Hi All, does anyone have any suggestions on how to practice decorating techniques without actually baking something? I'm having so much fun trying out the new things I'm learning but am running out of people to give the cakes to -my co-workers have started dropping little hints that i should stop bringing the stuff in... Thanks in advance for your advice!
Permalink Reply by JRW on February 2, 2010 at 9:56am
To add to the other suggestions...pretty much everything is fair game! Shipping boxes(taped shut), a mixing bowl upside down(for creating designer cake doll dresses), cake circles(if you wrap them with freezer/waxed paper, they're easier to wipe off and practice on some more, hat boxes, back of cookie sheets. Seriously, look around the house and see all the things that can either be washed or covered with freezer paper without causing damage and use 'em!
You can also press molding sugar(sugar slightly dampened with water) into the pan. Level off the top. Place a covered cake circle on top and invert it. Wait a day or two(depending on humidity). Carefully, invert again. You can scoop out any sugar that is still damp from the center(don't toss it though. use it to form another molded sugar piece) and allow to dry completely in this position. When dry, attach to cake circle, hollow side down, with royal icing (make sure to wipe away any excess royal icing from the outer edge to make a clean starting piece). When the royal icing is dried, decorate away.