Are you excited to decorate your cake for the first time? You can try sugar sheets. They are the safest way to decorate your cakes. Sugar sheets are edible decorating papers that are easy to use and kid-friendly. You can use it to create lots of different shapes and designs. Let me guide you on how to use sugar sheets for cake decorating.
Prepping Your Sugar Sheets
In designing your cake, here’s how to prepare your sugar sheets, and your sugar sheet cake will be good to go. The following are easy tips on how to use sugar sheets for cake decorating.
- Plan Your Design. You need to have a design plan before you start decorating, if you don’t plan, you will end up wasting your sugar sheets. You can start by mapping out the elements that you want on your cake that include borders and toppers. Don’t rush in doing a plan, because this first step will make or break your decorating activity.
- Frost Your Cake. It is very important to frost your cake because sugar sheets need something slightly tacky for them to stick. You may also mist your cake lightly with water to help the sugar sheets stick. A flat surface is necessary to stick the sugar sheets on, so if your choice is fondant or buttercream, you will need to smoothen them.
- Get Your Sugar Sheet Ready. After frosting your cake, get the sugar sheet from its packaging, and be gentle in handling them. Note that there are also edible sugar sheets. Then, cut off the sheets that you need, and put keep rest back in the package. Now, cut or hit out the designs that you planned on your cake and start to decorate. These are the first steps on how to use sugar sheets for cake decorating.
Decorating with Sugar Sheets
Let me discuss with you some important tips when using sugar sheets, to make you a more efficient cake decorator. The following are some quick guides on how to use sugar sheets for cake decorating.
- Creating a Border. There is this type of sugar sheets that are specially designed for borders attached to your cake along the edges. When you stick them on your cake, work slowly and make sure you’re applying them evenly. Once the sheet is stuck on the edges, it’s time to gently run an offset spatula along the edge to flatten it.
- Attaching Shapes to Your Cake. This is the fun and easy part of using the sugar sheets. You need to cut out the shapes you’d like to use and what you have planned. Then, put them on top of your cake or along the sides, as you have planned. Next is to press the shapes in place gently. Make sure the sugar sheets have stuck to the frosting. Remember not to press them too hard so you won’t leave a dent in the frosting. Make sure to have it smooth and seamless. You may also use a small spatula to flatten out any rough edges.
- Making Cupcake Toppers. Sugar sheets work great on cupcakes, too. You can start by cutting out a circle about the same size as the circle edge of your cupcake. Next, you need to ice the cupcake with buttercream. To be more efficient, make sure the top and sides are smooth. Stick the circle cutout on top of the cupcake, and gently press it into the icing. If your cutout is a little larger than the iced area, press on it gently to spread the icing to the size of the cutout.
Tips on Saving Dried-Out Sugar Sheets
There are instances when your sugar sheets may crack when they have dried out. But they are still usable, and you can save them. Fix them by brushing a little bit of water on the shiny side of the sheets, which is the side that sticks to the icing. Let the sheets sit for about 15 minutes before you cut them. They will be fixed most of the time. But if the sheets are still cracking, it’s okay to let them go and buy a new one. For sure, you’ll never want to ruin a design; a cracked sugar paper for cakes is not so good to see on your cake.
Freezing Cakes with Sugar Sheet Decorations
Once you’ve decorated your cake or cupcakes with sugar sheets, you can safely refrigerate or freeze them. You must remember that quick changes in temperature can affect the decorations, so you have to be extra careful with them. Before you serve them, give them plenty of time to slowly reach room temperature in a cool, dry place, especially if you’ve chilled your sugar-sheet-covered desserts. Consider this tip if you want to perfectly show off that beautifully decorated cake with sugar sheets creations.
Conclusion
Decorating a cake has never been so much fun and easy with the use of sugar sheets. They are the secret tools for decorating your cake. Aside from being edible, they are sweet and delicious. They make nice borders and beautiful design.
Consider all the tips that I have pointed out, and you’ll never go wrong with sugar sheets, and flaunt your nicely decorated cake every time. Now that you already know how to use sugar sheets for cool cake decorating, you may start your exciting creative adventure right away. Find out more about cake decorating.