cream type: Equal butter and thick pastry cream are creamed together.

Unsalted Butter: is preferred for buttercreams because of its flavor and melting quality. Icing made from shortenings can be unpleasant because of the fat coats the inside of the mouth, where it does not melt. However, butter makes icing less stable as it melts easily.

Best way to use buttercream:

Use in cool weather. Blend a small quantity of shortening with butter to stabilize it. Buttercream is easily flavored and colored. Flavors should be sparingly used as strong flavors give a sharp taste. Pastel shades are best preferred. Chocolate Butter Cream: Blend buttercream with melted chocolate which is slightly cooled or it will harden before completely blending with buttercream.

Fluffy icing:

 Whipped cream: is used not only as dessert toppings and fillings but also used to ice cakes and pastries. They are simple to light icing with a fat content of 30% which is whipped to foam with confectioners’ sugar.

For preparing whipped cream following guidelines would be help full:

Cream of whipping should be at least one day old as very fresh creams do not whip well. The cream should be chilled well or it is hard to whip and will curdle easily. For machine whipping medium speed should be used. Do not over whip. The cream should be whipped till it forms peaks and holds its shape. Cream if not used immediately it should be covered and stored in the refrigerator.

Meringues: is a mixture of stiffly beaten egg whites sweetened with sugar. For a crisp dry meringue high proportion of sugar is used. A softer meringue, which is suitable for toppings, requires less sugar. Meringues when baked in a slow oven, a lighter and crisper product is obtained if it is dried out for at least 3hrs at a temperature of 90 degrees C, with the oven door slightly open to allow steam to escape.

Meringue Types: Meringue may be whipped till they form a stiff, moist peak stage.

1. Common Meringue: in which egg white at room temperature is beaten with sugar. It is a stable type of meringue due to the high % of sugar.
2. Swiss Meringue: is made by beating egg white and sugar over a pan of hot water. This gives a good volume and stability to the meringue.
3. Italian meringue: is made by beating hot sugar syrup into the egg white mixture, by the heat of the syrup. When flavored with vanilla it is known as boiled icing. It is also used in meringue-type buttercream icing.

Points to be remembered while making meringue:

• All equipment should be free from traces of fat or grease, and the egg white has no trace of yolk as it may prevent foam formation.
• Egg white foam better if they are at room temperature.
• Egg whites should not be over beaten as it may lose its leavening ability.
• Egg whites can hold only a limited amount of sugar and so extra sugar can be folded in after the meringue is whipped.
• To obtain a good volume and stability, a small quantity of cream of tartar or lime juice can be added.

Chocolates

Chocolate is derived from cocoa or cacao beans, which are fermented, dried, roasted, and grounded, with the resultant product called chocolate liquor, which contains white or yellowish fat called cocoa butter. Today chocolate and chocolate products play an important role in the bakeshop.

The following chocolate products are easily available such as

COCOA: It is a dry powder that remains after some part of cocoa butter is removed from chocolate liquor.

Dutch-process cocoa: is processed with an alkali ( is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal chemical element). It is slightly darker, smoother in flavor, and dissolves in liquid easily than natural cocoa.

Natural cocoa: is acidic, and when used in the preparation of cake, baking powder (which reacts with acid) can be used as part of the leavening powder. Dutch cocoa is slightly alkaline will not react with baking soda. The Colour of the finished product may vary from light to dark brown, depending on the quantity of baking powder used. If excess the color will be reddish-brown, which is desired in devil cakes, but may not be wanted in the other products.

Bitter Chocolate: or unsweetened chocolates are straight chocolate liquor. It has a strong butter taste and contains no sugar. It is used in cake and chocolate products.

Sweet Chocolate is bitter chocolate with the addition of sugar in varying amounts. Sweet chocolates have only half the chocolate content of bitter chocolate. It is recommended to reduce the sugar content of the product as it would otherwise highly sweeten the product.

Milk Chocolate: It is sweet chocolate to which milk solids have been added.

Cocoa Butter: It is the fat that is pressed out of chocolate liquor when cocoa is processed.

White Chocolate: It consists of cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids.

The process of preparing chocolates for dipping, molding, or similar purposes is called Tampering. This process applies only to genuine chocolate containing natural cocoa butter and no other fats. Such chocolate in Europe is known as couverture (chocolate made with extra cocoa butter), meaning coating chocolates. Tempered chocolates can be used to coat cakes, pastries, cookies, nuts, dry fruits, and also for desserts.

by Prof. Aparna Gawai

Accessories used for assembling and decorating cakes:

1. Pallet knife or steel spatula: is a spatula with a long and flexible blunt blade used for spreading and smoothing cake surface and fillings.
2. Serrated Knife: is a scalloped-edged knife for cutting the cake horizontally.
3. Turntable: It is a pedestal with a flat, rotating top which eases the process of cake decoration.
4. Icing cone: It is a plastic triangle with toothed or serrated edges used for applying the grooved or ridged pattern to the side of iced cakes.
5. Plastic or Steel scrapers: The flat edge of the scraper helps to smoothen the icing on the sides of the cake.
6. Brushes: Used to remove cake crumbs, and to apply glazes to the product.
7. Sugar sieve: Used to dust cake with confectionary sugar.
8. Butter paper or Parchment paper: Are used for making icing cone.
9. Pastry bags, tubes, and nozzles: Used for making Borders, flowers, and other decorative designs on the cake.

Supported by Prof. Aparna Gawai