Pastry Chef's Life Hacks: 10 Cake Decoration Ideas

At the moment when the cake has already been sent to the oven and you can be sure that it will work out, the hostesses begin to puzzle over its decoration. For professional pastry chefs, cakes look like a work of art, but is it possible to achieve a similar result at home? Can! And how to do this, I'll tell you today.

Meringue

Meringue (or meringue) is not only a complete dessert, but also a great way to decorate a cake. With the help of dyes and attachments, you can create bright and stylish options for a biscuit cake from meringue. You can make meringues on a stick or in droplets and place them in a heap on top of the cake.

To prepare the meringue you will need:

• protein - 50 g;

• sugar - 100 gr.

Cooking method

We are preparing a water (or rather even a steam) bath. Pour water into a saucepan so that the bowl of proteins does not touch the surface of the water, bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a minimum. Mix sugar with proteins in a metal or glass bowl and set over a saucepan with water. Stir continuously until all the sugar is dissolved. We remove from the water bath. Next, beat the mixture with a mixer at high speed until a smooth, shiny mass is formed. Place on a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for 1-1.5 hours at a temperature of 100-110 degrees.

Craquelure

To make craquelure you will need:

• a mixture of craquelure (starch + gel dye) with a consistency like sour cream.

I draw the attention of readers that the cake covered with chocolate ganache must be well chilled before decorating.

Cooking method

We brush over our cake and dry it.

For my students, I recommend drying craquelure cakes using the cold air of a hair dryer or leaving it in the refrigerator overnight.

As a result, the mixture on the cake should begin to crack, creating a unique ornament.

Fresh berries

What is the most appetizing and attractive thing about cake decor? That's right - fresh fruits and sweet berries. Therefore, this decoration method is one of the most popular.

I recommend using not very juicy fruits and berries so that they do not let the juice flow and ruin the cake.

Perfect for decorating cakes: red currants, mini kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and cherries. If you have a creamy finish, the fruit will adhere perfectly and will not slide off. The berries can be coated with a neutral glaze, which is sold in confectionery stores, so that the cut will not wind up and they will retain their attractive appearance longer.

Gingerbread toppers

This is the most popular decor for kids' cakes. A beautiful and original way of decorating, thanks to which you can create a whole delicious composition. What kind of gingerbread toppers can be made to decorate a cake? Variety! Favorite cartoon characters, numbers - how old the birthday boy is, letters of the birthday boy's name, flowers, hearts, clouds ... It all depends only on your imagination.

Chocolate smudges

One of the most popular cake decor options. Many novice pastry chefs use this particular method: it looks appetizing and beautiful.

For cooking you will need (approximate proportions):

• ganache on white chocolate: 2 parts chocolate, 1 part cream (33%);

• dark chocolate ganache: 1 part chocolate, 1 part cream (33%).

Cooking method

Combine chocolate and cream in a bowl. Warm up in a microwave oven for 15 seconds, stirring thoroughly each time. Why are the ingredients written in “approximate proportions”? The point is that each chocolate needs a different amount of cream. Therefore, do everything in the indicated proportions and then correct it. Most often it turns out thick, then you can simply add a little more cream.

I always draw the students' attention to the fact that the cake needs to be chilled before applying the smudges. Add about 10% butter at the end for a beautiful shine. The working temperature of the ganache is about 27-29 degrees, if it is hot, the drops will drain to the substrate.

Ganache

This French crème is widely used to coat cake, layering cakes and make candy. Confectioners often use ganache to flatten the cake, the surface of the biscuit covered with it becomes ideal for decorating any decor.

To make ganache you will need:

• cream 33% - 110 ml;

• butter - 35 gr;

• dark chocolate - 100 g (it is better to use dark chocolate with a high content of cocoa butter).

Cooking method:

Break the chocolate and put it in a container. Bring the cream to a boil, but do not boil, add it to the chocolate without stirring, leave for a couple of minutes. Then whisk until smooth, add butter and mix everything thoroughly. Put the prepared mixture in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Before applying, beat with a mixer, if necessary, slightly warming up with a hairdryer. The cream is ready!

Isomalt

Special confectionery sugar, which differs from ordinary sugar in that it can withstand higher temperatures without darkening. Isomalt products, unlike traditional caramel, do not soften, do not stick to hands, and retain their attractive appearance and gloss much better. Gel and dry colors can be used to create different color effects. There are several ways to create this kind of decor.

Cooking method No. 1:

Preheat oven to 175-180 degrees. Take a silicone mat and sprinkle a layer of isomalt, 2 mm thick. Foil can also be used, but silicone is more comfortable. Cover with a second rug (you do not need to cover, but it is more convenient to work this way and the isomalt layer will be smoother). Place on a baking sheet in the oven for about 10 minutes. After the time has elapsed, lift the top mat and see if the isomalt has melted, if not, let it sit for a few more minutes. When the sugar has melted, remove the rugs from the oven and cool. At this time, you can roll up the rug to shape the isomalt. After cooling down, remove the top mat. If the isomalt hardened early or the desired decor did not work out, it can be melted again.

Cooking method # 2:

Melt the isomalt on the stove in a heavy-bottomed dish over low heat, add the dye and stir the mixture well. Now you can cast lollipops or any other shape onto the silicone mat.

Velours

They are mainly used for mousse products, since velor requires a perfectly flat surface. Of course, you can experiment with the coating of biscuit cakes as well. The most important thing is to perfectly align the cake, it will not work to hide the flaws behind the velor, every hole and protrusion will be clearly visible. For such a coating, we need a spray gun (you can also use velor in spray cans).

To prepare velor you will need:

• a mixture of velor for a spray gun: 60% of any chocolate and 40% of cocoa butter.

Cooking method:

Melt the chocolate and cocoa butter separately, combine, add color if necessary and punch with a blender. The working temperature of velor is 35-40 degrees. Spray the velor onto the frozen cake surface (preferably in a box on the turntable). Leftover velor can be stored at room temperature until next use.

Natural flowers

The most popular option for decorating wedding cakes. This is the only thing that can transform even the simplest cake, make it luxurious. There are many options for using fresh flowers: cover the stem with chocolate, cover it with film, foil, insert capsules. But, I must confess, I don't like any of them. We practically do not have special food colors, and we are forced to use the most common ones, and such contact with the product, in my opinion, is unacceptable. And from an aesthetic point of view, pulling flowers with a stem from a cake is not very pleasant.

Therefore, I prefer to cut all the flowers under the bud, insert toothpicks into them and only then decorate the cake, leaving a little distance from the product to the flower. If the flower arrangement is large, then you can use an additional simple biscuit (smaller diameter). Strengthen it on the main cake and insert flowers into it. In the future, the biscuit with the decor can be simply removed, and the cake will remain intact.

Traditional flowers for decorating the cake: rose, peony, ranunculus, petunia, orchid, chamomile, tiger lily, pansies, thyme (thyme), apple flowers, orange blossom, nasturtium, cornflower, oregano (oregano). If you use other flowers, make sure they are not poisonous!

Cream flowers

Everything new is well forgotten old. Who would have thought that all the annoying and annoying Soviet roses made of butter cream would return to us again. With minor changes, of course.

Malaysian-style cakes are delicate creams, natural shades and neat flowers, where the main feature is their combination!

The main thing in this decor:

• cream (instead of fatty butter cream (butter + powdered sugar), now they use butter cream on meringue, protein cream, meringue and even ganache);

• delicate, pastel shades;

• technique of creating flowers.

Now this decor is at the peak of confectionery fashion and will hold out there for more than one year, so the number of fans is increasing, as well as confectioners who are inspired to create such cakes.

Cook with love is the best ingredient for any dessert. And the most important secret. And don't be afraid to experiment and combine different techniques for decorating your cakes. Successful confectionery feats!