1st Year Cake Decorating Skills to Master!

Asia Coffee
Jun 16
2 min read

Cake decorating greatness awaits! There's so much to learn about how to decorate cakes that you may be overwhelmed and unsure of where to start. Here are the six most important skills that you should master in your first year of decorating cakes!

Skill #1 Baking a Cake

It doesn't matter if you're baking from scratch or using a box mix; you'll want to get a handle on your mixing method, baking temperature, and baking time to create a well-baked and delicious cake!

Skill #2 Properly Preparing a Cake

This includes leveling your cake layers with either a leveler tool or a serrated knife to remove the dome and perfecting the process of adding filling between your cake layers.

Skill #3 Frosting a Cake

This can be applying a smooth layer, using a cake comb to add texture to the sides, or creating an appealing overall texture that's tailored to your style. My favorite way of achieving smooth icing coverage and super sharp top edges is by using the upside-down method to ice a cake, followed by a light touch-up with parchment paper!

Skill #4 Adjusting Frosting Consistency

Learn to adjust your icing consistency for the task at hand. Remember: You never want the icing to be too thick or too thin, so be sure to add more liquid or powdered sugar or whip your icing to the perfect thickness.

Skill #5 Coloring Frosting

Learning to adjust the icing color to meet the needs of your cake project takes practice and patience. In this video, I explain the many ways to adjust icing color based on concepts of color theory!

bags of colored icing next to a greyscale illustration

Skill #6 Basic Piping Skills

Strive to master some very basic piping skills. If you're struggling, check out my buttercream piping series on YouTube. Basic techniques such as stars, dots, rosettes, and shells will come in handy during the first year of your cake decorating journey!

colorful icing being piped onto a white background

I want to hear from you! Which cake decorating skills are you currently working on? How's it going? Are you thriving or struggling overall? Comment below, and it may help others who are in the same boat!