Relief Society: Frosting a cake 8.18.11

For Relief Society tonight we were taught to frost a cake and cupcake in bakery style using icing tips. Sherra taught us to transfer and image to a cake to frost, and Carli demonstrated how to craft a frosting rose.
(If you click on any of the pictures it will show a larger view.)

Sherra using the "Big Momma" tip and Royal Icing. The cake is on a lazy susan style spinner. (Tip: some people don't like Royal Icing because it has meringue powder in it.)

Dump a bunch of frosting on top and use rocking motions with the spatula to spread towards the edges. (Tip: Freeze the cake to get a solid surface. Less flakes will come off in the frosting.)

Hold the spatula at a 45 degree angle and PULL towards you. (Tip: Don't push away from you.)

To smooth the surface you can use parchment paper and smooth the spatula over the paper. Keep moving the parchment around. Works best on thicker frostings like Royal and Buttercream.

Transferring a design: put wax paper over the design, trace with piping gel. Flip design onto the cake, press firmly, and...

Voila! Cupcake Cake!

Add colored frosting to the outline and you have a 3D design.

Frosting cupcakes with whipping cream frosting: using a star shape clawed tip, start in the middle, go around the outside, then cirle around in smaller and smaller circles until you reach the peak. Pause, then lift off and swipe to the side to break the frosting at the tip.

Everyone gets a chance to try their hand at frosting. The whipping cream frosting on the cupcakes is from Frys Bakery. (Cheaper and better tasting than the frosting off the shelf.)

Same tips, different techniques lead to different results.

Start with a tower in the middle for height. Cap with a bud in the center of the rose.

Then add lots of 'little rainbows' for petals.

Cut partially through the bottom of the bud with scissors.

Carefully lift to your desired location.

Tip: This is the whipped frosting and is lighter and can melt faster (harder to work with). Use buttercream or Royal Icing for a thicker, sturdier result.