How to Actually Learn Cake Decorating

No time for a cake decorating class? Here are my top tips for how you can learn to decorate cakes step-by-step, effectively on your own!

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Buy Baking and Cake Decorating Books

Cake decorating can be broken down into two parts: the baking part and the decorating part. There are a lot of great books out there. My personal favorite is "The Better Baking Book" by Kristin Hoffman, also known as Baker Bettie. It includes starter recipes for all kinds of baked goods and some guidance on how you can develop your own recipes. If you're currently comfortable with your baking, you may want to choose to focus solely on the decorating part. On the flip side, if you aren't the strongest baker but are really excited to get started on the decorating part, baking from a box mix is a great alternative.

There are just as many fantastic cake decorating books as there are baking books. Some of my personal favorites are "How to Cake It" by Yolanda Gampp and her more recent book "Layer Up" which is a really detailed book (especially if you're not into decorating with fondant). I also love "Sugar Rebels" by Nick Makrides. This book features a lot of cupcake designs but also has inspiration for decorating cakes.

These are ones that I would encourage you to pick up if you don't already have some cake decorating books on your shelf. They provide tons of detailed information about tools and techniques and almost always include cake recipes, filling recipes, and frosting recipes. It sounds a little old-fashioned, but having books on your shelf as a resource can be very handy.

Research Cake Decorating Techniques, Trends, and Styles

You can easily do this online via social media. Instagram and Pinterest are some great resources for this, and there are also some fantastic digital magazines that will help you with inspiration as well! While baking and cake decorating books are great to have, they can quickly become outdated in terms of trends, and this is where social media and digital magazines shine. There is a lot of inspiration out there. Some of the best places to find cake decorating inspiration and tutorials are Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Digital magazines also contain helpful tutorials. My personal favorites are "Cake Magazine," "Cake Masters," and the "American Cake Decorating Magazine." Blogs like this one are also great online resources. Also keep an eye out for ideas, tutorials, and other information available through the major cake decorating players like Wilton and Satin Ice. You'll want to save your ideas in bookmarks, pins, or playlists for later reference!

Start with Essential Tools and Master Basic Techniques in Your First Year

Cake decorating can be an expensive hobby because there are so many tools available! If you want to get started right away, there are only really five essential tools that you need to get started right now. These tools include piping bags, spatulas, and a turntable. I describe all of these in more detail in a separate blog post. There are also a handful of skills that you would want to master in your first year of cake decorating. These skills include icing a cake, learning to layer your cake, and learning to color frosting.

Practice, Practice, Practice

When you're first starting out with cake decorating, practice is very important. But it's also important to remember that practice does not make perfect. In the words of motivational speaker Les Brown, "Practice makes improvement." In terms of buttercream piping, it's actually easier to practice those skills than you might think.

All you really need is buttercream, decorating bags, piping tips, a coupler (if you are practicing multiple techniques in one sitting) and some good old parchment paper. Yes, you heard correctly! You do not need to bake a cake, cupcakes, or cookies just to practice your buttercream piping skills. All you really need is parchment paper, which will serve as your surface to practice those cake decorating skills that do require baking, such as frosting a cake. Upcoming holidays and family celebrations are a great opportunity to practice the skills that you've been learning!

Share Your Creations with Family and Friends

Your close family and friends are usually the first group to see and taste your beautiful baked creations.! If you're looking for honest feedback, they will most likely be willing to share with you if you ask them. Try to be receptive to their opinions. Ultimately, your close family and friends are rooting for you and want to see you succeed in along your baking and cake decorating journey!

Find an Online Group for Support

Consider joining a Facebook group centered around cake decorating. Not a fan of Facebook? No problem. There are a handful of forums on Reddit where you can ask questions, get inspiration, and even post some of your latest creations!

Another super helpful online resource is the forum Cake Central. It's the world's largest cake community for cake decorating professionals and enthusiasts. Finding support, inspiration, and encouragement for your newfound hobby is easier than you may think!

FINALLY, Find and Attend an In-Person Cake Decorating Class

I'll be the first to tell you that finding an in-person cake decorating class can be difficult. Prior to 2020, cake decorating classes could be found in retail hobby stores such as Michaels, JoAnn, and Hobby Lobby. During the pandemic, those classrooms were turned into storage rooms, and many of those storage rooms remain today.

The first tip that I'll give you if you're looking for classes locally is to look for classes that may be offered at a local independent bakery. Many have started to offer classes in the last few years. Another great way to attend an in-person cake decorating class is to find a cake show or cake expo happening in your region!