Information Sheet 3.

3-1
TOOLS AND MATERIALS USED IN DECORATING CAKES

Learning Objectives:
After reading this information sheet, you must be able to:
1. Identify the different tools and materials used in cake decoration.
2. Appreciate the importance of using tools and materials properly.

Introduction
Cake decoration requires special tools, equipment and materials in order
to bring out the best results. To prepare yourself in decorating cakes, you need
to familiarize the following baking tools and materials specified according to
their use.

TOOLS AND MATERIALS USED IN DECORATING CAKES

SPATULA
It comes in different sizes; small
spatula are used to remove muffins
and molded cookies from pans which
is 5 to 6 inches; large spatula for
icing or frosting cakes; flexible blade
is used for various purposes.

RUBBER SCRAPER
Used to remove bits of food in side of
the bowl, pans and electric mixers
and to gather or consolidate batter,
dough and more.
 CAKE COMB

Commonly square flat stainless steel

tool with three sets of serrated edges,
used for making decorations in cake
frosting; also called icing comb.

PIPING BAGS
It is an often cone- or triangular-
shaped, hand-held bag made
from cloth, paper, or plastic that is
used to pipe semi-solid foods by
pressing them through a narrow
opening at one end, for many
purposes including cake decoration.
It is filled through a wider opening at
the opposite end, rolled or twisted
closed, and then squeezed
to extrude its contents.
 DECORATING TIPS
These are small metal cones that are
used to shaped and produce various
designs when icing is pressed
through them.

CAKE BOARD
A metal or cardboard foil coated disk
on which cakes are served.

CAKE TURN TABLE

It is a rotating circular platform

stand onto which a cake may be
placed to assist in icing and in
decoration.
SELF CHECK 3.3-1
DIRECTION: Identify the following tools or materials referred in the statement
below. Write your answer on the space provided.

_______________ 1. These are small metal cones that are used to shaped and
produce various designs when icing is pressed through
them.

_______________ 2. It is a rotating circular platform stand onto which a cake

may be placed to assist in icing and in decoration.

_______________ 3. Commonly square flat stainless steel tool with three sets of
serrated edges, used for making decorations in cake
frosting.

_______________ 4. It comes in graduated sizes and has sloping sides used for
mixing ingredients.

_______________ 5. Used to remove bits of food in side of the bowl, pans and
electric mixers and to gather or consolidate batter, dough
and more.

_______________ 6. A metal or cardboard foil coated disk on which cakes are

served.

_______________ 7. It is used to remove muffins and molded cookies from pans

for icing or frosting cakes.

_______________ 8. It is an often cone- or triangular-shaped, hand-held bag

made from cloth, paper, or plastic that is used
to pipe semi-solid foods by pressing them through a narrow
opening at one end, for many purposes including cake
decoration.

_______________ 9. It is also called icing comb.

_______________ 10. It is filled through a wider opening at the opposite end,

rolled or twisted closed, and then squeezed to extrude its
contents.
 ANSWER KEY
1. Decorating tips
2. Cake turntable
3. Cake comb
4. Mixing bowl
5. Rubber scraper
6. Cake board
7. Spatula
8. Piping bags
9. Cake comb
10. Piping bag
 Information Sheet 3.3-2
DECORATING CAKES
Learning Objectives:
After reading this information sheet, you must be able to:
1. Familiarize the tips and steps in decorating cakes.
2. Decorate a cake using butter cream icing according to the
standard operating procedure. [

Introduction
Decorating cake is considered as an art around the world. That is why
cake decorating competitions are very popular. It is considered one of the sugar
arts using icing or frosting, including edible decoration elements to be placed
on the cake to make simple cake more visually appealing.
Well – decorated cakes may serve as center pieces during specials
occasions, such as birthdays/debuts, weddings, graduations or anniversaries.
The presentation of baked products, especially cakes for special occasions, not
only adds to the cakes’ visual appeal but also contributes to its taste.

Tips for Successful cake Decoration

 Choose the right type of cake to decorate. Decorating a cake requires

additional effort; hence, it makes sense for the reason to decorate it to be a
good one. It wouldn't be worth trying to decorate cakes that are to be eaten
warm from the oven, such as a cake topped in syrup or sauce. The point of
such cakes is that they're already as good as they need to be. And some
cakes are fine without decoration or with decoration, such as fruit cakes,
and it is really the occasion that helps you to decide whether or not to
decorate. Cakes that are suitable for decorating include:
 Cupcakes
 Christmas cakes
 Wedding cakes
 Children's party cakes
 Special age birthday party cakes
 A doll cake (known in the cake decorating world as a "Dolly
Varden" cake)
 Farewell cakes
 Novelty "geek" cakes, often based on a computer, electronic,
science fiction, etc., theme; often very fiddly work!
 Cakes for fundraising at bazaars, fairs, galas, etc.
  Photo op cakes – cakes being photographed for a special occasion,
a blog, a Flickr photo stream, an instructional article, etc.
 Cakes being entered into competitions

 Trim cake if necessary, to make it smooth and symmetrical.

 Remove the crumbs of the cake first before starting to decorate.
 Cool the cake thoroughly
 Insert strips of waxed paper or aluminum foil under the cake before
starting to decorate to avoid unnecessary mess. Remove the strips
before making the boarding design.
 Put the bottom part of the cake upward to make the cake level.
 Cover the cake board with fondant, foil, or tulle/ruffles.

 Decide on the type of frosting or icing you'd like to work with if icing
a cake. It's important to feel comfortable with the frosting or icing
techniques required for decorating cakes; some are more complicated than
others and if you're just starting out, it's recommended that you don't take
on difficult decoration projects until your
confidence increases. Typical frosting or icing
styles include:
 Butter cream or Vienna cream – this is an
easy-to-use frosting that fills gaps and
covers up all sorts of unsightly cake bumps Buttercream
and dips! It produces a whipped cream style
of appearance and can be smoothed down or
allowed to settle in peaks. Buttercream
frosting is easy to color and flavor, with
typical flavors including chocolate, vanilla,
lemon, coffee, and strawberry.
 Fluffy frosting – this uses a frosting created Fluffy frosting
by beating in an electric mixer. This must be
applied on the day it is to be served; it has a
marshmallow type consistency. In storage,
the frosting becomes a little crisp and loses
its gloss.
 Sugar paste – sugar paste is rolled fondant.

 Royal icing – this is similar to sugar paste

and is often available ready-made. Sugar Paste
  Pastillage – this icing comes from the cake decorating supplier in
powder form and is very useful for intricate decorating work that you
need to keep in shape. It's a sugar paste dough or gum and can also
be made from scratch. The icing dries very quickly, and once dry, it is
so hard it will "snap" if bent. It has a high ability to resist breaking
down in the presence of moisture. The downside to this icing is that
you'll need to work with it very fast, before it dries. If you want to use
pastillage for modelling, you'll need to mix it 50/50 with sugar paste.

 Petal paste – this icing is ideal for making

flowers, as it produces extremely fine detail.
It's a good idea to slightly dampen your
fingers when working with this paste.
 Sugar glue – this isn't icing but a "glue"
that allows you to stick together pieces
modeled from icing. Sugar glue

 Modelling paste – this is a combination of

sugar paste mixed with tragacanth gum to
make an edible modelling paste.

 Pre-made icing sheets with printed

designs – these are popular for children's
cakes and feature such designs as movie,
cartoon, and TV show characters. Follow
the instructions provided on how to apply Modelling paste
these to the cake's surface.

Dusted icing sugar



Pre-made icing sheets 
with printed designs
 Dusted i c
ing sugar – while very simple, this can be very effective on the right
type of cake, especially where the cake's constitution is already
sufficiently rich without adding icing or frosting (such as flourless
cakes and dessert cakes).

 Use the right consistency, flavor, and texture of the icing.

 Put adequate icing at the center of the topmost layer. Then, spread
the icing over the cake. Using a spatula, push the excess to the
sides. Make sure the icing on top is smooth.

 Think beyond icing or frosting. There are many other means for
decorating a cake besides icing or frosting. You can use such items in
combination with icing, or add them direct to the cake. These include:
 Fruit – fresh fruit pieces, dried fruit, fruit arranged into shapes
such as flowers or animals, glazed fruit (with jam, etc.), toffee-
dipped, crystallized rind, etc.
 Flowers – edible flowers can make a cake appear very elegant
 Cream – thickened cream can be shaped into quenelles, spread
over a cake, used for filling or piped on
 Candies – all sorts of candies can make excellent cake designs
 Drizzled chocolate – either randomly drizzled, or in a pre-
determined pattern
 Dusted cocoa or other chocolate – chocolate curls, sprinkles,
pieces, shapes, etc.
 Nuts – especially halved, slivered, or shaved nuts
 Streusel topping – baked on, no need to decorate other than a
quenelle of cream next to each serve
 Toffee strands, shards, or shapes – you'll need to practice making
these until you get the knack of it but toffee can work well as a
decorative element on a cake
 Coconut (shredded or desiccated) – coconut can be colored using
food coloring (use wet hands or wet gloved hands to rub the
coloring through); it can also be toasted
 Jam or preserves.

Drizzled Dusted Nuts Streusel

Toffees Coconut Jam & Preserves
 For a layered cake, spread some frosting or filling over the frost, or
filling over the fruit cake layer. Then, put the next layer on top.
Press down this layer lightly to ensure that the cake sticks to the
filling with no air space in between.
 Ice the cake on the cake board to prevent accidents in transferring.
 Hold the spatula vertically against the sides of the cake and press
lightly while turning the cake around.
 To minimize difficulty in making the frosting smooth, choose
any of the following:
 Use a cake comb to create design and smoothing out
the icing.
 Use the tines of a cork to make lines or curves.

 Use the spatula in creating designs.

 Cover the top and sides of the cake with
chocolate curls, nuts, and cherries. Or
sprinkle with cocoa powder or powdered
sugar.
 Use the following decorating tips to pipe
out borders along the upper and lower
edges of the cake
- Tip # 67-68 or leaf tip to pipe out scallops or simple continuous
borders
- Tip # 28-30 or star tip to pipe out small roses, scallops, or shells
- Create a lattice at the top of the cake by
criss-crossing strips of frosting
 Observe pressure control through the
following techniques:
 Choosing the right decorating bag
 Filling the decorating bag correctly
 Folding grease-proof paper or parchment
pastry triangles

STEPS IN DECORATING CAKE

 Mise en place all the tools and materials needed for the procedure.
 Place the cake on the cake board and place it on the cake turntable.
 Put butter cream icing on the top of the cake and spread the icing
towards the edge using spatula.
  Spread icing on all sides of cake by spinning the turn table until the
entire cake is covered with icing.
 Use the cake comb to improve the appearance of the cake.
 Place the colored butter cream icing in a piping bag with decorating tip
and decorate the borders.
 Add some flowerets and using another set of piping bag with leaf
decorating tip containing green colored icing, pipe to form leaves to it
make more attractive.
 Write a special message with dark colored icing on the top of the cake if
desired.
 Return all the tools and equipment after washing on its proper places.

SELF CHECK 3.3-2

Direction: A. Identify the statement below. Write your answer on the space
provided.

________________1. It uses a frosting created by beating in an electric mixer.

This must be applied on the day it is to be served.

________________ 2. This icing is ideal for making flowers, as it produces

extremely fine detail. It's a good idea to slightly dampen your
fingers when working with this paste.

________________3. A thing to do to make the cake smooth and symmetrical

_________________ 4. This is a combination of sugar paste mixed with

tragacanthin gum.

_________________5. This is an easy-to-use frosting that fills gaps and covers up

all sorts of unsightly cake bumps and dips.

Direction: B. Enumerate the steps in decorating a cake by using the graphic

organizer below.

3. 2. 1.
 5. 6.
4.

9. 8. 7.

ANSWER KEY
A. Identification
1. Fluffy Frosting
2. Petal Paste
3. Butter cream or Vienna cream
4. Trim cake
5. Butter cream or Vienna cream Modelling paste
B. Enumeration
1. Mise en place all the tools and materials needed for the procedure.
2. Place the cake on the cake board and place it on the cake turntable.
3. Put butter cream icing on the top of the cake and spread the icing
towards the edge using spatula.
4. Spread icing on all sides of cake by spinning the turn table until the
entire cake is covered with icing.
5. Use the cake comb to improve the appearance of the cake.
6. Place the colored butter cream icing in a piping bag with decorating tip
and decorate the borders.
7. Add some flowerets and using another set of piping bag with leaf
decorating tip containing green colored icing, pipe to form leaves to it
make more attractive.
8. Write a special message with dark colored icing on the top of the cake if
desired.
9. Return all the tools and equipment after washing on its proper places.
 TASK SHEET 3.3-2
Title: DECORATE CAKES (Butter Cream Icing)
Performance Objective: Given the appropriate tools and materials, you are
required to decorate a cake following the procedures. You
are given 3 hours to perform the task.
Supplies, Tools & Equipment :
 Decorating tools ( spatula, rubber scrapper, piping bag,
decorating tips, coupler, cake comb, cake turn table, mixing bowl)
 Plain butter cream icing
 Colored butter cream icing
 Flowerettes
 Sprinkles
 Cake box
 Straw lace
Steps/ Procedure :
The trainees will work in the Practical work area and they will be
given one and a 3 hours to decorate a cake. The trainer will go around
and give comment/s and suggestion/s. At the end of 3 hours, trainees
will present their output.
 Mise en place all the tools and materials needed for the procedure.
 Place the cake on the cake board and place it on the cake turn table.
 Put butter cream icing on the top of the cake and spread the icing
towards the edge using spatula.
 Spread icing on all sides of cake by spinning the turn table until the
entire cake is covered with icing.
  Use the cake comb to improve the appearance of the cake.
 Place the colored butter cream icing in a piping bag with decorating
tip and decorate the borders.
 Add some flowerets and using another set of piping bag with leaf
decorating tip containing green colored icing, pipe to form leaves to it
make more attractive.
 Write a special message with dark colored icing on the top of the
cake if desired.
 Return all the tools and equipment after washing on its proper
places.
Assessment Method:
Return Demonstration using Performance Criteria checklist

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA CHECKLIST 3.3-2

Name of Trainee: Princess Karen Del Rosario

Date: October 22, 2023

Performance Criteria
YES NO
Did you….

1. Mise en place all tools and materials needed for the /

procedure?
2. Placed the cake on the board an on the cake turn /
table?
3. Put the butter cream icing on the top of the cake and /
spread the icing towards the edge using spatula?
4. Spread icing on all sides of cake by just spinning the /
turn table until the entire cake is covered with icing?
5. Use the cake comb to improve the appearance of the /
cake?
6. Placed the colored butter cream icing in a piping bag /
with decorating tip and decorated the borders?
7. Added some flowerets, and used another set of piping /
bag with leaf tip containing green colored icing, piped
to form leaves to make more attractive?
 8. Wrote a special message with dark colored icing on /
the top of the cake? (if he/she desired to wrote)
9. Return all the tools and equipment after washing on /
its proper places.

Comments/ Suggestions: