Cake Decorating Techniques

• Cake topper figures are also known as gum paste figures, which are personalized 3D figures created using gum paste.
• Cannoli is an Italian pastry filled with creamy, sweetened ricotta cheese.
• Caramelized granulated sugar is granulated sugar that is heated and melted into golden brown syrup.
• Custard is a mixture of beaten eggs and milk cooked into a creamy, pudding-like form commonly used in cake fillings in various flavors like vanilla or lemon; it can be used as a pie filling when chilled.
• Drip cakes or drizzle cakes are cake decorations made by dripping ganache, bright confetti, pastel colors, and a smorgasbord of add-ons including shards of French macarons, cookies, and more.
• Eggwash is a mixture of beaten eggs and water or milk used to coat cakes, cookies, breads, and pastries to give them a shine when baked.
• Fillings refer to the flavoring added between layers of cakes.
• Floral wire is a non-edible decorative wire used to make 3D floral arrangements or cake decor.
• Fondant is a type of icing made of corn syrup, sugar, and gelatin in different colors with a sweet flavor that can be rolled out and spread over cakes for a smooth finish.
• Ganache is a type of chocolate with a consistency between mousse and fudge.
• Gelatin is a colorless and tasteless protein made from collagen used as an ingredient in gum paste and fondant or thicken some fillings.
• Gum paste is often used for sculpted figurines or cake decor.
• Meringue is a baked dessert made from beaten egg whites and sugar.
• Pearls are an edible decoration for desserts, cakes, and pastries.
• Piping is a decorative technique used by cake designers with a decorator bag and metal tip.
• Royal icing is a mixture of meringue powder, powdered sugar, and water.
• Sugar flowers are handcrafted decorations created from sugar syrup, often used on wedding cakes or custom cakes in place of fresh flowers.
• Sugar paste is a sweet, doughy substance made from glucose and sugar.
• Swiss dots are a pattern used in cake decoration created by piping small pearlized dots.
• Tier refers to each level of cake.
• Whipped cream is made from sugar and heavy cream whipped to the desired consistency used as topping or filling and kept refrigerated.
• Zest is flavoring that comes from the outer rinds of citrus fruit.

Plating and Presenting Desserts

• Dessert plating included assemblies that were impressive and beautiful but were difficult to eat and complex designs on plate rims with sauce squirts or cocoa/icing sugar dustings.
• Dessert menus are considered a continuation of the dining experience.
• It is important to consider the menu style, type of business (pastry shop, hotel, or restaurant, casual or high-end), and the customers; desserts prepared with these concepts draw public attention.
• Most diners are too full to order a full, large dessert but would welcome something sweet, refreshing, intriguing, or something to share such as simple, lighter options which appeal to smaller appetites like cheese platters/savory desserts.
• The art of baking has two stages which are making and baking dough, batters, fillings, creams, and sauces (with correct techniques) and assembling these components into finished desserts and pastries.
• A plated dessert is an arrangement of one or more components assembled at the last minute.
• When plating desserts, the five characteristics of flavor, texture, temperature, color, and shape should be considered.
• Flavors should enhance/complement each other; soft items like mousse/ice cream must be paired with crisp/crunchy components like small cookies/caramelized nuts for contrast; and temperature contrasts are also pleasing, such as ice cream with warm fruit tart.
• The plate must be visually appealing with a variety of colors and shapes.