What is the first thing you think of when you remember specific cakes for occasions you have attended? For instance, a wedding cake you may have seen that has stuck in your mind…what was it about that cake that made such an impression? If you are similar to many other people, it would be that the cake had a very distinctive design that was totally original and unique.
This means that anyone who wants to make impressive cakes for many different types of occasions should really develop their own signature style too.
You can always try to emulate the styles that you already admire, but it usually pays off to work to develop your very own "look".
This all starts with a lot of different decorating supplies, and this is simply because very few people automatically know their own, individual "style" right away.
Today it is relatively easy to obtain some remarkably useful and innovative tools and supplies that can really help someone to identify their preferred designs.
For example, there are stencils that make impressions or patterns in icing and which can be filled with different colors of icing or sprinkles, there are all kinds of piping tips and bags that can help to create interesting and unique patterns, and there are also all kinds of specialty tools meant to help even an amateur cake decorator to tackle some of the more complicated tasks such as making frosting flowers, adding flawless lettering, and even dusting a cake with special powders.
Of course, you must then begin making cakes and experimenting in order to determine the styles you will use when making cakes for all kinds of different occasions.
Many people don't think that they could use the same general design for a wedding cake as they could for a birthday cake, but that is actually wrong.
This is because there are a few key issues that really define the word style.
For instance, you might realize that you prefer to always use a tiered cake silhouette instead of a sheet cake or a cake baked in a specialty pan.
This means that your signature cakes will always contain two tiers or more.
This also will help you to decide upon the general design plan for a cake because it leaves you with a very consistent "palette" to build on.
The next thing to understand about your own style is the type or varieties of frostings and icings that you prefer too.
Do you want all of your tiered cakes to be wrapped in colorful fondant? Maybe you like a sturdy buttercream? Find out which icings work best with your choices, and this will really help to streamline your design process.
Once you understand the shape and general format of the cakes, it is much easier to begin making specialty designs for different occasions.
For example, people might soon point to a three-tiered cake at a children's birthday party and say "look at the way the fondant is colored and all the different ribbons made from it, that baker always makes such cool cakes!"