How to decorate a wedding cake with buttercream icing

decorate a wedding cake with buttercream icing

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Buttercream icing is a creamy sweet icing that is simple and affordable to make. It is usually used to dirty-ice cakes before applying fondant or the final layer of icing. Buttercream icing when used as the final layer of icing will not have the same polished flat appearance you will achieve with fondant and buttercream does not harden when piped like royal icing does. However, buttercream can be tinted into a variety of shades and colors like fondant or royal icing and buttercream creates a soft textured appearance when finished decorating.

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Things You'll Need

• Cake
• Serrated knife
• Buttercream icing
• Food coloring gel (optional)
• Turntable or rotating cake stand
• Off-set spatula
• Quilted paper towels
• Piping bag
• Piping tips
• Piping bag coupler

Instructions

1. • 1

     Trim each cake tier with the serrated knife so that the top is level. You need the top of each tier to be flat so that when you stack each tier on-top of the other, the cake will be sturdy and not leaning to one side.

   • 2

     Ice each tier with a light layer of icing using the off-set spatula. The icing does not need to look pretty you are applying this coat so that you do not get crumbs in the final layer of icing. This is called dirty-icing or crumb-coating the cake.

   • 3

     Apply an even layer of buttercream icing to each tier using the off-set spatula. Take your time on this step. Ensure that you have an even layer of icing applied all the way around each tier as well as on top of each tier.

   • 4

     Press a sheet of quilted paper towel lightly against the icing. When you pull the paper towel away from the cake you will notice it left the quilted design as an impression into the icing. This step is optional but it is a simple way to add intricate design to the cake. Press the paper towel until all of the icing has the quilted design.

   • 5

     Tint the buttercream icing using food coloring gel. This step is optional if you do not want to use all white icing. Depending on the quantity of icing you need to tint will vary the amount of coloring you need. Start with very small amount and work your way up. If you use too much coloring you will be able to taste the bitterness of the dye in the frosting.

   • 6

     Attach a piping tip to an icing bag by pressing the tip over the plastic point and screwing a plastic coupler over the threads on the plastic point. Fill the piping bag half to two-thirds full with buttercream icing. Twist the end of the piping bag closed and press firmly against the icing.

   • 7

     Practice piping designs, monograms and flowers onto paper towels before starting to pipe your design onto the actual cake. It is very difficult to correct a mistake on the icing so take your time and pipe small lines at a time.

Tips &- Warnings

• When adding coloring, dip a toothpick into the coloring gel and then run the toothpick through the frosting. You do not need a lot and for a standard batch that is all you will need. Whip the frosting to fully incorporate the color into the icing.

Source: www.ehow.com

Tags: each tier, layer icing, buttercream icing, final layer, final layer icing