Cake Ideas many times revolve around how many people a cake will serve. Of course the biggest determiner to that question is how big the pieces are cut . Generally, a cake mix box is going to say that a mix will make 12 servings. Those are pretty hefty portions if you are looking at it in a 9 x 13 pan. That means you would slice the cake in six rows the width of the cake and then cut it down the middle, making 12 pieces. We usually slice it in the six rows but cut it twice the other way for 3 rows to make 18 pieces, and these are still plenty big. It can just as easily be cut in 4 rows to produce 24 pieces. If you are serving other things like ice cream or nuts and mints, this is a nice-sized piece. Cake is usually served as a refreshment and not as a meal anyway . Cakes done in the sheet pan (or cookie pan) that is about 11 x 17 can easily be cut to serve 28 people, and that is with just one cake mix. This is 4 rows of 7 pieces, as illustrated in the first picture below. The second picture shows individual pieces marked for a 12 x 18 cake that will serve 50 people. It uses 2 cake mixes.

Round, heart, and other miscellaneous shaped cakes are a little harder to figure for how many they will serve. It's best to keep in mind how thick the pieces will be. As in the two above pictures, the one is in the cake pan and is only about 1/2" to 3/4" thick. The second one is from a 2" deep pan. So even though the pieces in the second one are smaller in surface area, they are also at least twice at thick as the one in the pan. If the decorated cake is a layer cake, you have even more height so the pieces can be cut narrower for the same amount of serving size. As you can see, decorating cakes for that special occasion can be a little tricky in the planning when it comes to figuring how many it will serve. The shape of the pan and the height of the cake can account for several variables. But just as a basic guide, a good rule of thumb is to figure one mix will make anywhere from 18 to 24 pieces to serve the guests. Of course, the biggest thing to figure in would be the person cutting the cake. If they like hefty pieces on the plate, you may just come up short in the end. Guest will then either be receiving a 'sliver' of cake in order to make it stretch, or they will get not at all . If unsure there will be enough to go around, take a stash of homemade chocolate chip cookies to serve to the end of the line if you do run out, and I'm sure they will be just as happy .

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Cake ideas and cookie ideas are a couple of things that can be found online without much effort. There is actually a site called Bright Ideas – "a mecca for mingling with other creative friends and the perfect place for finding inspiration for ‘any day’ or ‘everyday’ celebrations. . . It's the perfect place for birthday and holiday ideas, but we think you'll find it's so packed with creative thinking that you’ll be inspired to make every day a special day." You can actually search for what you are interested in by activities, events & parties, holidays, ingredients, and difficulty. You can not only 'get ideas', but also 'give ideas' on this site. They have tons of recipes and a free newsletter you can subscribe to (Don't forget to subscribe to ours while you are here ). There are some really clever ideas for treats for kids to take to school for different holidays, or to add a little festivity to the dining table for your family get-together. This is just a very fun site we wanted to share with our readers, even though it's not just limited to decorating cakes and cake ideas. 

Be sure to sign up for our FREE eBook “Cake Decorating: How To Go From Beginner To Expert” by subscribing to our FREE Monthly Bulletin at the top of the right side about decorating cakes, and to receive contest notifications, recipes, and cake ideas.

Cake ideas come and go, but cake decorators are usually here to stay. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, sometimes we all need a little inspiration. So I am bringing to you a FREE eBook you can download and save to your computer.  All you have to do is subscribe to my FREE monthly newsletter and the ebook will be sent as a link in your welcome email.  The name of the eBook is "Cake Decorating: How To Go From Beginner To Expert." Just come on over to the top of the right hand side of the page and sign up for the FREE monthly newsletter. Be sure to include your birthday (month & day only), as there may be a little surprise for you that day . Go ahead and claim your FREE eBook!

Cake ideas come to life when the finishing touches are put on the cake. Decorating cakes is fun, but what is done to "polish" it with the last little details is what leaves that lasting impression. Once the cake is frosted and decorated with the borders and design on top, little things can be done to make it noticeable – not just a cake on the table. Here are some ideas that can make your decorated cakes look remarkable.

• Put artificial flowers (or real ones if available) in one or two of the opposite corners of the cake. This will give it a definate 3-D effect. Artificial flowers come in so many colors and kinds that you can let your imagination run wild. Mix and match the kinds and colors to come up with contrasting or complimentary colors to the rest of the cake theme and design. Whether using fake or real flowers, just cut the stem about 1 1/2" long and poke down in the cake in whatever position or angle you desire.

• Use spray food coloring to add a little color without having to use colored frosting. If there is a certain place you do not want any overspray, cover it up with a sheet of paper while spraying. Start with a light mist and then go over it till you have the shade you want.

• Sprinkles are a great way to add color to the cake, they come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, colors, and themes, so let your imagination run with that one.
• Confetti can be used to decorate cakes because there are not only designs available, but also words. People will a lot of times sprinkle confetti on tables for decorations at a party, but it can also be used on the cakes. Just make sure you tell the people when you serve the cake that they will need to pick the confetti off . The main timesweI use confetti is around the frosting sheet on a 12×18 or 11×17 cake where you end up with a wide border, that needs something to fill it in. The other time is on sheet cakes on the individual pieces. Below are pictures as an example of both instances, and the first one actually shows how a black and white photo looks when used for the frosting sheet.

• Small toys and decorations can be placed on the cake that go with the theme. For example, we are from a rural community and a cute idea for a little farm boy is to put a miniature tractor or toy cows or horses on the cake. And what little girl wouldn't like a little princess doll on hers?

These have just been some examples of cakes we have produced for customers. The finishing touches are what gives the cake a personality and character.  Just use your imagination and come up with your own cake ideas. 

Be sure to sign up for our FREE eBook "Cake Decorating: How To Go From Beginner To Expert" by subscribing to our FREE Monthly Bulletin at the top of the right side about decorating cakes, and to receive contest notifications. recipes, and cake ideas.

Cake ideas generated onto edible image frosting sheets can create decorated cakes that will never be forgotten. We have been using this style of decorating cakes for several years now and have come up with some tips we would like to share with others who either currently use them or are thinking about investing in them in the future.

• There are a couple of different edible image frosting sheets we found, but we decided to go with ones that are on a slick backing that is released from the frosting sheet itself when you are ready to apply it to the cake. The other type is the actual sheet itself that is run through the printer. We were just personally uncomfortable with using this second type.
• Before printing off the frosting sheet, run a sheet of copy paper through the cake decorating printer to test the printing to make sure there are not any missing dots or lines, or there will be lines on the printed design. Do a cleaning if necessary.
• If the frosting sheet had dried out some to where the corner pops loose from the backing, lightly mist it with some water so it will adhere back to the sheet, and then let dry before putting through the printer.
• Use a spray bottle to lightly mist the top of the cake where the design is to be applied. If the icing has slightly crusted, this will allow the edible image sheet to adhere to the cake.
• Right before applying the sheet to the cake, stick it in the freezer for about ten seconds. This takes any moisture out of the sheet to help release it from the backing.
• If you are having trouble yet getting it to release, get a corner started with a fine paring knife with a flexible blade. You can then use your angled blade spatula to slowly and carefully slide between the sheet and the backing to release it. Normally it will just come right off, but we all like to be contrary once in a while
• When placing the sheet on the cake, try holding it directly above where you want it to be positioned because it is going to stick right where you put it, especially if you have spray misted the top of the cake.
• Use a star or shell design to go around the edges of the frosting sheet just to make sure they are sealed down and give the finished look to your decorated cake. Depending on the cake, we generally use white frosting for this or choose a color that is in the design itself to accentuate it, even if it's a minimal color you want to bring out.

Whether decorating cakes with traditional methods or with the new wave, we hope your choice or transition will be helped with these cake ideas.

Great cake ideas can produce great results. Sometimes we invent those ideas in a 2-D effect rather than in 3-D. Basically it's like drawing a picture on a cake. That is where the edible image frosting sheets are so wonderful. Cake ideas have changed over the last few years with the introduction of these edible image frosting sheets. To think you can make decorated cakes with a thin sheet of frosting that has been run through a printer after generating the image on a computer is awesome! After decorating cakes the traditional, time-consuming way, we were ready to make the transition with eagerness. We researched the possibilities and found all we needed to get started was the necessary printer that would accomodate the frosting sheets. It had to be a new printer of a certain brand and model that had never had regular ink run through it. Then all we had to purchase was the food coloring ink cartridges and the edible image frosting sheets. It was not a bad investment at all for what we could now produce with much less time and effort.

This is a sample of what can be done with edible image cakes. This particular one was made for mine and my husband's 25th wedding anniversary. The program allows you to put your own photos on the edible frosting sheet that is designed on the computer and printed off. We will be posting other pictures regularly so you can see the possibilities with this way of decorating. We do know that with the edible image frosting sheets and all the possibilities, you can set to flow freely your cake ideas.

"Squeezing all those stars example!"

Cake ideas can be a dime a dozen, but when it comes to getting it just right for the occasion, you may have to explore several options for decorating cakes. There is the traditional decorating that uses piped icing to make the design itself and the writing. Before we started doing edible image cakes, we did decorating the hard ways, as we call it. One way was squeezing out those thousands of stars all over the cake till it was completely covered. The other way was that we would get a picture of the design wanted, whether from a printed paper copy or a napkin that would be used for the party. We would tediously draw the design on the cake icing with a toothpick. Then we would load up frosting bags with various colors and accomplish our feat. After decorating in this manner for many years, we started hearing about a new style of decorating cakes with edible image frosting sheets. More of that is in our posting about decorated cakes called "Cake Ideas – Edible Image Decorations."

Be sure to sign up for our FREE eBook “Cake Decorating: How To Go From Beginner To Expert” by subscribing to our FREE Monthly Bulletin at the top of the right side about decorating cakes, and to receive contest notifications, recipes, and cake ideas.

Decorated cake ideas can be found online, in books, or you can use your imagination to come up with your own that will brand you. Applying the trim on the cake is the first step to the finished product once the cake is frosted. The base edge trim is usually done with a star or round tip. The star tips used are tips #16 thru #22, and the round tips used are #8 thru #12. The size will depend on the look you are wanting and where you are applying it. Generally the larger size of tip is done for the base of the cake and a smaller size is then used on the edge where the top and sides meet. The star tip can be used to make the star or shell border, and the round tip makes a bead border. Most of the time we will use a smaller version of the same tip design to trim the top edge as the bottom. Sometimes it is hard to get that top edge consistently covered with the icing, so using the correct tip and pattern will help cover that edge. We personally prefer to use tip #18 and do a reverse rope pattern around the top edge. If you look in a Wilton book, it will show the rope pattern which looks like commas stacked next to each other. We do one "comma" one direction and then go in the undercurve and bring it around to a "reverse comma," then another comma and so on. Once you get the hang of it, it is pretty easy because it is just a flick of the wrist one direction, then the other. The trim is where you can use colored frosting to get the look you want. Depending on the theme or top design, you can make the bottom border one color and the top border a different color, or you can alternate the stars, shells, or beads back and forth between the two colors. Or if you don't want to distract any from the top design, you can just do both borders in white icing. Another option here is if you frosted the cake with white icing, you can use the food color spray from Wilton or Betty Crocker or Wilton to change the color of the icing. That should be done before applying the borders, and then those can be done in white, which really accents the cake. These are just a few cake ideas when decorating cakes to personalize your masterpiece.

Be sure to sign up for our FREE eBook “Cake Decorating: How To Go From Beginner To Expert” by subscribing to our FREE Monthly Bulletin at the top of the right side about decorating cakes, and to receive contest notifications, recipes, and cake ideas.

There are several cake ideas when it comes to actually frosting the cake. At this point, the icing is probably already mixed up. There are several kinds that can be used, so it is totally a personal or customer preference. There's decorator icing, buttercream frosting, and rolled fondant. We have personally never used the latter kind. We prefer to use the tranditional decorator's icing with butter flavoring added. You can get more detail of this on our post entitled "Cake Ideas – Coloring the Icing." Well, it's finally time to get the icing on the cake after all the preparation and baking. The first thing we do is apply some icing under the bottom edges of the cake where it may not be setting flat on the board or plate. This helps fill the void where you are going to be putting the trim around the base of the cake. We sometimes thin the icing down a bit for actually frosting the cake just so it spreads on easier and is less likely to tear the cake or pick up any stray crumbs. One of the biggest things I have struggled with in the past with decorating cakes was getting the frosting smooth. We were told to use a frosting spatula dipped in hot water. Just by experiment one day, we tried using ice water to dip the spatula in, and we actually thought it worked better. Then a while back we were visiting with a fellow cake decorator and she asked us how we smoothed our frosting. We told her the two methods we had tried and she asked if we had ever used a pastry roller. Wilton actually carries something similar called a quick easy fondant smoother. Once the cake is frosted, you let it crust over just slightly and then use this roller on the top and then around the sides. We couldn't believe how slick that worked! We recently saw a video that had another cool trick. They laid a smooth dry paper towel over the slightly crusted frosting and used a fondant smoother, also available from Wilton, to 'iron' the frosting! They said if you wanted your frosting to have a texture or look lacey, just use a paper towel with a texture to it and that would imprint into the frosting. Now that the cake is frosted, the next step in making that beautifully decorated cake is getting all the trim and decorations on. The finished result can include many cake ideas which we will be sharing. 

A Glazed Cake

Here are a couple of cake ideas to use before applying the frosting for your decorated cake. Make sure to brush off any loose crumbs. If you don't do this, you will end up with the crumbs showing in the icing. If this happens with a white cake, it's not as bad though as with chocolate cake when it can make it look like you've used a chocolate chip frosting A damp paper towel can be used to pick up any loose crumbs from the cake and from the board or plate it is setting on. There generally aren't too many crumbs to deal with if it's a cake that has just been turned out of the pan, but if you have to do any cutting or trimming of the cake, that can be a different story. So if you are wanting to seal those crumbs, it is best to glaze it. To glaze the cake, just take some of the same icing you will be using on the cake and thin it down with a little water to a very easily spreadable consistency. It will not matter if crumbs get mixed in during this step because they will be covered up when applying the frosting. It is best to let the glaze do some drying at this point to let it start to crust over a little. There are many steps to take in getting your desired finished product when decorating cakes. Eliminating and covering up crumbs are just a couple of cake ideas that will help you produce your masterpiece.