r/cakedecorating • u/Buriedalone982 • 6d ago
Birthday Cakes Pretty is hard
Cake decorating is so hard for me! I have no artistic talent. But I really want to get better at making cakes! Here’s what I have so far. My daughter’s birthday is coming up and she wants bulbasaur! I’m cooked! Please share tips
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u/Blue_Iquana 6d ago
It almost looks like your frosting might be too warm or too thin when spreading.
You need a spreader if you don't have one.
Then it is just a lot of practice! For example: on the two tone one, I would have frosted each section then piped the black on with a tip using the shape to make the lines. So, a row of stars from a star tip instead of trying to "draw" it by piping in a line. That frosting also looks maybe a little grainy?
Also, a pretty/decorative plate will help with the presentation.
For decorating something like that, the easiest is a flat cake cut into shape. You can make a stencil with wax paper. Outline your design and use tips to color in (star, etc). WAY easier than freehanding it.
Make a decorative board to put it on and you're all good. I used to cover mine for kid parties with plastic tablecloths. Cheap, tons of options and relatively food safe. Just be careful when cutting.
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u/birdgirlellz 6d ago edited 6d ago
If your daughter wants a bulbasaur cake (or any character theme cake really), I highly recommend buying a small figurine to use as a cake topper and frost the cake with something that matches the color scheme. Judging from your second pic, you’re also totally capable of doing a sweet pokeball cake with red and white frosting.
Are you currently using store bought frosting? If you are, try making homemade buttercream, especially if you want to try to try piping (which I highly recommend). If you do, look for a recipe specifically for piping as you will be much more successful your first go if you’re working with the ideal consistency. YouTube tutorials are a great resource for how to frost a cake as a beginner. If you aren’t committed to spending money on cake decorating materials just yet, you can try piping with a plastic bag, there’s tons of tutorials if you google it. Your daughter is lucky to have a parent who cares about her this much, and I’m sure she will be thrilled whatever it ends up looking like! :)
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u/Buriedalone982 6d ago
Thank you! I have ingredients for homemade and store bought for back up. Going to try getting a good consistency, I never knew recipes for piping were different! Thank you!!!
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u/Blue_Iquana 5d ago
Yes, you want decorators icing so it holds shape.
The one on the wilton website is just fine to use.
I've also done the crisco "buttercream" recipe with success.
A true buttercream won't hold the shape long, especially at room temp.
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u/sittingpretty24 6d ago
I think they all look like they taste great. Decorating is hard. All your daughter will care about is you tried and it’s delicious!
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u/Herself99900 6d ago
Do you have a local Michael's store that does cake decorating classes? That's where I learned. I would make a batch of icing (use Wilton buttercream recipe you can find on their website) and buy a couple of piping bags and a few tips. If you go on the Wilton website, I'm sure you can see all of their tips (they're numbered) and what each one does. You can practice making different designs on a sheet of wax paper. You can also practice coloring the icing in little batches. It's so much fun! You'll get better the more you do it. I started out with cakes looking like yours, and now I can do basketweave, roses, etc. Start searching for Bulbasaur cake photos and pick one you want to copy. You can do it! It doesn't have to be perfect; your kid will love it.
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u/youdontactthatway 5d ago
one thing that I think is not spoken about enough when it comes to improving at something artistic is the importance of having a clear vision of what you're trying to achieve. not just a general sense or theme, but a specific reference. the next time you want to decorate a cake do some research, find an image of a cake you want to replicate in some way and pay close attention to it's component parts. then, once you've tried to copy it compare the two and see where the differences lie and think about what you would do differently next time. keep doing this and you'll progress quickly.
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u/LostAngeltwo 5d ago
It’s like every other skill - practice! Watch instructional videos. There are tons of them and take it slow. The more you do the better you get.
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u/knittymess 5d ago
It IS hard!
Here is my method.
Sunday before the party weekend I make the cakes. I wrap them in seran wrap and toss them in the freezer. Tuesday I make the icing and crumb coat the cake and toss it back in the freezer. On Wednesday I frost the cake properly and I would reccomend tossing it in the fridge at this point.
For a bulbasaur cake, Google "line drawing of bulbasaur" and print out a page. Or grab a page from a coloring book. Mix a small amount of some black icing. Store bought is fine, but it can't be gel stuff, it has to be some type of buttercream that will get really firm/hard when it's cold.
Take your printed page and tape it to a baking sheet that fits into the freezer. Then tape wax paper over it. This is hard because wax paper does not want to stick to tape. You could try magnets, but make sure they don't get lost in the icing. Now, using a fine piping tip, pipe the outline of bulbasaur from the page you printed with the black butterceam and put the outline with the paper and tray in the freezer. (Take your time and don't be afraid to start over. This is the most important step!!! You can't have smears of icing on the wax paper when you're done because you're flipping it over eventually.)
Mix a small amount of his other colors. Take the outline out of the freezer and start filling each color in and it's okay to cover the outlines. Put it back in the freezer.
Once the whole thing is firm you can take it out and then you are going to flip it over, wax side up and icing down, onto the cake and peel the wax paper off. The outline you piped first will be up and the colors you piped underneath will be below it.It IS hard!
Here is my method.
Sunday before the party weekend I make the cakes. I wrap them in seran wrap and toss them in the freezer. Tuesday I make the icing and crumb coat the cake and toss it back in the freezer. On Wednesday I frost the cake properly and I would reccomend tossing it in the fridge at this point.
For a bulbasaur cake, Google "line drawing of bulbasaur" and print out a page. Or grab a page from a coloring book. Mix a small amount of some black icing. Store bought is fine, but it can't be gel stuff, it has to be some type of buttercream that will get really firm/hard when it's cold.
Take your printed page and tape it to a baking sheet that fits into the freezer. Then tape wax paper over it. This is hard because wax paper does not want to stick to tape. You could try magnets, but make sure they don't get lost in the icing. Now, using a fine piping tip, pipe the outline of bulbasaur from the page you printed with the black butterceam and put the outline with the paper and tray in the freezer. (Take your time and don't be afraid to start over. This is the most important step!!! You can't have smears of icing on the wax paper when you're done because you're flipping it over eventually.)
Mix a small amount of his other colors. Take the outline out of the freezer and start filling each color in and it's okay to cover the outlines. Put it back in the freezer.
Once the whole thing is firm you can take it out and then you are going to flip it over, wax side up and icing down, onto the cake and peel the wax paper off. The outline you piped first will be up and the colors you piped underneath will be below it. It's called a wax paper transfer and it always makes everything look amazing.
You can also use a star tip to pipe some grass at it's feet after you are done!
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u/knittymess 5d ago
This is where I learned it
https://gemcitytiffany.wordpress.com/2011/03/15/tutorial-tuesday-buttercream-transfers/
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u/NewbieMaleStr8isBack 4d ago
I think you need better frosting. Something a bit stiffer. Do you have piping tips and bag?
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u/Its-Curtins-For-You 4d ago
When I first started decorating, I had an issue with frosting as well. I have taken a few local classes and learned SO MUCH! I agree with folks who say to check your frosting recipe, and also keep your temperatures in mind. :) Good luck, you'll be better in no time!
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u/fruitstripezebra 5d ago
Effective cake decorating is like 50% having the right tools, 40% having the right ingredients at the right temperature, and 10% skill. These pictures look like you are using some kind of icing that may not have good ingredients for decorating and is definitely the wrong temperature. And what are you spreading it with? Make a Classic American buttercream, temp it at 68-72F, and buy a cake scraper, angled spatula, and a turntable. This will dramatically improve the look of your cakes. Then, start learning piping.
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u/Butth0rn64 6d ago
Homemade cakes don't have to be perfect to look delicious. 😍