Flowers help spruce up the cake. And of course, decorating a cake is the most difficult part of the entire process. If you can come up with innovative ideas to decorate the cake, everyone appreciates the delicious cake thoroughly. Cake decorating flowers give a new dimension to your cake.

You have a choice to select cake decorating flowers. You can use the real edible flowers to decorate your cake. Before you use real flowers to decorate your cake here are some things that you should keep in your mind.

Pick up only those flowers that you are absolutely sure are edible. Make sure the flowers you use are from your own backyard. So that you are sure that no pesticide is used. Do not use flowers bought from a florist. If you pick up flowers from garden centers or nurseries they may be treated with pesticides which can be harmful to you.

Some of the edible flowers that can be used are daisies, nasturtiums, Johnny-jump-ups, roses, calendulas, violets and lavender. Sometimes only petals are used to decorate the cake instead of the entire flower. Only thing is go easy on flower decoration as sometimes people have allergic reaction to the flowers.

You can sugar glaze the flowers by covering the flower with egg white and then sprinkle the flower with sugar. Let them fry which will take a few hours. The end result will be sugar glazed cake decorating flowers for your cake.

Another option is to use artificial flowers. You can choose from the wide variety that is available in the market. Cut the stems short. Put together the flowers. Arrange in any way that you feel looks good and put it on the cake.

You can get edible sugar flowers. With the help of food colors in paste form and dusting powder you can change the color of the sugar flowers to match the theme of the occasion. If you are decorating a wedding cake then you can match the flower color to the theme of the wedding hall or to the colors of real flowers the girls are carrying. The possibilities are immense as well as endless.

There are different types of flowers made from different ingredients. You can get flowers made with Buttercream, Royal icing, gumpaste or readymade silk flowers. Royal icing is used for making many flowers such as roses, pansies, daisies, violets etc. The royal icing dries hard so the flowers made from this icing can remain firm and do not wilt easily.

But if you want really hard flowers use gumpaste. It is sugar dough that can be easily rolled out. It can be shaped like flowers. Flowers made from the gumpaste look very realistic.
You can use Buttercream to make roses with or without leaves.

You can use the cake decorating flowers directly on the cake. Some of the manufacturers have come up with flower holders. You can use those holders to arrange your cake decorating flowers. Or you can bake the cake which has some space in the cake. You can put some kind of flower holder in that gap and then put real flowers in it so the flowers will not touch the cake but a stunning effect will be achieved.

(ArticlesBase SC #332238)

Muna wa WanjiruMuna wa Wanjiru Has Been Researching and Reporting on Cake Decorating for Years. For More Information on Cake Decorating Flowers, Visit His Site at CAKE DECORATING FLOWERS

novelty birthday cakes

By Andrew Cook

When bananas start to go bad they go bad fast. You have to use them up in just about anything you can think of. They do not really taste good alone so you have several options. You can make banana muffins or banana bread but that takes some time. To make a banana pancake recipe you only need a few supplies and over ripe bananas.

Nothing should go to waste and that includes bananas that are starting to turn brown and speckled. This is when they are the best for banana pancakes. You do not want to use any banana that is black once the skin has been peeled off. But if they are a little mushy they will work well in banana pancakes.

You will need two bowls to make these pancakes. In the first one measure one cup of white flour, one tablespoon sugar, one fourth teaspoon of salt and two teaspoons of baking powder. You will want to combine all these ingredients and go to the next bowl.

In bowl number two beat one egg well. Measure two tablespoons vegetable oil and one cup of milk and add it to the egg. Remove the peel from two bananas that are over ripe. Put them in a cereal bowl and mash them with a fork until they are mashed down well. Throw the banana in with egg milk combination and whisk this well with a large kitchen whisk. Now start to gradually add the mixture in the first bowl. Whisk each addition in until all mixed. If the batter gets too heavy switch to a large spoon to stir this extremely lumpy batter.

Heat a skillet on the stove and add a little vegetable oil to the bottom. Take about one fourth cup of the batter and pour it into the skillet. Once the one side gets brown turn it over for the other side to brown as well then remove to a platter and place a little bit of butter on top.

You can add other ingredients to the banana pancakes in order to give them a little more flavor and unexpected zing. Make peanut butter and banana pancakes by adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of your favorite peanut butter and then spread jelly on top. To make a great dessert pancake add 1 fourth cup of mini chocolate chips to the batter. You can do this with the peanut butter and make chocolate, peanut butter, banana pancakes. Another way to make an interesting pancake is to add a fourth cup of sliced strawberries to the batter.

There are many things you can put on top of your pancakes. You can use syrup or just put on some whipped cream. To make a dessert pancake you can put on chocolate syrup. Honey or caramel sauce that is normally used for ice cream is good. You can make these pancakes for breakfast or lunch and they even come in handy as a special dessert.

About the Author:

If you want to find out how to prepare pancakes at home then take a look at out Andrews collection of simple pancake recipes. If you want take care of your diet and health we suggest this tasty banana pancake recipe but there are many others to choose from as well.

(ArticlesBase SC #376461)

Chef Shelley R. PogueChef Shelley Pogue is a Le Cordon Bleu graduate from The Texas Culinary Academy located in Austin, Texas. Chef Pogue graduated with honors of cum laude with a GPA of 3.71. Shelley went to work for The Hills Fitness Center in Westlake Hills after graduation and stayed the for one year as the Executive Chef. She then left The Hills and went to work for a company Vertical Sales and Marketing, San Ramon, CA. CHef Pogue is currently developing sauces and meal concepts for large retail markets in the US. Chef Pogue lives in Austin, TX, and is also a personal chef and caterer, and also working on developing a recipe and cook book.

Start your own cake decorating business right now in 7 days flat from home, click here to find out how

Have you ever thought about taking cake decorating classes, but found that the schedule and cost didn’t work for you? Online cake decorating classes are an easy alternative. There are plenty of cake courses available at culinary schools and some craft stores, but online cake decorating classes are generally more convenient and less expensive and may fit your lifestyle better.
Decorating cakes is not complicated, but there are techniques and tools that you’ll need to learn to use, and your first tries at it may not turn out quite the way you want them to. With the demonstrations and explanations you’ll get from online cake decorating classes, however, you’ll be able to master these techniques and create beautiful cakes for all your important celebrations.
Ways To Learn How To Decorate Cakes
For many beginning cake decorators, the Wilton School in Illinois is the first choice for attending a class. Obviously, traveling to Illinois is not an option for many people, and the classes at the Wilton School can be expensive. Local stores and schools are another option for taking cake courses. The workshops and classes offered at these locations are often very affordable, and the atmosphere is fun and instructional. For the greatest convenience, online cake decorating classes are the best option for many aspiring cake decorators.
Benefits Of Online Cake Decorating Classes
Membership sites and e-courses are generally very inexpensive when you consider that they are all-inclusive. While local classes usually focus on specific topics, such as making icing flowers or working with fondant, online cake decorating classes include all aspects of decorating cakes, and all of the learning resources are available to you at all times.
Instead of an instructor demonstrating a technique once in front of you, with online cake decorating classes you’ll have videos, written or audio instructions, and plenty of photographs to learn from, so you can repeat the instruction as often as you need to. If you’ve never decorated cakes before, you can start with the most basic topics and take your time mastering each technique. If you’re more advanced, you’re free to skip through the demonstrations of the things you already know how to do, and get right ahead to learning new techniques.
For many people, the greatest advantage in taking online cake decorating classes is that you’re free to set your own pace and schedule. You can take internet classes late at night if you need to, or in between taking care of small children at home. No culinary school or craft store class will offer such flexibility.
How To Take Online Cake Decorating Classes
Most online cake decorating classes will include several means of instruction. Cake courses taken on the internet usually include a combination of videos, pictures, and written instructions. Techniques will be explained and demonstrated step-by-step and will often be in the form of a downloadable e-book that can be viewed on screen or printed out. Most online cake decorating classes also include e-books full of recipes for you to use in your baking.
Another online alternative for taking cake decorating courses is to join a membership website. A website like this is full of articles, videos, and photos that teach techniques and give decorating ideas. All of the content is available to subscribers only, and the subscription will also provide access to a members-only forum and email support for asking questions, sharing your creations, and getting new ideas. Professional cake decorators are on staff to help with questions in the forum or by email.
Learn To Decorate Cakes With Online Cake Decorating Classes
If you want to learn to decorate cakes, you should consider online cake decorating classes. You’ll avoid the expense and inconvenience of attending in person, and you’ll learn everything you need to know to make beautiful cakes that will impress your family and friends and make all your special occasions more exciting.