Classic Cakes & Cake Decorating

This is the complete guide to baking and decorating cakes for every occasion, with 100 easy-to-follow recipes and over 500 step-by-step photographs. It is a practical course in baking and decorating cakes, from basic cake batters to intricate finishing touches. It includes essential cake-making skills with step-by-step recipes for making basic cakes in a range of shapes and sizes, as well as different icings and frostings. It features decorating techniques for all types of cakes, from piping chocolate to making marzipan shapes. The recipe section contains classics, such as Carrot Cake; cakes for special occasions, such as Golden Wedding Cake; and lots of novelty cake ideas, such as Rainbow Snake Cake. It offers over 500 stage-by-stage photographs and clear method text make it easy to achieve success with every recipe. Everything you need to know to bake and decorate cakes is brought together in this straightforward and accessible book. The introduction covers every technique you will need, from basic to advanced. It includes tips on equipment and practical guidance on different basic cake recipes. There is plenty of advice on working with decorations, such as icings, frostings, glazes and marzipan, and step-by-step techniques such as crimping, weaving, cut-outs, frills, ribbons, flowers, fruits and piping. This knowledge is then put to use in a collection of classic and contemporary recipes. Ideas include Angel Food Cake, Panforte, Classic Wedding Cake, Hexagonal Retirement Cake, Frills and Flowers Christening Cake, and Halloween Pumpkin. With plenty of tips on storing and freezing, this is an indispensable book for every cake-maker's kitchen.