Eric Lanlard's top 10 cake decorating tips
Here are award-winning master pâtissier and celebrity chef Eric Lanlard's top ten tips on how to decorate cakes perfectly every time.
Want to decorate your cakes perfectly every time? Follow these tips from one of the best in the business: Eric Lanlard.
1. Be organised
A little bit of preparation goes a long way. It will help you to avoid getting caught off guard and ensure you aren’t missing anything. Always start with a clean and clear work surface and make sure you have all your equipment and ingredients lined up ready for action.
2. Chill out
If you’re about to slice a sponge ready to be decorated, place it in the fridge for at least one hour. Chilling the sponge will make it easier to slice and you will get less crumbs than if you cut it when it’s super fresh.
3. More is less
When using food colouring to colour icing, always use a tooth pick. Adding a small amount of colouring in stages avoids getting the colour wrong. Remember it’s easy to add more, but not to take it out!
4. 50 shades of grey
When baking coloured sponges for cakes such as red velvet or a rainbow cake, make sure the food colouring you use is bake stable. If it isn’t, your lovely coloured sponge will turn grey in the oven.
5. Don't crack up
When rolling icing on a surface, swap your icing sugar for a light dusting of corn flour…it won’t dry out your icing and will give you a much smoother result without cracks.
6. Put on your crumb coat
When icing a cake with frosting or buttercream, start by doing what we call a ‘crumb coat’. This is a rough coating of frosting or buttercream which helps to glue the crumbs together. Place the cake in the fridge for one hour before finishing off without a crumb in sight.
7. Glaze over it
When making a chocolate ganache to glaze a cake, take extra care mixing your hot cream and chocolate. You will need to mix it gently so the ganache does not curdle. If it does, don’t panic, you can save it by folding one tablespoon of cold cream into it. The addition of a bit of glucose syrup into your ganache will help smooth it.
8. Stay in control
Do not overfill your piping bag when piping icing. Instead it is better to refill frequently as it gives you more control. When refilling, try placing your piping bag into a measuring jug so you have two free hands to do so.
9. Icing on the cake
To fill and ice a cake with buttercream or frosting, use a turntable or a cake stand to help you spin your cake, making it easier to get all around the edges. A palette knife is the perfect tool for icing. To finish, dip your palette knife into hot water for few seconds to get a super smooth and glossy sheen.
10. Practice makes perfect
If you’re decorating a cake for a special occasion and want to practice your technique ahead of the big day, purchase a polystyrene dummy from any sugar craft store. This way you can decorate it as many times as you want without wasting any cake, icing, frosting – or even piping!! All you need to do is place a clear sheet of Perspex underneath any design and then follow with your piping bag, and clean wipe and start again until you have perfected the technique.
What's the cake decorating tip you live by? Let us know in the Comments box below.
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