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| Mmmm...aluminum with Crisco. My favorite. |
My aunt, Joanna, has been decorating cakes for as long as I can remember. She is self taught and does beautiful work. It's always a treat to see her latest creation! I asked her last week if she would be willing to teach me some basics next time I am in town. In the meantime, she suggested a great way to practice piping: shortening and an inverted cake pan. So genius! (Apparently, that is how cake decorator newbies are trained.) It's ideal for four reasons:
1. The consistency of the shortening mimics that of icing.
2. The cake pan gives the feel of decorating on an actual cake.
3. Perfectly good buttercream doesn't go to waste.
4. Neither does the shortening. Just scrape it from the pan and use it over and over.
So last night, I gave it a go. I did as Joanna instructed and dove right in, piping away, changing out tips and free-handing just to see what kind of shapes I could make. The picture above was my fourth attempt. (If you like this "masterpiece," you should have seen the three before it!) Each time, I just tried to fill up all the empty space on the pan to get in as much practice as possible, not concerning myself with the design as a whole. It was about learning how to hold and maneuver the bag while getting a feel for what designs each of the tips can produce.
This was my first experiment with a piping bag and I found it to be so much fun. I am a big fan of this practice method because I could just clean my "canvas" and start over many times without the commitment of a finished cake that I wasn't happy with. Decorating is definitely a skill that requires practice and patience. I am incredibly eager to learn all I can and I can't wait to have a finished cake to post for you guys. Until then, lots of other fun and tasty baked goods will be keeping you company.
Next up, Ten Cup Cookies!
1. The consistency of the shortening mimics that of icing.
2. The cake pan gives the feel of decorating on an actual cake.
3. Perfectly good buttercream doesn't go to waste.
4. Neither does the shortening. Just scrape it from the pan and use it over and over.
So last night, I gave it a go. I did as Joanna instructed and dove right in, piping away, changing out tips and free-handing just to see what kind of shapes I could make. The picture above was my fourth attempt. (If you like this "masterpiece," you should have seen the three before it!) Each time, I just tried to fill up all the empty space on the pan to get in as much practice as possible, not concerning myself with the design as a whole. It was about learning how to hold and maneuver the bag while getting a feel for what designs each of the tips can produce.
This was my first experiment with a piping bag and I found it to be so much fun. I am a big fan of this practice method because I could just clean my "canvas" and start over many times without the commitment of a finished cake that I wasn't happy with. Decorating is definitely a skill that requires practice and patience. I am incredibly eager to learn all I can and I can't wait to have a finished cake to post for you guys. Until then, lots of other fun and tasty baked goods will be keeping you company.
Next up, Ten Cup Cookies!
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