Table of contents : Cake Decorating For Dummies......Page 3 About the Author......Page 5 Author’s Acknowledgments......Page 7 Contents at a Glance......Page 9 Table of Contents......Page 11 Recipes at a Glance......Page 19 Introduction......Page 23 Conventions Used in This Book......Page 24 How This Book Is Organized......Page 25 Icons Used in This Book......Page 27 Where to Go from Here......Page 28 Part I: Getting Ready to Decorate with Ease and Expertise......Page 29 Bridging Baking and Creativity......Page 31 Gathering the Tools and Ingredients......Page 32 Picking Up the Skills......Page 33 Calling All Occasions......Page 35 Recognizing Possibilities......Page 36 Targeting Tips and Flower Nails......Page 37 Picking Out Paper Goods and Pastry Bags......Page 41 Sizing Up Pan Shapes......Page 42 Boarding Cakes......Page 43 Gathering General Utensils......Page 44 Tooling Around with Decorating Specifics......Page 47 Keeping All Your Tools Together......Page 51 Finding the Goods......Page 52 Organizing Your Kitchen: What Goes Where......Page 53 Hauling Out the Heavier Equipment......Page 56 Firing Up an Accurate Oven......Page 58 Refrigerating and Freezing......Page 59 The Lowdown on Baking Staples......Page 61 Opening the Dairy Case......Page 65 Coloring Agents......Page 66 Gathering Flavorings and Other Liquids......Page 67 Embellishing with Pizzazz......Page 69 Part II: Preparing the Canvas of Cake......Page 71 Considering the Occasion and the Atmosphere......Page 73 Picking Up Cake Decorating Lingo......Page 76 Picking Flavors for the Cake and Frosting......Page 79 Devising a Design......Page 80 Comprehending the Language of Cake Baking......Page 83 Measuring Up......Page 84 Prepping the Pans......Page 88 Mixing the Batter......Page 89 Getting Down the Rules for the Perfect Cakes......Page 90 Perfecting the Basic Cake Repertoire......Page 94 Devising Your Game Plan......Page 103 Covering Cake Boards......Page 105 Leveling and Torting the Cake......Page 107 Drawing Up Designs......Page 109 Choosing Colors......Page 112 Part III: Topping, Filling, and Embellishing Your Creations......Page 115 Stirring Through the Rules for Frosting......Page 117 Matching up Frostings and Cakes......Page 118 Mixing Frostings......Page 119 Tinting Frostings......Page 124 Frosting with Finesse......Page 125 Going the Textured Route......Page 128 Chapter 9: Dusting and Glazing: It’s Icing on the Cake......Page 131 Sweetening Up Your Cake with Icing......Page 132 Giving Fondant a Try......Page 138 Dusting for a Different Look......Page 143 Putting the Shine on with Glazes......Page 146 Picking the Best Filling for Your Cake......Page 151 Taking Care with Fillings......Page 152 Indulging in Creaminess: Smooth Fillings......Page 153 Crunching Things Up: Chunky Fillings......Page 160 Summoning Syrups......Page 163 Decoding Tip Numbers......Page 165 Preparing to Pipe......Page 169 Practicing Tipping Points and Techniques......Page 172 Flooding, Filling, and Other Fun Design Techniques......Page 177 Easing into Enhancements......Page 181 Modeling with Marzipan......Page 186 Working with Gum Paste......Page 190 Tending to Frosting Roses......Page 197 Dipping into the Candy Jar......Page 199 Choosing Inedible Features......Page 201 Part IV: Sweetening Life’s Special Occasions......Page 203 Chapter 13: Festive Cakes for Kids......Page 205 Carving Cakes into the Shape of Numbers and Letters......Page 206 Theme Cakes Boys Go Nuts Over......Page 209 Theme Cakes for Little Ladies......Page 213 Pleasing the Whole Gang: Cakes for Boys and Girls......Page 218 Getting Kids Involved......Page 222 Trying Kid-Friendly Recipes......Page 223 Gearing Up for Grown-Up Cakes......Page 227 Simple Letter and Number Designs......Page 228 Designing Cakes Ladies Swoon Over......Page 230 Winning Over Men......Page 234 Pleasing Both Men and Women......Page 239 Analyzing the Occasion......Page 245 Commanding Popular Shower Power Moves......Page 247 Tossing Cheer into a Bridal Shower......Page 251 Bringing Up the Baby Shower......Page 258 Chapter 16: Lifting a Fork to Weddings and Anniversaries......Page 265 Considering the Event’s Theme and Colors......Page 266 Creating a Simple Wedding Cake......Page 269 Tiering Up for Success......Page 271 Moving Up to a More Elaborate Wedding Cake......Page 273 Celebrating Another Year with Anniversary Cakes......Page 277 Bringing Seasonal Treats to Your Decorating......Page 281 Saluting Spring and Summer......Page 282 Having Fun in the Fall......Page 289 Greeting the Winter Holidays......Page 295 Celebrating Other Occasions......Page 299 Part V: Thinking Outside the Cake Box......Page 307 Giving Your Cake the Once-Over......Page 309 A Cake Decorator’s Checklist for the Big Day......Page 311 Livening Up the Cake Presentation......Page 312 Transporting Your Creation......Page 314 What to Do with Leftover Cake......Page 317 Keeping a Well-Stocked Pantry......Page 319 Quick Fixes with Mixes......Page 321 When You Have Only Minutes......Page 327 Chapter 20: Starting a Cake Decorating Business......Page 333 Setting Up Your Own Business......Page 334 Finding a Location for Your Business......Page 337 Getting Down to Basics......Page 339 Attracting a Clientele and Marketing Your Cakes......Page 341 Part VI: The Part of Tens......Page 345 Wilton......Page 347 Surfas......Page 348 GroovyCandies......Page 349 Kate Spade and Paul Smith......Page 350 Coming Up with a Game Plan before You Cut......Page 351 Square Cakes......Page 352 Sheet Cakes, Diagonal Cut......Page 353 Hexagonal Cakes......Page 354 Heart-Shaped Cakes......Page 355 Square Wedding Tiers......Page 356 Finding Elegance in Simplicity......Page 359 Melting Away Frosting Worries......Page 360 Applying Sprays and Shimmer Dusts......Page 361 Gathering Bouquets......Page 362 Ruthlessly Organize......Page 363 Consider the Great Cover-Up......Page 364 Don’t Skip the Crumb Coat......Page 365 Offer Cake Sundaes......Page 366 Index......Page 367