Simple Tools for Cake
Design
Professions come in all shapes and sizes, and one of
the most creative is that of a cake
designer. When visiting the local bakery with its
magnificent cake designs, I thought some talented soul at
the bakery was responsible. But a friend of mine told me
I was wrong -- there are specialists who do nothing but design
cakes. My friend, who has taken some classes in baking,
told me that cake design has been one of the most sought after
courses in food design. Well, I am not sure that I have
the skill to become a professional cake designer, but I have
found some tools to help me with a cake design that matches the
special occasion that I am baking for. For example, I
have found cake molds shaped like Christmas trees for the
holidays, wildflower designs for my teenager daughter's
birthday, and other shapes make for a quick and simple design
that's easy to decorate with frosting and get me enough
"oohs and ahhs" from my family to boost my ego a bit.
The Cake Design Secret
is in the Baking Mold
Different cake molds are now available in a variety of
shapes so that the cake itself does not need to be square or
round. One of the best online sources for cake molds
is Pan.com (links open in a new window). At
Pan.com, you will find some of the
following kinds of molds for your cake design:
- Christmas trees
- Holiday bells
- Cake mold sheets
- Wildflower cake pans
- Snowflake cake pans
- And more!
When I have shopped Pan.com for a cake mold, I use "cake mold"
and "cake pan" in their search box. For some reason,
these two different terms bring up different results.
The special cake pans that they have are reasonably
priced. Since I live in a small town, I rely on sites
such as Pan.com to buy things I cannot otherwise find. The
holiday selection is a favorite amongst my family.
Different Icings Add a Personal Touch to Your
Cake Design
Although it is possible to have a number of flavors in the
icing used in the cake design, the most popular option
continues to be a plain vanilla or chocolate
flavored icing. These frostings come in different
colors. You can add food coloring to your sugar
icing, too. For youngsters' birthday cakes, I like
to use two or three different colors and a lot of
candy sprinkles. With today's health
consciousness and people concerned about their weight, there
are some sugar free and fat free icings, but to tell you the
truth, sugar free frosting has not gone over well in my
family. One trend these days is to bake cakes
in different shapes and to forget the icing. If the cake
is moist and flavorful, it seems to work -- but not with my
kids.
A good cake designer can convert even the plainest of cakes
into a brilliant and tantalizing creation. Cake design is more
creative than it is expensive. Use edible wafers, a
whole lot of frosting, and a good and dependable icing cone to
do the trick.
"Simple Tools for Cake Design"
contributed by Bettie Larson
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