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Megan Palmer Dean creates a four-layered cake by baking two 8-inch round cakes. Baking two cakes instead of four will make the cakes more moist, since there is less surface area, she says. Level the cake by cutting off the very top. She says the key to an even trim is to turn the cake, not the knife, on the turntable. Photo: Amy Mortensen / Connecticut Post -
Once the cake is level, cut it in half. This one cake will make up two layers of the entire finished product. Again, she says to turn the cake rather than the knife. Photo: Amy Mortensen / Connecticut Post -
Add a layer of frosting to the top of your cake segments (for a four-layer cake, there should be three layers of frosting). The frosting should be about half the thickness of the cake layer. Level it out with a spin of the turntable. Photo: Amy Mortensen / Connecticut Post -
Though she uses choclate frosting in this demonstration, she says the most popular kind of filling she uses is white-chocolate raspberry, which can be easily duplicated at home by stirring fresh fruit or raspberry jam into store-bought vanilla frosting. Photo: Amy Mortensen / Connecticut Post -
Repeat the process, stacking the cake layers on top of each other. Photo: Amy Mortensen / Connecticut Post -
Now it's time to put on a "crumb coat." This is a thin layer of frosting, which seals in all the crumbs so the next layer is nice and smooth. Start at the top of the cake. Photo: Amy Mortensen / Connecticut Post -
Work the crumb coat around the sides after you've covered the top. Once the cake is covered, stick it in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the frosting to harden a bit. Photo: Amy Mortensen / Connecticut Post -
After the crumb coat has had a chance to set, generously apply the final frosting layer. It should be about a half-inch thick all around. Don't be afraid of over-frosting it, she says. You can always scrape it off after. And it doesn't have to be perfectly smooth either. it just needs to cover the cake. Photo: Amy Mortensen / Connecticut Post -
Run your spatula through boiling water before smoothing the sides of the cake; frosting has fat in it, and the hot water will keep it from sticking to the spatula and leaving spatula marks. If you can't get it really smooth, she recommends covering the sides in sprinkles, nuts or shavings, which will add decroation and flavor while distracting the eye from imperfections. Photo: Amy Mortensen / Connecticut Post -
Piping the border is probably the hardest part, she says. Start really slow, and use two hands to guide the bag. Singing a song in your head will help you get into a rhythm, which in turn will help you create even pearls. Photo: Amy Mortensen / Connecticut Post -
Create a circle on the center of a piping nail, which will be the center of a rose to adorn the cake. Photo: Amy Mortensen / Connecticut Post -
Creating rose petals is a lot easier than it looks, she says. Use a rose tip on a piping bag to create one petal at a time. One petal in the center, then swoop another three around that, and five on the outside. She suggests using fresh flowers to top your cake if you don't feel comfortable with rose piping. Photo: Amy Mortensen / Connecticut Post -
Use a pair of scissors to place the rose on the cake. Just clip them around the bottom of the nail and lay it on. Photo: Amy Mortensen / Connecticut Post -
Adding more decorations is pretty simple, she says. The most important advice to follow is tho keep the piping bag between your thumb and forefinger; the frosting-filled portion of the bag should be in your palm. Twist for pressure - don't squeeze. "Slow is the only way to be," she says. And if you're having trouble with shaky hands, lean your elbow on the table. Photo: Amy Mortensen / Connecticut Post -
Piping tiny polka dots on the side is a quick and easy way to add some color to your cake, she says. Photo: Amy Mortensen / Connecticut Post -
If you want to write on your cake, she recommends practicing on another surface first. Don't let your tip touch the cake. Hold it about a centimeter above the surface, and lay the frosting on. This way you can see where it's going before it lands and guide the process. Photo: Amy Mortensen / Connecticut Post -
Don't worry if you make a mistake while writing on the cake. You can always put the cake in the refrigerator for another 10 to 15 minutes and scrape the lettering off without harming the cake. Photo: Amy Mortensen / Connecticut Post -
Voila. You're done. Read the full story for more tips from Megan Palmer Dean. Photo: Amy Mortensen / Connecticut Post
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