Bake to impress.
Ellie Sunakawa / BuzzFeed
Get all your equipment ready before you do anything else.
Cake decorating is more often than not a delicate and time-sensitive job (especially for something like a mirror glaze). Before you get started, go through your equipment list and get it all ready — so you don't end up looking for a spatula while ganache is already dripping off your cake.
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And competely cool your cake down before you start decorating it.
Putting frosting on a hot cake — or even a slightly warm one — is never a good idea. Your frosting will melt and you'll end up with a big mess. So be patient!
When in doubt, add more frosting that you think you should.
In general, it's much easier to take frosting off the cake than to try to work with a too-small amount of it. Be generous with your frosting and you'll get more even layers and a prettier cake on the whole.
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When you're making a layer cake, flip the top layer upside down — so the top is super flat with sharp edges.
If you're frosting your whole cake, you'll want the top of the cake to be as flat as possible. A better (and less annoying) option than trimming is to just flip the top cake upside down so that the bottom is facing up. It may not be as pretty at first but it'll soon be covered with frosting and you'll get a beautiful, super flat, and professional-looking cake.
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When piping, apply pressure from the top of the bag and not the middle.
Often, you first instinct might be to apply pressure in the middle of the bag, but that offers much less control and leads to uneven piping. Start from the top.
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Invest in an offset spatula.
You'll need one if you want to decorate a cake like a pro. It's a great tool — both flexible and strong — and is especially useful for delicate, precise work. (You can also use it to flip crêpes, if cake decorating is not enough of an incentive!) Get one for $10 on Amazon.
If you want to dye your frosting, use gel instead of liquid food coloring.
Gel food coloring is more saturated and will give you a more vibrant result. And remember: A little goes a long way. So start small with just a few drops and add more if needed.
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When you're trying to achieve a drip effect, make sure your cake is cold and your ganache is warm.
Both parts are key in allowing the ganache to set as it drips down the cake. That way, the ganache won't get too runny or fall apart, but it'll still be loose enough to nicely coat the top of the cake — and drip off the sides.
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via BuzzFeed/Food
