I’ve been working at a local ice cream shop and have picked up some tips and tricks for cake decorating that I thought I would share. 


The cakes we make are all ice cream with a filling in the center.  It could be white chocolate chips and raspberry or raspberry and brownies or hot fudge and cookies.  To make a solid ice cream cake is easy. We make our own ice cream at the shop.  We fill the cake pans, which are really metal cheesecake pans (the kind where the bottom comes out) half way with vanilla, add the center then top off with chocolate.  You can do this at home, but  I’m not really sure what the proportions would be. When your ready to decorate fill the sink with hot water.  Dip the pan into the hot water just enough to loosen the cake.  Place it on a freezer safe plate.  If your using a baked cake be sure that the cake is cooled completely before icing or decorating.  A layer cake can be split and filled with jam or other fillings or can just be filled with icing.


To decorate the cake you’ll need:
icing and icing colors
jarred fudge sauce, cold
piping bag — buy re-useable ones so that you can use them again next year
decorating tips:
scallop for edging
flower and dot for design
Christmas cookie cutters
off set spatula


Once the cake is frozen solid release the cake from the pan using the instructions above, ice it and be sure that the icing is smooth.  I would recommend white icing since the design will show up much better.  Although we’ve done designs on fudge before.


Once the cake is iced and it’s very smooth take a piping bag filled with the same icing and pipe a border top and bottom.  


TIP:
You can buy just vanilla (white) icing and color it with icing colors you can buy where you buy your piping bag and tips.  




TIP:
By buying re-useable piping bags, metal tips and cookie cutters you can not only make this easy but you won’t have to buy them again next year when you want to create a one of a kind cake design.


The tip I recommend is a scallop tip.  Hold the bag at a 45 degree angle and squeeze.  Go slow to start and use even pressure.  Push backward then forward making a shell shape.  Do this all the way around the top and bottom.  It’s really not necessary to do the border but you’re going to need a piping bag and a couple of tips to do the designs I’m going to illustrate.


Once the border is done take your Christmas cookie cutter – the simple metal ones work best- and press it into the top of the cake where you would like your design.

Imprint of Christmas tree

To make the Christmas tree:

I use a green tinted icing with a flower tip to fill it in.  I use fudge to fill in the trunk using a round tip the use yellow tinted icing for the garland and star.  I add a few red decorations to simulate ornaments also using a round tip.

To make the wreath:


I used green tinted icing and a flower tip.  I used a round shaped cookie cutter as the wreath template and then used the flower tip to create the wreath itself.  By starting at the top I squeezed out one flower then alternated adding two flowers and then repeated, one flower, two flowers and so on until the wreath was filled in all the way around.  Using a dot tip and red icing I added the bow and finished it off with dots around the top and bottom edging.

He’s a little out of focus but you get the idea To make the snowman: I used a simple metal snowman cookie cutter outline.  I filled it in using a dot tip and the same icing I used for the top and bottom border.  His hat, buttons, eyes and arms are all fudge.  His carrot nose was made using a dot tip — squeeze and pull up and it will stand up like a carrot.  his mouth is red icing using a dot tip and the scarf is green icing using a dot tip. I especially like the snowman because you can get creative with the decorations.  Different types of mouths, and scarf colors.  So have fun.  Finish it off with more dots on the border to make it extra colorful. These are just suggestions on creating a one of a kind cake design for your holiday party or get together.  They are simple so you can even get the kids involved.  You can use any kind of metal Christmas cookie cutter and fill in with whatever colors you’d like.  Be creative!  Have fun!! But if this isn’t your thing then come to The Ice Cream Man in Greenwich NY and pick up an all ready decorated cake for any occasion or call and order one and we will make it especially for you!    http://www.the-ice-cream-man.com/ Do you have a decorating tip that you’d like to share? or maybe a photo of a masterpiece you and your children created, then feel free to share.  I’m always looking for a little inspiration.