Back to Basics: What Ever Happened to Piping?

This stunning cake was designed and decorated by member Jessie.

Some credit Martha Stewart with taking fondant covered cakes to couture status, and I agree that fondant gives the cake designer an incredible medium to work with. Notwithstanding, with all the rage about fondant cake designs, there is less public attention on cakes that feature really superb piping. Neat and precise piping is a basic cake decorating skill that in the right hands, can be elevated to an art form itself.

Many cake decorators learn and develop their piping skills at a Wilton Method Cake Decorating Class. Newbies can learn basic cake decorating techniques at Michael's or A.C. Moore Craft Stores Wilton Method Cake Decorating Class, their local adult continuing education class, or with NYC Cake Decorators Meetup. The Institute of Culinary Education (I.C.E.) in New York City also has an outstanding cake decorating course for serious amateurs taught by Chef Toba Garrett. Alternatively, newbies with an eye on their wallet can teach themselves how to decorate with a basic set of tips, practice board, online instructions from Wilton, and a lot of determination. The Wilton Yearbook is a wonderful idea book, full of hints, tips, and instructions for beginners to make their first breathtaking cakes for family and friends.

Basic Terms

Decorating Bags hold the icing and decorating tip so you can create a variety of decorations: (a) Featherweight bags are reusable bags made of flexible, coated polyester; (b) Disposable Bags are made of strong, flexible plastic, and (c) Parchment triangles are made of grease-resistant vegetable parchment paper.

Pipe/piping is a term that describes the technique of squeezing icing in a decorator bag through a cake decorating tip.

Tip Coupler is a two-part plastic device that enables the decorator to change tips without changing the bag.

Tips are plastic or metal devices that enable the decorator to pipe buttercream or royal icing into various shapes, i.e., leaf, dots, flowers, stars, figures, and to write messages on the cake. Tips are categorized into Star, Round, Petal, Drop Flower, and Leaf shapes, and can be bought singly or in sets.

Cake Leveler is a tool that enables the decorator to level the cake and split the cake in layers for filling.

Practice Board is a tool that enables the decorator to practice techniques with icing to obtain skill and speed. The practice board can be bought singly or in the Wilton Method Course Kits. An alternative to the practice board is to practice directly on a cake pan or cake dummy.

Icing Consistency is a fundamental concept in cake decorating: (a) Stiffer icing is good for making roses and other flowers which have upright petals; (b) Medium consistency icing is great for borders, figure piping, and flower petals that lie flat, and (c) Thin consistency icing is great for leaves, writing, and stems.

There are many recipes for buttercream icing. The basic Wilton Class Buttercream icing is excellent for beginners to practice and learn how to decorate a cake. The icing can stored in a container and reused again and again:

Practice Buttercream
1 cup solid white vegetable shortening
1 tsp Wilton flavor
2 tablespoons water
1 lb pure 10X Confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon Wilton meringue powder
A pinch of salt (optional)

Cream shortening, flavoring and water. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until all ingredients have been thoroughly mixed together. Blend an additional minute or so, until creamy.

Sweet Regards,

Dina
Organizer