How To Improve Your Birthday Cake’s Visual Appeal

Since lockdown, more and more New Zealanders have been setting time aside to cultivate their hobbies. In fact, many have even begun turning their hobbies into profitable side hustles, if not their full-time employment.

This is especially true for those of us who spent last year improving our baking skills. And, now that we know exactly how to make the perfect cake, the next step is to ensure that it looks as good as it tastes – especially if we’re planning on selling it.

However, this endeavour can feel really daunting to anyone who is not artistically inclined, as the reality is that just because you can bake a tasty cake, does not mean you can also do beautiful cake decoration. Not all of us have the skill, patience, or equipment to do exquisite piping, create fine sugar flowers, or add other intricate works of art to cakes like we see in the media. Of course, we can always practice these ‘higher grade’ skills until we get them right. But in the meantime, thankfully, as long as the basic cake – it’s shape, consistency, taste, and texture – is good, there are a number of simple ways to improve its aesthetic.

Of these simpler solutions, crushed nuts, fresh fruit, and drizzled chocolate are especially popular options that add interest and a pop of colour to any cake. There’s also the option of using moulds that give cakes an interesting pattern or texture. Cake toppers, coloured sprinkles or other candies, and coconut are other great options. And, sometimes, the simplest option can also be the best – by simply covering a cake in an evenly spread layer of icing.

With so many easy and cost-effective ways to decorate a cake, even the least creative amongst us is likely to present a cake that is both tasty and beautiful to look at.

© Scoop Media