Annlee Cakes Arkansas City, Kansas

 
QUICK TIPS AND TRICKS
 

THERE ARE SEVERAL TIPS YOU CAN USE ON A CAKE,
BUT THE MOST BASIC ONES ARE: WRITING, LEAF,
ROSE AND STAR TIPS.
  
  HERE IS A LIST OF TIPS YOU CAN USE.

1 – 12            PLAIN ROUND TIPS

3, 6, and 7       Used for writing, stems, scrolls, certain flowers, string work fruits,beading,borders, also used to make parts of roses

6- 12       Used in figure piping


13 – 22           OPEN STAR TIPS

16     Which means the inside points of stars are not close together, but left wide open. Used for scrolls, borders, flowers, rosettes, string work, and writing

 23 – 35         CLOSED STAR TIPS

30    Inner points are closer together and ridges on the design will be more defined, used for scrolls, rosettes, borders, rims and basket handles, swags, garlands, and small drop flowers

44 – 48        RIBBON TIPS

Either straight or separated, use for ribbons or basket work

59 – 61        FLOWER TIPS

Have curved openings to form frilled petals, flowers, use to make apple blossoms, peonies, daisies, violets, pansies and small roses

62 – 64       FANCY BORDER TIPS

Used to make borders and flowers

65 – 70        LEAF TIPS

352, 67    Used for leaves, borders, poinsettias and holly

101 -104     SPECIAL PETAL TIPS

103 -104   Used for flowers and roses in full bloom

124            LARGE ROSE TIP

224, 225    DROP FLOWER TIP

 199            OPEN TIP

Used for small drop flowers and borders

5 or 7        FLOWER NAIL

Used to make roses on 5 or 7

789           CAKE ICING TIP

 Used to make a quick job of icing a cake.

ALL THESE TIPS COME IN SEVERAL SIZES AND DIMENSIONS, SO YOU JUST HAVE TO EXPERIMENT WITH THEM TO FIND THE SIZE THAT LOOKS THE BEST. SOME OF THESE TIPS MAY REQUIRE A LARGER COUPLER. MOST OF THE COMMON ONES USE THE SMALL COUPLER, SO BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU CHOOSE YOUR TIPS.

 
 
 

HERE ARE SOME THINGS I LEARNED OVER THE YEARS. MAINLY FROM MAKING THE MISTAKES AND CORRECTING THEM.  I HOPE THEY WILL HELP YOU GET STARTED. 
  
A good clean up trick is to have a container of hot soapy water near to put used tips and bags in    as you finish with them.  The hot water and soap will break down the frositng so that when you clean them, it takes less time.
  
When making the color black, start with chocolate or brown frosting and then add the black.
  
Piping Gel will help thin down your frosting without breaking down the consistantcy.
   
If your paste colors get too dried out use a drop or 2 of glycerin  or Karo syurp to thin and moisten it.
  
When making red frosting that really looks like red red, start with just powdered sugar and crisco and then add  Addams Extract Red Food Coloring. When color is attained then add liquid if desired.
  
  
  
                                                       BAKING TIPS
  
If your cake domes when baking, before baking, wrap the pan with wet rags, or use a foil baking strip. This keeps the outside cooler so the inside will bake at the same time as the outside of the cake.  Also let the cake batter for 10 minutes to settle.. this prevents the dome effect and most times the falling of the cake in the middle.
  
If cake sticks, put back in oven for 5 minutes then turn out immedately.  Make sure that before putting batter in pan that you coat it with pan coating or bakers secret.  I use wax paper as a liner, that way the bottom will not stick.
  
To give moist cakes more body, add 1 Tablespoon of flour.
  
1- 18 1/2oz box of cake mix will equal 5 1/4 cups of batter. This helps when figuring out how many cake boxes to get or how much batter to make when making cake from scratch.

Hope you enjoyed!    

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The Frosting Bag:
When getting the bag ready to put the coupler into your bag, never cut the hole at the end too deep. Wilton suggests you put the coupler in and marking where the threads start, then cut. 
 
 

After you have put the coupler into the bag fold the bag over your hand as if you are holding an ice cream cone. Then fill only 2/3 full, otherwise you may not be able to squeese the frosting or the frosting will fall out of the end of the bag.  This makes a BIG mess.
 
 

After putting the tip you want to use on the bag, make sure you hold the bag at a comfortable angle.  45 degrees is suggested, but adjust the angle to you comfort.
 
 

I always make one bag per frosting color and change out the tips as needed. That way you don’t have to keep making new bags with same color and different tips.
When you are first starting out decorating. use a practice sheet.  You can use wax paper, a baking sheet, or piece of paper. The wax paper is my choice, because of being able to clean up quickly,  you just wad up and throw away.  With each new style or tip you use, practice several rows of the same style, tip or techique.  That way you won’t make a mistake on the cake, where it is harder to correct.
 

Always use constant pressure when squeezing the bag.  This way you will get a uniform decoration and it will all look alike.
When frosting a cake, use the large frosting tip ( no coupler needed). This tip is for frosting cakes quicker and you can use the serrated edge for the sides to give an different look.
 
A good clean up trick is to have a container of hot soapy water near to put used tips and bags in    as you finish with them.  The hot water and soap will break down the frositng so that when you clean them, it takes less time.
  
When making the color black, start with chocolate or brown frosting and then add the black.
  
Piping Gel will help thin down your frosting without breaking down the consistency.
   
If your paste colors get too dried out use a drop or 2 of glycerin  or Karo syurp to thin and moisten it.
  
When making red frosting that really looks like red red, start with just powdered sugar and crisco and then add  Addams Extract Red Food Coloring. When color is attained then add liquid if desired.
                      Learning is educational and can be a very fun experience!
 

 

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