Easy Cake Decorating

Cake decorating is a fun activity that can allow you to spend some quality time in the kitchen with your kids. If your children are young or not ready for the mess and stress of baking, cake decorating is easy and allows them to showcase their creativity while learning their way around the kitchen. As an added bonus, cake decorating doesn’t cost much or require a lot of ingredients.

Supplies

You will need a few supplies to get started. First things first, you will need something to decorate. There are several options here. If you feel comfortable making the cake yourself, you can do so and then allow the kids to go wild decorating it. Premade cake mix can ease the process of making a cake if you’ve never done it before. When working with several children, you might want to consider making cupcakes as then each child can have his or her own cake decorating project. The next necessary ingredient is icing and icing also requires food coloring. Once again, you have the option of making the icing at home or buying premade icing. Decorations including sprinkles, sparkles, silver balls, jelly tots, and sugar strands will also make colorful additions to your kids’ creations.

easy cake decorating1How-To

While the cake or cupcakes are cooling, prepare several different colors of icing by adding drops of food coloring. Your children will be amazed at how white icing can be transformed into vibrant colors using seemingly magic food coloring drops. Kids can help stir the icing until the colors are spread evenly throughout. When the icing is prepared, you should show your children the correct way to apply it to a cake. For this, you might want to use an icing spatula or a butter knife with a wide blade to spread the icing around. For more detailed designs, you can use a piping bag. Help your kids by scooping the icing into the piping bag and showing them how to squeeze it out. They can write letters and draw pictures, designs, or patterns on the cake. The final step is to sprinkle some cake decorations on. No doubt your kids will have worked up an appetite by the time they finish.

easy cake decorating2Ideas

When it comes to cakes, there are so many possibilities. If you like to bake, your kids will love to be given the role of professional cake decorators. You might find that you make a good team. Try bringing some of the following ideas to life the next time you are baking with your kids:

  • Swimming Pool Cake: Celebrate summer by creating a cake that looks like a round swimming pool. Fill the center with blue-colored Jell-O and line the outside of the cake with chocolate-covered ladyfingers to give the illusion of an above ground pool. Gummy bears make great swimmers!
  • Doodle Cake: Cake decorating for kids is made even easier with edible markers! Create a layer of white icing and let your children cover it with their drawings.
  • Animal Cakes: Round cakes can be turned into faces of furry friends using the right colored icing. Try making a bear, a cat, a dog, a rabbit, or a mouse!