Cake Decorating Tips

With the help of a few simple tools and some baking knowledge, these cake decorating tips can make their cakes look professional.

How to Make Edible Paint for Cakes

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Have you ever wanted to add edible paint for cakes to your repertoire? I know I have! There are so many things that we can do with edible paints, and it’s a great way to make something special. In this blog post, we will talk about the different edible paints out there, how they work, and what ingredients you need to learn how to make edible paint for cakes. We’ll also go over some of the best ways to use edible paint for cakes in order to get the most out of these edible goodies!

By the way, we’d like to welcome you here to our How To Ice A Cake website. Read on…

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What is Edible Paint and Why Would I Use it For My Cakes

I’ve been in the business of cake making for quite some time, and I have to say that edible paint is my favorite new ingredient! There are so many things that you can do with these paints- from adding a pop of color to embellishing your designs.  You’ll be surprised at just how versatile this newest addition really is!!

3 Ways How to Make Edible Paint for Cakes

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Image by Artisan Cake Company

There seem to be three main types, but there’s no limit when it comes to what you can experiment with.

  1. An oil-based paint is made from a combination of vegetable shortening and powdered food coloring while;
  2. Watercolor washes require high-proof clear grain alcohol mixed in liquid food coloring for the best effect.
  3. Royal icing has become more popular over time because it requires only egg white powder, powdered sugar, flavoring (if desired), as well as some water or milk for the perfect consistency; all these ingredients combined make an easy spreadable type of paste that dries hard like frosting on any surface imaginable!

What do you think about edible paints?

Examples of How to Use the Paint on a Cake

After you’ve made edible paint, the possibilities are endless! Cake decorating is a great way to have fun and show your creative side. One of the best ways to add color in your cake is by using paint on a cake. You can use edible paint on a cake to create some unique designs, write words or numbers, and even add details like brush strokes for an authentic painting.

Oil-based paint is an excellent way to have that “wet paint” look of an oil painting right on your cake!  Edible watercolor washes create amazing watercolor paint effects on frosting and royal icing.  The alcohol in them evaporates to leave a beautiful, smudge free design where the color stands out from the paint.  Colored royal icing is a very popular choice when decorating cakes and cookies.     

The edible paint also works well with fondant, gel colors and even buttercream frosting!  If you’re looking for a more natural look on your cake then try making edible paints out of food coloring mixed with water or milk. This can be done by adding the dye powder to the liquid.

Here’s a few ways to get started:

  • Use edible paint for cake as an accent by using it sparingly on light colors. You can use it all over when working with darker shades of icing or cake mix.
  • You can make edible paint in any flavor or color for cakes by spooning into different piping bags.
  • Paint edible flowers on top of a cake
  • Draw the outline of animals or words on top of a frosted layer with edible paint
  • Add edible paint to the frosting for a more natural look
  • Use edible chocolate paint to make a plaid design on top of your cake mix or buttercream icing by using different piping bags with edible paints in light and dark shades!

Tips on Making Your Own Edible Paints for Cakes

So you’re ready to try out some of these edible paints? Awesome! Remember, the key is experimenting. You don’t need a lot of ingredients for most paint recipes and it’s fun to have a little bit of everything on hand. Get creative with your painting, use different colors for every layer or even mix them together. The sky is really the limit here!

And with all of the different colors out there, you can make almost anything from flowers and rainbows to hearts or bees. How are you going to use these amazing paints?

You may want to have a look at our cake icing recipes or investigate further cake ingredients.

Painting with Food Coloring on a Cake

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Have you ever wanted to paint on a cake but didn’t know how? Well, this painting with food coloring on a cake article will show you just how easy it is!  So easy a kid can do it too!  This painting technique is perfect for adding detail, writing messages, or highlighting the frosting of your favorite dessert. The painting process can be completed in less time with the right technique and materials.  Check out our secret pro tip below to help bring more luster to the colors!

By the way, we’d like to welcome you here to our How To Ice A Cake website. Read on…

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Painting With Food Coloring on a Cake: The Tools Needed

Painting with food coloring is a great way to make cakes more colorful and fun. It’s easy to do, but you’ll need the right cake decorating tools. Here is what you will need:

  • Liquid food colorings
  • A frosted cake
  • Small bowls or a paint tray
  • Cake Decorating brushes; sterilized

How to Paint on a Cake With Liquid Food Coloring

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Image by Brides

Paint on a cake with food coloring? It sounds like the perfect way to create a masterpiece! This is just a quick painting with liquid food coloring for cakes introduction, but it should help get you started.  You’ll be painting your first cake before you know it!

Here are some painting tips for painting on cakes:

  • Rough sketch a design so you have an idea of what you want to do and colors to  use.  If painting on a cake with food coloring for the first time, try painting simple designs like stripes or dots.  Practice painting onto an extra frosted or plain round cake before painting on a finished piece of work like birthday, wedding, or baby shower cakes.
  • Prepare the liquid food coloring for painting on cakes. Begin painting with the liquid food coloring to create your design by painting onto a cake that has been frosted.  If you choose to paint onto a plain cake, make sure it is completely cooled.
  • Have clean sterilized brushes ready for painting on cakes. You can purchase brushes specifically for painting on cakes. 
  • A clean bowl of water to rinse brushes between colors and painting on a cake.  Have a clean cloth to allow the brush to dry off between colors and allow it to completely dry before using it for the next color.  Having several brushes on hand is helpful.
  • Paint from lightest color to darkest color to get an even distribution of colors on your cake. Take the food coloring and brush it over the area you want to paint with liquid food color, let dry for a few seconds before painting another section. Repeat until your design is complete.
  • You can use painting tools like brushes or the end of a toothpick to create designs on your cake.
  • Keep in mind that darker colors will need more than one coat. 

Liquid Food Coloring vs. Gel Food Coloring

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Many people wonder what the difference is between using a liquid versus a gel food coloring. There’s often confusion on how each works or when one should be used over another!

Let’s shed some light on this common mystery:

  • Liquid Food Coloring – is composed of water soluble dyes and works well for most foods. A great option for those who want more control with small adjustments.  Colors look more pastel and lighter when painting.
  • Gel Food Coloring – are oil-based, contains other ingredients in addition to the dye such as alcohols which can change the texture of certain dishes.  It is perfect if you want to color something but don’t want to add liquid.

If painting on cakes with food coloring is new to you, try starting with liquid paints before trying other techniques like painting with food coloring with gel.

Secret Pro Tip For Painting With Gel Food Colorings

Pssst, here’s a secret pro tip: use Vodka or other clear alcohol, or clear extracts such as clear vanilla and lemon to thin out the gel food colorings.  The colors will be vibrant and lustrous!  The alcohol will evaporate and help the gel colors dry faster on your cake.  Liquid food colors don’t need to be thinned out. 

Now that you’ve had a chance to see this painting technique, what are your thoughts? How do you think it compares with other cake decorating techniques out there?

See more of our cake decorating tips or read our cake product reviews

Reviews of Kuhn Rikon Cookie Press

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Make hundreds of cool cookies in one easy session with this cookie press from Kuhn Rikon.  So light and easy that you can even use it one handed (left or right!). Simply choose one of the 14 discs, fill with cookie mixture, and press down to create perfectly uniform cookies in no time.

The clear container makes it simple to see when you need to refill the mixture. Some versions come with an extra barrel so you can fill up with cookie mixture and don’t have to stop mid flow.

It also seems to come with an adapter so that you can use standard icing tips to make it a really versatile kitchen gadget.

So easy that even the kids can use it!

Pros

One customer compared this product favorably to some more popular brands.  She said that it was far easier to clean, and much easier to use, even with one hand leaving the other hand free.

The results are professional looking cookies, and the dough comes out smoothly and evenly.

Cons 

One customer said that despite making fantastic cookies, it did not produce great results when used for frosting.

Some people felt that the cookies were too small (1.5″-2″).

A couple of other people found that the plastic ring was a bit flimsy and either popped off or broke.

Tips from Customers

The instructions say that you should chill the cookie sheets and not grease them, and this was agreed upon by customers!

Remember that the discs are not suitable for use in the dishwasher.

Ensure that your cookie dough is not too thick, or it will be very hard to squeeze the trigger, and the results wont be good.

Customer Reviews of Joseph Joseph Adjustable Rolling Pin

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As innovative and imaginative as ever, Joseph Joseph have designed this stylish and useful gadget for your kitchen.  To ensure that you get an even thickness in your pastry, icing or pasta dough, use the adjustable discs on your rolling pin to raise or lower the rolling pin to the correct height.

This will ensure that whatever you are making will cook evenly and not burn in some places and be undercooked in others.  It also creates a completely flat surface which is then much easier to decorate.

There are also measurements etched into the rolling pin which serve as a useful size guide.

The discs allow you to create the thicknesses of 1/16-inch, 1/4-inch and 3/8-inch.  Made from beech, and measuring 16-1/2-inch long and 2-1/2-inch diameter, this rolling pin is both easy to clean, and easy to store!

Pros

One customer compared using this rolling pin to special rubber bands that you can buy for other rolling pins.  She much prefers this Joseph Joseph rolling pin because the discs are rigid and produce consistent results every time, rather than the rubber bands which slip and slide around and are harder to work with.

Other people also said that the rolling pin was very easy to clean.

Most people also really liked the measurements that are etched into the rolling pin as it makes sizing your dough much easier.

Cons

One improvement that could be made which was suggested by one customer was to designing the same rolling pin but with “spinning” handles to make it easier to work with.

The biggest complaint was that it doesn’t come with  1/8″ discs  as this is a fairly common thickness for pastry.

The etchings in the rolling pin can make it a little bit tricky for rolling out fondant or gumpaste as the markings can show up in your rolled out paste.

 

Overall the comments are great for this handy little gadget that looks elegant and is also functional. Particularly if you enjoy making pastry, pies, pizzas and cookies, this rolling pin is for you!!