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The Cake Decorating Business

Most people don’t think of going into business when they start cake decorating. Usually it is a hobby or because they want to make wonderful cakes for family events. Most people start a home cake decorating business because when they made these great cakes for family occasions, and those who saw the cake wanted them to make cakes for their special occasions.

There is also the appeal of working at home, you have the freedom to work when you want, as long as you get the cake to the customer on time. Many of these artistic cake decorators have children at home and want to stay at home with them, and be able to make a living too.

Maybe you have been thinking of starting a cake decorating business in your home. Think about why you would like to start a cake decorating business. If you have a good business plan and are good at time management, this can be a lucrative business. Even though your main reason to start a home business is to stay at home with the kids, or to save cash on a daily commute. Your main reason for wanting to start a cake decorating business at home should be that you are getting so many cake orders that it is taking a lot of your time and you feel you can go into business and make a go of it.

The cake decorating business can be fun, but it is also a lot of work, and you will need to have enough money to get your business off the ground. There are certain items you will need to start. You will need a few icing tips (the ones you use most often), a heavy duty mixer, mixing bowls, food coloring, spatulas, the right cake pans, enough room to work without being cramped, and an oven. The cake decorating business is time consuming, but it is very rewarding and enjoyable.

You will need to remember that family and friends are customers, and you will need to charge them for the cakes they want you to make. You have expenses and it will cost you to make a cake and you are in the business to make money. You may want to give them a discount, but you will definitely need to charge them for your time and the money you put into making the cake. You will need to check nearby bakeries and stores to find out what they charge for cake decorating.

Don’t put your prices lower than the bakeries, try to charge around the same price and let your talent show the quality of your cakes. You will never be able to charge for your time, after all is said and done, you will probably be making about $1.00 an hour. That is why you charge by the cake. Although, the more cakes you make, the faster you will become, and you will be making a bit more for your time.

While bakeries make good cakes, you can make cakes that taste as good or better. You can also offer different options such as, a variety of cake flavors, a willingness to offer unique decorating options, and discounts or specials from time to time. At first, it is a good idea to charge around the same as the bakeries, when you become more experienced you can evaluate your prices. Once you become more popular and have made a name for yourself, you can charge more.

The advantages of operating a legal cake decorating business from your home are:

1. You can work when you want and take a break when you need one.

2. You won’t have the overhead expenses that you would if you opened a shop.

3. You can be home to care for your family.

4. You will be able to make appointments to see customers. They would not be able to drop in unannounced.

5. You can set your own hours and even work in the middle of the night if you choose.

You need to be an organized, disciplined person, and have a bit of business sense.

While it would be great if the business was all fun, it does require a commitment. The question is, will your family go along with the long hours you will need to put in? You will need the support of your family if you are going to make the cake decorating business succeed. Some areas to consider are:

1. Weekends are usually tied up with baking cakes, as most events are held on the weekend. Will your family be understanding when you need to work every weekend? You will need to plan your cake decorating in advance and keep good records.

2. You are going to need extra storage for all of the equipment you need for your business.

3. You may find expenses for special equipment and classes to improve your art, can run a bit high.

4. You may need a separate kitchen to use for your business because of health requirements for the state.

Cake Decorating – How To Apply Edible Cake Art

There are many edible cake art images available for cake decorating, that will make your cakes stand alone in excellence. You must follow the directions carefully for best result and ease in application.

Tips to Apply Edible Cake Art:

– Make sure you have clean, dry hands before touching the image. If you are working with a frozen cake, let it thaw a bit before applying the icing. Edible Image(r) cake decorations need a bit of moisture to blend into the icing.

– If the cake is dry, spray it with a light mist of water, brush on light syrup, or add a thin layer of icing before you apply the image so it will stick to the cake. If your cake is moist, don’t add water or moisture to the cake. Too much water will cause the colors to run.

– Once the image is applied, it cannot be removed or moved. Know exactly where you plan to place the image. Using care apply the image to your cake, face up. Once the image has been applied, tap the image down gently with your fingertips. Start from the center of the image and work toward the edges.

– If the image should become moist or hard to remove from the backing, it can be placed in the freezer for a couple of minutes, the image should peel off easily.

– If the image should bubble after it is applied, gently tap and DO NOT RUB the image. If the cake is still frozen after application, it should be placed in the refrigerator to thaw slowly. Avoid exposing the image to ultraviolet light. The image may fade over time, as with any food coloring.

– If the image bubbles during freezing, again you can gently tap the image.

Handling and Storage of the Image

– Edible Image(r) decorations should be stored in the silver bag it came in, and kept in a cool, dry place.

– Make sure to reseal the original bag after you remove an image.

– You will need to use the image immediately after it is removed from the bag.

– Once you have finished decorating with Edible Image(r) decorations. You can store your product as you normally would. The images are freezer, shelf, and refrigerator friendly.

How to apply the Images to other products

– Ice Cream: To apply the image to a cake frosted with ice cream or non-dairy whipped topping, do not add any additional water. If you are applying the image directly on ice cream, you should let the ice cream melt just a bit before application. When you are working with soft serve ice cream, you will get better results if you apply the image while the ice cream is soft and then freeze it.
Buttercream icing

* Apply the image immediately after icing the cake. Buttercream will form a crust about an hour after they have been applied. If this has happened, spray the icing with a fine mist of water before you apply the image.

Frozen Cakes

– Thaw a bit before icing to avoid cracks forming in the cake, then you can apply the image. If the decorated cake is frozen, you will need to let it thaw slowly in the refrigerator, uncovered, so the cake will not sweat and the colors will stay true.

Royal Icing

– Make sure you add a good mist of water over a cake iced with royal icing before you apply the image

Non Dairy Whipped Topping

– When working with this medium, do not add any extra water before you apply the image. Keep the finished cake in the refrigerator to maintain the integrity of the image and the topping.

Rolled Fondant or Sugar Paste

– When placing an image over sugar paste or fondant, plan where you will put the image. With a small paintbrush, apply a good amount of plain water. Brush water only where the image will be. Any water outside the image will leave a mark on the fondant or sugar paste. Although you must be sure to apply enough water, or the image will not stick.

– Edges can be tapped down with a very small, slightly moist paintbrush.

Poured White Chocolate, or other poured icings

– Apply the image while the icing is wet. Be sure your cake is on a flat surface or the image may slide.
Standard Instruction for Application

– Remove the Edible Image(r) from the sheet just prior to application.

– If there are still images in the bag, reseal it immediately.

– Remove the image from the backing sheet by gently placing it on a table edge, (facing up) and rolling the backing sheet over the table edge. This will loosen the image so that it can be carefully peeled from the backing.

Cake Decorating – How To Make Your Icing Smooth And

Cake Decorating – How To Make Your Icing Smooth And Even

If you want to become a master at cake decorating, you will need training and practice. Once you have mastered cake decorating you could become famous in the cake making industry. If you are a creative person you could go far when it comes to cake decorating.

Even a person who is new to cake decorating you want your cake to look beautiful. My mother just made a cake and frosted it, she may have added sprinkles, and she wrote a happy birthday message with icing. Those were our cakes, they may not have been well decorated, but they were tasty. This article will give you ideas and tips to make your cake look much better than Mom used to make.

When you make the cake, be sure that the batter is level in the pan before you place it in the oven. Check the cake at 20 minute intervals to make sure the cake is baking evenly, if you find one side of the cake is higher than the other, you should turn the pan around so it will rise evenly. If you find that your cake baked with one side higher, use a knife to even it. You should do this while the cake is warm.

The cake should be cooled for at least a day before you even think about starting any cake decorating. The outside of the cake could feel cool, but the middle of the cake may stay warm for hours. Frosting the cake before it is completely cool can ruin your decorating.

After the cake has cooled, turn it upside down on a cake board, you will have less crumbs this way. To avoid crumbs all together put a thin layer of icing on the cake. Once you have covered the cake with a thin layer of frosting, you can cover that layer with a normal layer of icing. Make sure the icing is smooth and even. You can dip your metal icing spatula in cold water and go over the icing, this will smooth the icing beautifully.

Icing is the most important ingredient in cake decorating. The icing should be quite stiff, if it is too stiff to work with you can always thin it out. When you are making the frosting, make a good amount. You will need it for other decorations on the cake. Make sure you have plenty of food coloring, as you will need it to color the icing for different cake decorations.

When you are ready to start decorating your cake you will need a few pieces of equipment. You will need more than one pastry bag, and the icing tips you will be using for the decorating you want to do. These items can be bought at craft stores and cake decorating supply store.

To start with, choose the tip you will be using first. Hold the pastry bag with the hole down and place the tip inside, as far as possible. You should use about a cup of icing in the bag at a time, and start it out in a bowl, that way you can thin the icing with a little milk if you need to, before you put it in the icing bag. The icing should be thin enough to go through the tip, but thick enough to make the designs you choose. If you are still a novice at cake decorating, you should practice making the decorations on waxed paper before you attempt to put them on the cake.

When you are ready to ice the cake, you will need to hold the bag with both hands and apply steady pressure. Applying a steady pressure assures that the icing the icing will come out in an even strip. Unless you are making a long strip of piping, you should place the bag closely over the cake start squeezing and count to three, then stop squeezing and lift the tip up and away from the cake. If this decoration looks the way you want it to, move on to the next one, if it isn’t quite right, keep practicing until you get it.

If the cake decoration stays in the shape you intended, then you have the frosting at the right consistency. If it does not hold together, the icing is too thin, and if it was hard to push it through the tip or the cake decoration cracks, the frosting is too thick.

You can get a list of the equipment needed for cake decorating before you start. The list can be found in craft store or pastry supply. The basics are Several pastry bags, icing tips, a coupler to hold the tips in the bag. You will find a cake stand would be a big help, as it swivels so you can frost all sides of the cake, and bring the cake up and closer to you. You should also have several sizes of cake pans, a rubber spatula, a short and a long metal cake icing spatula, a sharp knife, and a baking tray. These are the essentials.

Although cake decorating can be frustrating at times, it can also be very rewarding when you realize the beautiful cake on that stand is something that you created. With a bit of patience and a can do attitude, you will become and accomplished cake decorator.