Cake decorating - what do I need?

[citymama]

I've baked DD's birthday party cake every year and plan to do so this year again. I am fine on the baking part, zero on the decorating. What do I need to get to decorate her cake - or get into the decorating thing in general? I literally have no clue. Is there some kind of special squeezy tube you decorate with, and where can I find this? Special sprinkles that help with decorating? I am literally clueless and so not Martha Stewart. Help! Thanks for any suggestions on what to buy and where. Photos of your decorated cakes would be great too! DD wants either a squirrel or Tinkerbell - um, we'll see.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I use candy to decorate for the most part. Me and fancy frosting things don't quite work for me until I take some classes. I get most all of my ideas at Family Fun.

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg193/bchbetha/IMG_0083a-1.jpg

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg193/bchbetha/IMG_0762.jpg

Those are 2 of the cakes I have made.

Beth

[KrisM]

I took a beginning class at JoAnn's. It was great. JoAnn's has a cake decorating box with a bunch of tips it in. You can buy bags to use as well.

ETA: I can't find the JoAnn's thing online, but I think it's $40 or so. You could just buy a bag and a star tip, too.

[crl]

I'm a decent baker but not at all good at decorating. With DS' milk allergy I don't have much choice but to make his cakes.

My first suggestion to DS is always decorate your own cupcakes for the party. Gets me off the hook, provides an activity and means that we don't all have to eat the cake he just spit all over trying to blow the candles out.

When he's refused that option, I've ordered plastic decorations to go with his "theme" off the internet. Then I just iced the cake in some appropriate color and plop the decorations on top. It's not Martha Stewart quality but he's been happy with it.

Then last year he wanted a Berenstain Bear party and I couldn't find decorations. So I inverted a wine bucket, wrapped in brown construction paper, to be a tree trunk; and balanced a round wooden cutting board on top if it, then set the layer cake on top and iced it green. Then I declared it the bears tree house. Again, not Martha Stewart, but he was happy.

Catherine

[catroddick]

I bougth this kit at Michael's: http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E30BE52-475A-BAC0-588FEBD8D8DC2DD3&fid=3E32CA30-475A-BAC0-512F6BB5C28339F5

It's overkill for what I do, but that's how I roll. I did have a 20% off coupon for Michael's- go buy something cheap there and see if they give you a coupon at the register, then you can go back and get this set, or a smaller one. This set has a good instruction book as well.

I did a Ladybug cake for DD's 1st birthday. I am neither patient or talented, and it was a breeze.

Two photos attached- one is her ladybug cake and the Costco cake for everyone else. The other is a closeup of the bug- mid-destruction.

[KrisM]

Photos of cakes with mostly just the star tip:


http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa81/khaselton/IMG_0467.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa81/khaselton/IMG_0594.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa81/khaselton/IMG_0580.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa81/khaselton/IMG_2432.jpg

[KrisM]

Photos of more free-style cakes:

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa81/khaselton/IMG_2000.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa81/khaselton/IMG_1779.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa81/khaselton/DSC03312.jpg

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa81/khaselton/IMG_2269.jpg

[Tanya]

I just do the stars all over the cake. I've made puppy cakes, fish cakes, Princess cakes (using a Barbie stuck inside and the cake as the skirt/dress), and last August, I attempted an elephant for my 3 year old. It would have been cute, but I used a 3D bear pan and tried adding elephant ears and the trunk and they were just too heavy. After I got over it, we all had a good laugh. I wasn't too happy while decorating though.

I really want to take a cake decorating class at Michaels and learn some other techniques. With our crazy schedules, I just have to figure out when I can do it.

Anyway, stars are easy, just time consuming. You just need some bags, couplers and a few tips. I make the Wilton buttercream icing and the colors. 3D cakes are a lot more work than 2D ones. I usually buy a cake pan for the initial shape (I have the puppy pan, the fish pan, and the 3D bear pan).

[mctlaw]

Wow, before I noticed your post I just posted my own bragging post showing off my first ever cake for DS, so you can see that post for my pic. I bought a sheet cake pan (11 by 15), the Wilton "student kit" which included tips and couplers (I recommend a couple extra couplers and icing bags), a 12 color gel dye pack, and gum paste mix.

[Tondi G]

Lots of Tinkerbell cake options! To inspire you!

http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/tinkerbell-cake.html

that said I have NEVER attempted decorating a cake myself... I have only ever made cookies from scratch ONCE. LOL! I wish you luck!

[AnnieW625]

FWIW, we swear by Betty Crocker's cake mixes in our family, it's as close to bakery as we can get. We get soo many compliments on them; people think they are made from scratch, and I think they taste better than the famous Magnolia Bakery recipe.

This year this is what I am thinking of doing for DD's party, birthday candle cupcakes (except I'll cut straws in place of the colored food straws used in the recipe):
http://www.parents.com/recipe/desserts/birthday-blowout/?_requestid=69257

I may not go as fancy with the icing as I am not very inept with pastry bags, I really need to do a trial run with the frosting though as I have never used marshmallow fluff in frosting before and would be afraid it wouldn't look right if it was just iced regularly.

DD really wanted Dora cupcakes she saw in a filler on Nick Jr., but I can't find the recipe online:( .

[mctlaw]

Citymama,

Just FYI, I replied to your question in my thread.:waving4:

[kijip]

I have used Wilton pans for 3 of the 5 years I have made a cake. That makes it easier for people, like me, who don't have a lot of experience. You can get a kit from a craft store or you can buy a plastic tip and smack it on the tubes of deco-icing at the regular grocery stores.

Here are the 2 that I have done without Wilton pans:

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/kijip/IMG_0027.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h204/kijip/TobyCake011.jpg

Plus a car, Big Bird and Wall*e the Robot from the Wilton pans.