Creating "Bubbles"! An adventure in cake decorating

Cake decorating!

I work part time in the cookware shop where I teach cookery classes.

I’m fine with the regular cookware for doing regular home cooking and baking. I’ve iced birthday cakes for my children and a Christmas cake or two, but I am by no manner or means an expert on this subject. So I have been on a very steep learning curve for the past while learning about all the different cake decorating techniques. I am very lucky to work with people who are very patient and knowledgeable in the subject of the art of cake decorating.

          The shop runs several classes for cake decorating, so I though I would give the basic one a try. It was a really lovely way to start. 
          The first week we just learned how to make butter icing and how to put the icing tips into the icing bags.

Some of the icing flowers.

         Our instructor showed us how to coat a cake in butter icing, by giving it a thin ‘crumb coating’ of icing and letting it harden in the fridge, before putting on a second layer to smooth over neatly. She then decorated the top showing us how to make dots, shells and stars. Then we had a go with some icing in a bag with a star nozzle on to biscuits.

         The next week we had to bring our own cake and icing. We split the cake filled it and covered it with icing. Mine looked really crumby, because I’d used a round chocolate cake!

"Crumb" coated!

         We then learned to make basic flowers and leaves. I was glad it was half term and had the girls about to eat up the cake.

I had fun at home finishing it.

         The last lesson we had to bring a cake fully iced with smooth butter cream, six cupcakes with flat tops and loads of icing.

Didn't quite manage the flat tops.

        I decided having done a round cake the first time I would try a square one this time. They are harder to ice and get sharp edges neat. Mine wasn’t level either! I didn’t have time to do another as I was away for the next day before the class. The cake and cupcakes even had to travel with me in the car! Thank goodness it is Autumn time and not blazing summer!

And now no one will ever know!

         We learned four more flowers and how to do the big swirl on top of the cupcakes. (Start at the edge and spiral in!)  We also practiced doing some writing.

Then we were let loose to decorate our cakes as we wished. I had seen the template for the fish in our instruction book and really liked it. I also liked the way the leaves are made with the leaf tip. I could see “Bubbles“ swimming through the leafy fronds of seaweed above the coral.

Bubbles Swims

So I urge anyone out there to give icing a go, it is fun and you can be as creative as you like. And better still you can eat the results! You can’t do that after a painting or pottery class!