How Do Convection Ovens Work

The main benefits of using convection are:

• Use less energy
• Cook in less time
• Less likely to experience uneven browning because the environment doesn’t trap moisture.

When to Avoid Baking with Convection

Alternatively, convection is the enemy of delicate desserts or pastries. For instance, the intensity of the oven’s fan would cause a soufflé to collapse.

Avoid using the convection setting when baking:

• Custard-based pies
• Cake layers
• Loaves of bread made without yeast

How to Convert Oven Temperatures

In the end, there’s no need to be afraid of convection baking. Instead, take the time to get familiar with convection and conventional ovens to achieve the best results in your kitchen. Be brave and don’t be afraid to try recipes that use convection settings. Have a cookbook that only has recipes with convection temperatures like: 180°C/160°C Gas 4? Read this guide and reference the chart to convert convection oven temperatures to convectional.

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A fruit-based curd is a custard spread made with eggs, fresh fruit, and sugar. Since the curd simmers over the heat of your stovetop, it’s the ideal vehicle for infusing flavor into a bowl of no-churn ice cream, to fill flaky brioche donuts, or even a slice of plain cheesecake that needs a bit of freshness or acidity to improve flavor.

In the book Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves, Beard-award-winning author Nicola Twilley (2024) adds:

When food or drinks cool the tongue to below fifty-nine degrees, the channels through which these three taste receptors message the brain seem to close up, and the resulting signal is extremely weak. This is why a warm Coca-Cola or a melted ice cream is so sickly sweet: because they’re intended to be consumed cold, they have to contain too much sugar to boost the signal and register in our brains as tasting sweet at all. (Twiley, 2024, p.236).

The essence of flavor can stem from a curd due to the sugar content and cooking process, especially in frozen desserts. Lemon is one of the most popular fruits of choice for curds. However, despite the love for citrus desserts, there are other types of curds you can make: pomegranate, blueberry, orange, raspberry, etc.

How to Make a Curd From Scratch

Proper equipment is the secret to successfully making homemade curd. Here’s a list of tools you’ll need and how you will benefit from them.

Baking Spatula: For mixing the ingredients.

Silicone whisk: I’ve found whisking is much easier with a silicone whisk because it prevents friction when stirring the curd inside the pot.

Digital thermometer: Technically, you don’t have to use a thermometer, but the room for error increases substantially. When you use a thermometer, you can avoid overcooking the eggs and wasting ingredients.  

Sieve: Will stop the bits of cooked egg from getting into your dessert. Not straining it will lead to an off-putting chewy texture. Always strain for optimal results.

Mason jars: To refrigerate your curd for later use. An excellent choice if you’re making an elaborate cake with a filling or more complex pastry recipes.

The ratio of juice, eggs, and sugar varies depending on the fruit. Because citrus fruits like limes are more acidic, they require more sugar to prevent your palate from getting overwhelmed. Egg yolks add richness and volume, thus creating a thicker consistency. Many recipes instruct the baker to strain the cooked egg mixture over butter. It improves the texture, giving it a silky, smooth finish. The spread glides across cake layers and can serve as a filling for countless pastries.

1. Typically, curd recipes made in a saucepan require you to add sugar to the pot first. Of course, massaging zest with the sugar intensifies the flavor.
2. Pour freshly squeezed citrus juice into the pan.
3. Then crack the egg yolks (or whole eggs) and whisk over low heat, whisking continuously.
4. Once it’s done, the thermometer should register a temperature of 170°F. Immediately take the pan off the heat.

In the book Zoë Bakes Cakes, Cookbook author Zoë François (2021, p.235) explains which indicators suggest your lemon curd is the ideal texture: “it will be the consistency of smooth pudding.”

Print

Citrus Curd Recipe

A fruit-based curd is a custard spread made with eggs, fresh fruit, and sugar. Since the curd simmers over the heat of your stovetop, it’s the ideal vehicle for infusing flavor into a bowl of no-churn ice cream, to fill flaky brioche donuts, or even a slice of plain cheesecake that needs a bit of fruit to improve flavor.

Course Dessert

Keyword curd

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Calories 53kcal

Equipment

• 1 Sauce pan
• 1 silicone spatula
• 1 Strainer
• 1 Large mixing bowl
• measuring spoons
• microplane for zesting
• 1 Thermometer
• 1 liquid measuring cup

Ingredients

• Granulated sugar
• zest of a citrus fruit lime, lemon, or orange
• egg yolks
• freshly squeezed lemon, orange, or lime juice

Instructions

• Measure the sugar called for in the recipe and add it to the sauce pan. Zest the fruit over the sugar.
  
• Pour the freshly squeezed juice into the pan. Separate the eggs in a separate bowl, if the recipe only uses egg yolks. Add the eggs or egg yolks to the pan. Whisk continuously over low heat. Once the temperature reading on your thermometer reaches 170°F, remove the saucepan from the heat.
  
• Strain the curd over a mixing bowl using a large sieve, use a spatula to push the curd through. *See Note
  

Notes

• If straining over butter, stir until the butter is completely melted. 
• Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
• Listed calories are an estimate. Total calories depend on how much fruit is used, number of eggs in the recipe, etc.

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When the craving for ice cream hits, there’s nothing more annoying than a recipe that requires an ice cream maker when you don’t own one. However, I’m sharing the three ways to make delicious no-churn ice cream. As long as you have a carton of heavy whipping cream and a can of condensed milk, you can make an easy frozen treat to get you through the summer.

Of course, an ice cream machine is nice to have. I don’t have one, and I understand that some people don’t have the space for extra kitchen equipment. While utilizing an ice cream maker yields the best results, no-churn ice cream is just as delicious. Besides, who doesn’t love a kitchen appliance that you can use for multiple purposes? I’m sharing two methods for making homemade ice cream without a machine.

Tutorial

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make ice cream with base ingredients: heavy whipping cream and condensed milk. These ingredients aerate when whipped with an electric hand-mixer or stand mixer. Flavor is added in the form of salt or vanilla extract.

Nore: Dutch-processed cocoa powder is best for chocolate ice cream. Lemon or orange curd is perfect for an ice cream with a nice tang.

Traditional ice cream is made with a custard base that typically consists of eggs, heavy whipping cream, milk, and sugar. While sea salt rounds out the flavor, eggs thicken the custard and add richness; Then the ice cream maker churns the ice cream in a frozen bowl before making the custard base.

For the most part, ice cream consists of air. That’s why heavy whipping cream is essential when making ice cream without a machine. Due to the higher fat content, the cream doubles in volume when air is incorporated with vigorous whisking. Ultimately, homemade ice cream is softer than store-bought because it’s devoid of stabilizers like guar gum, cellulose gum, and carob bean gum.

No Churn Ice Cream Recipes

• Orange Ice Cream – Try the food processor method with this recipe

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Ingredients That Make Traditional Buttercream Frosting Less Sweet

Making buttercream frosting from scratch has so many benefits. The greatest advantage is that you can make a variety of flavors.

American buttercream recipes consist of fat and sugar. These two components create a texture that’s nice and fluffy. One of the reasons for its popularity is simplicity. It’s an easy recipe that doesn’t require too much time. The only issue is that the main ingredient is powdered sugar also known as confectioners sugar, which is too sweet for some. With the right ingredients, you can whip up a flavorful topping without tasting overly sweet.

1. Add citrus. Citrus fruits like limes, lemons, and oranges reduce the sweetness of buttercream. I incorporated fresh orange zest in my almond buttercream recipe. The tartness from the citrus balances out the powdered sugar.

Add freshly squeezed juice and zest to enhance the flavor. Taste and adjust as needed.

2. In addition to adding some tang to icing, using room-temperature unsalted butter instead of salted butter allows you to add salt to taste. Salted butter may have less salt than you need. Plus, if a recipe requires more powdered sugar, you can adjust and add more salt to cut through the sweetness.

3. You can make American buttercream frosting less sweet by using an alternative for vanilla extract. Replacing vanilla with almond extract creates a subtle flavor. When paired with sour fruits like oranges it restrains the sweetness.

Tips For Making Buttercream Less Sweet

4. Use less powdered sugar. Sometimes less is more. Typically a buttercream frosting recipe is a 2:1 ratio. To sum up, there is more sugar and less butter. As a result, this impacts the flavor. It’s most noticeable in vanilla frosting.

Instead, you can use 1 stick of butter for every cup of powdered sugar. For example, the ingredients may consist of 3 sticks of butter and 3 cups of powdered sugar. Since there’s a higher percentage of fat the recipe will be more balanced.

5. Add more salt. Increasing the salt in a sweet buttercream prevents it from tasting cloyingly sweet. Of course, there can be too much of a good thing. First, remember to increase the amount of salt in small increments. Then taste and adjust as needed.

6. Use whole spices. Whole spices have a greater impact on recipes. Use a spice grinder for cinnamon sticks or cloves. Freshly ground spices are fragrant and they provide more flavor. The intensity of the spices will tone down the sweetness.

7. Unsweetened cocoa powder has bitterness, which rounds out the buttercream. Cakes frosted with buttercream icing made with unsweetened cocoa powder achieve balance. The bitterness from the cocoa paired with the right amount of salt creates a delightful cake that rivals the saccharine cake you’ll find at most fast food restaurants.

Best Practices For Frosting With Mild Sweetness

If the sweetness in buttercream is too overwhelming for you, you can make it less sweet by infusing ingredients like fresh lime juice or adjusting the ratios of sugar and fat. Over time, you’ll have a better understanding of what best suits your preferences. Plus, you can try topping cupcakes with a different frosting recipe like an old-fashioned ermine frosting.

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Why You’ll Love This Cake

The best part about this baby shower cake is that bakers of any skill level can make it. There’s no need for a decorating class for this dessert. In addition, there’s no added food coloring. You won’t have to worry about artificial colors in your food if that’s a concern.

There have been many trends for themed cakes for baby showers. Of course, these cakes are elaborate. Plus, they require a lot of skill.

You don’t need to be a professional cake decorator to pull off this cake. We’ve seen the viral burn-away cakes and gender-reveal treats. They’re impressive, but the most enjoyable part of a baby shower is enjoying a slice of cake with your loved ones! You can make a cake that tastes good and doesn’t require scraping off ashes for the sake of a trend.

How To Make This Baby Shower Cake

To make this successfully, you need to be comfortable with making layer cakes. If you haven’t made one in a while, check out this tutorial. It has helpful tips. Plus, it walks you through the process of creating a layer cake step by step.

There are two ways to make this shower cake. You can look through cake recipes or use a cake mix. First, consider how much time you have. If you’re short on time, consider using a box mix. All you need is vegetable oil, eggs, and water. Fortunately, there are some gluten-free options as well.

Pistachio is the flavor you see in the picture. To recreate it, I recommend making a pistachio cake batter if you choose to make the cake from scratch. Vanilla is a great option if you want to use a box cake mix. In addition, vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting is ideal for these flavors.

Materials Needed:

• Cake Toppers – Sometimes baby shower cake toppers are hard to find. My solution to this problem is to use ones for a kid’s birthday party instead. These come with a set of animals and leaves.
• Pistachios – The pistachios create the illusion of rocks. Top the cake with pistachios when using a pistachio-flavored recipe.

Make The Batter

Before making the batter, bring the dairy ingredients to room temperature. Then prepare your cake pans. This is one of the most important steps. Always prepare and line your pans so the layers come out of the pan easily.

Once the prep is done, you can make the batter. Evenly distribute the batter into the cake pans.

Bake The Cake Layers

Next, bake the cake layers. Make sure to follow the instructions. Sometimes recipes have special notes that can negatively impact the outcome if skipped.

Also, use a thermometer to see if the ingredients are room temp. Doing this before mixing the cake batter will prevent dense cakes.

Make The Frosting

You can make the frosting while the cake is baking. Let the cake layers cool completely before frosting. Another option is to wrap the layers and freeze them. Then stack and frost the cake the next day. This is my favorite method for making cakes. Freezing locks in moisture and increases stability.

Homemade frosting takes about five minutes to make. Plus, it tastes better than canned frosting. There’s more depth of flavor and you have more options. You can make the frosting a day before frosting if you prefer. Whether you make cream cheese or buttercream frosting, store the remaining frosting in an airtight container and keep it refrigerated. When you’re ready to decorate, take the frosting out and bring it to room temperature before frosting.

Frost And Decorate The Baby Shower Cake

First, stack the cake onto a cake board for easy transfer. For a more seamless look, use a cake board that is the same size as your cake pans. Level, frost, and stack the cake layers. Ice the cake with a thin layer of frosting for the crumb coat. To decorate the cake use an icing comb to smooth the sides and create texture. Next, sprinkle pistachios across the top. Arrange the cake toppers to show the animals playing in the “rocks”. Once the cake is decorated you’ll have a jungle-themed cake to display at the shower.

Cookies are an additional treat that the guests can enjoy. It’s the perfect way to complete the dessert table.

Tips On Getting The Cake To The Baby Shower

If you plan on traveling with the cake there are a few steps you need to take to get it there in one piece. First, store it in a cake carrier or cake box. Keep the cake refrigerated until transporting it to the baby shower. Place the cake on the floor of the car with the AC going. (This is essential during spring/summer).

Display the cake on a cake stand. If you don’t have a cake stand, use a round cake base instead of a cake board when assembling the cake.

If this post helped you learn how to make a baby shower cake leave a rating.

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How Long Can You Freeze Buttercream Frosting

One of the greatest benefits of freezing buttercream is that it extends its shelf life. You can freeze it for a few weeks. When you store frosting at room temperature, it expires faster. Bacteria growth is faster at room temperature. For this reason, storing frosting in the freezer is a good option for planning.

Alternatively, this is a perfect solution for leftover frosting. It creates less waste. Plus, you can save it for a small batch of cupcakes or cookies. Ingredients can be expensive, so repurposing extra buttercream to make a dessert is best.

How To Freeze Buttercream Frosting

Storing buttercream is easy. Using the proper equipment will prevent you from experiencing issues. I prefer to make American buttercream with unsalted butter because it’s stable. Swiss meringue requires more care. A candy thermometer is necessary to ensure the egg whites are at the correct temperature. Other factors can contribute to your Swiss Meringue breaking. If you’re comfortable with Swiss meringue, go for it. Otherwise, use a less technical buttercream recipe.

While some ingredients can be stored in a freezer bag, it’s not ideal for frosting. Doing so can result in freezer burn. It’s challenging to remove buttercream frosting from the bag as well. Instead, transfer the buttercream frosting into a freezer-safe, food-grade container. Label it with the date and flavor before storing it in the freezer.

How To Thaw Frozen Buttercream

To thaw the frozen buttercream keep the frosting in the refrigerator the night before it’s needed. Set the container out in the morning. Leave it out until the frosting has thawed completely. It should have a creamy texture.

If your frosting isn’t smooth, mix it in your stand mixer on the lowest setting. After this step, you can start icing the cakes.

How To Store Frosting In The Refrigerator

You can refrigerate buttercream if you don’t want to freeze it. To store buttercream frosting in the refrigerator, the process used to freeze buttercream still applies. For best results – use a silicone spatula to transfer the buttercream into a container. This tool is ideal for scraping down the sides of the bowl. Make sure there’s enough room for the frosting. A refrigerator with too much food may force you to frost the cake sooner than planned.

I recommend storing buttercream frosting in the fridge for up to one day. Alternatively, even though the frosting is not frozen, let it thaw at room temperature. The buttercream will become soft enough to dip your spatula into it.

Some cake-decorating styles require more frosting. With vintage cakes, you may need a small batch of frosting for the additional piping. It’s more efficient to have a day dedicated to decorating. In addition, I like to freeze cake layers before frosting. For an in-depth explanation of my process for making layer cakes, check out my blog post on how to bake a layer cake.

Freezing or refrigerating your buttercream makes it easier to decorate with multiple flavors. A Vanilla cake with chocolate cake lettering requires two recipes. Making the buttercream in advance saves time. Plus, the setup is faster. The only thing you need to focus on is fitting the piping tips into a bag, filling, and decorating. It’s that easy!

When you feel overwhelmed by the amount of frosting you need to decorate a cake, rest assured that you can freeze buttercream frosting to make life easier.

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What’s Wrong With Your Sugar Cookie Dough

The best approach to learning how to fix crumbly sugar cookie dough is understanding what to look for. For obvious reasons, if you can’t recognize the difference between good and poor-quality cookie dough – you can’t identify the problem. There are a few signs that your cookie dough came out as planned. The dough is firmer than drop cookies, known for their softer consistency. Most importantly, it’s easy to roll and cut out the cookies.

Temperature makes a huge difference in baking. You may notice when a recipe calls for room temperature butter. Mixing with cold butter prevents proper aeration of the dough. This is one of the most common issues bakers experience, but you can avoid it by using an instant read thermometer. Whether it be a chocolate chip or cut-out cookie, thermometers always provide a higher level of accuracy when baking.

Alternatively, over-mixing cookie dough often results in crumbly cookie dough. Over-mixing can sabotage the structure of the cookie. That combination of over-mixing and common cookie baking mistakes bakes up a batch of dry cookies. It’s likely the cookies taste good, but you’re still left eating a crumbly cookie. For this reason, many recipes remind bakers not to over-mix. Pay close attention to how long the cookie dough has been mixing. I use a timer, which helps immensely. Sometimes I get distracted, which leads to overworking the dough. A timer is key to avoiding this problem.

How to Prevent Crumbly Dough

The best way to address this frustrating issue is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Aside from integrating a timer, implement mise en place. Commonly used in the culinary world, the French term refers to getting your ingredients in order. Bring out ALL of your ingredients before you start baking. Ensure that the necessary ingredients are at room temperature.

Turns out, that using cold butter causes many problems. Cold butter is resistant when creaming the butter and sugar together. The longer you mix it, the dough becomes crumbly or clumpy. After taking a batch of cookies out of the oven – the mistakes are hard to miss. Consequently, ingredient temperature causes a cookie’s structure to suffer.

Another problem you may have is using butter… that isn’t real butter. Imitation butter is sold at most grocery stores. Butter substitutes made with vegetable oil will sabotage everything! You are better off making homemade butter to bake with than using the fake stuff. It’s tempting to try using this butter to fix dry dough, but this will make your cookie mixture runny. Stick to unsalted butter for best results. Most importantly, remember to bring dairy products to room temperature.

In my experience, skipping these steps can dramatically affect the outcome. Regardless of skill level, anyone can bake delicious sugar cookies.

Why You Should Always Follow the Recipe

Aside from ingredient prep, reading the entire recipe is the MOST important step for making sugar cookie dough. I encourage you to read through the cookie recipe twice. Here’s why.

I’ll never forget the day I set out to bake my favorite sugar cookies. I’m obsessed with that soft, cakey sugar cookie topped with frosting and sprinkles. I make the cookies expecting to recreate the sweet cookies of my childhood. Instead, I open the oven to find sugar cookie blobs. After following the recipe to the letter, this baking mishap didn’t make much sense. In hindsight, I missed one step. Flatten the cookies before putting them into the oven.

Just one step altered the texture and overall aesthetic of the cookies. Despite my baking setback, I ate the cookies. Frosting the cookies seemed pointless due to their large, round, and misshapen form. Each bite had the texture of a biscuit. 

That cookie dough recipe was formatted much differently than what I’m used to. As a result, I didn’t notice that key step in the directions. This reiterates the importance of reading the recipe more than once. The margin of error decreases when skipping necessary steps.

Steps for Fixing Crumbly Sugar Cookie Dough

You might assume that it’s time to start over when you have dry cookie dough. Instead, fix dry dough by adding a few tablespoons of room temperature milk or water. Adding liquid hydrates the dough. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment mix on medium-low speed. Paddle attachments are best for incorporating ingredients to get a nice homogenous dough. As a result, the dough has a consistent structure.

Refrain from using melted butter. The difference in ingredient temperature makes it harder to incorporate together. It will likely make the problem worse.

I’d like to offer a few baking tips to fellow bakers using the imperial system. Improper ingredient measurements can contribute to dry dough. Liquid measuring cups can lead to measurements that come close. You may notice that when you become eye-level with the measuring cup, the liquid is below the measurement line. The unbalanced ratio of dry ingredients to wet ingredients imposes many problems. Inaccurately measuring wet ingredients makes the dough dry. Pockets of flour tend to remain.

Avoid this complication by weighing your ingredients. Bakers use scales to bake with precision. By far, this is the best way to measure ingredients with the utmost accuracy. Implement these tips to form the perfect cookie dough. Sugar cookies are far from the classic chocolate chip cookies we all know and love. For this reason, following these steps can be the difference between a dry cookie and a perfect cookie full of flavor with crisp edges.

Embrace sugar cookies that celebrate warm flavors, made with brown sugar. It makes for a nice contrast during the autumn and winter months.

Say goodbye to crumbly sugar cookie dough and hello to irresistible cookies with the best texture!

More Tips for Cookie Enthusiast

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How to Practice Cookie Decorating

There’s no experience quite like cookie decorating, especially for beginners. Decorating cookies is unfamiliar territory for a novice. It can feel overwhelming when you first start decorating. There is a learning curve, but don’t let that discourage you.

When it comes to decorative cookies, an easy place to start is with a chocolate dip. Cookies dipped in dark chocolate are elegant and delicious. Try making a cookie recipe with rich cocoa or chopped strawberries. Both ingredients make a delightful pairing.

Not a fan of dark chocolate?

Cookies dipped in white chocolate may be the right fit for your palate.

As it turns out, decorating these cookies is not as difficult as it sounds. For best results, I recommend bars of baking chocolate. Baking chocolate melts well, which makes it a perfect fit.

With a chef’s knife, chop the chocolate. Transfer the chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 15-second intervals to prevent scorching. Stir the chocolate with a silicone spatula every 15 seconds until completely melted. Dip half of the cookie into the chocolate. Place each cookie onto a cooling rack.

These cookies may become a family favorite or the perfect treat for your Valentine.

Another decorating technique involves decorating with frosting. Buttercream frosting isn’t just for cakes! It’s a versatile topping that works best with cakey cookies. Cookie decorating for beginners is made easy with simple drop cookies. Drop cookies have a surface that’s perfect for decorating with frosting.

I don’t recommend starting with a royal icing recipe. Piping with royal icing can be a royal pain if you’re unfamiliar with it! Royal icing techniques require an understanding of icing consistencies.

Instead, decorate with frosting. The frosting is much more forgiving than royal icing.

Beginner Cookie Designs

Ready to work on your decorating skills? Start practicing with a classic swirl.

Don’t have piping bags?

Fill a Ziplock bag with frosting, twist the top, and cut the bottom edge. Practice piping the swirl on a sheet of parchment paper. This is a game-changer! If you mess up, keep trying until you gain confidence. After you get comfortable with decorating, it’s time to decorate cookies.

I recommend decorating jumbo cookies. By far, jumbo cookies are the best cookies to decorate. They have a thicker texture and are much bigger than a standard cookie. After your cookies cool down, pipe a swirl of frosting using a large round tip. Top them off with sprinkles for a finishing touch. This is how you decorate cookies with frosting and sprinkles.

The size of the piping tips needed for cookie decorating depends on how you’re going to design them. Piping with a larger piping tip is ideal. When working with royal icing a small round decorating tip works best for outlines.

One of the most popular cookies to decorate are sugar cookies. The best tip for a novice decorating sugar cookies is to take a simplified approach. Due to its thicker consistency, buttercream frosting gives you more control over your design. It eliminates the need to focus on having the right royal icing consistency.

Piping with buttercream is the easiest way to decorate sugar cookies. Most importantly, you won’t run the risk of overflowing icing.

Practicing these techniques allows you to become familiar with the process. As a result, you’ll get better at cookie decorating over time.

Best Cookies for Decorating

Prepare to try these decorating ideas after you search for the right recipe. Start with a good cookie recipe with simple instructions. I like to scan the ingredient list to see if a shopping trip is necessary.

Baking sugar cookies requires a few additional steps. Good sugar cookies are made with chilled dough rolled onto a floured surface. If you’ve never made sugar cookies before prepare to devour light cookies that will satisfy your sweet tooth.

Cut-out sugar cookies are a great starting point. To achieve success in cookie decorating as a beginner, it’s important to approach it with the right mindset and techniques. Traditionally, sugar cookies rely on cookie cutters to form fun shapes. While any baker can make a classic sugar cookie, it’s up to you to put your spin on it.

Can’t find the cookie cutter you want?

Most craft stores sell cookie cutters individually for an affordable price. I have found cookie cutters for only a dollar!

Simple Glaze Icing for Cookies

Flavored with lemon juice, oat milk, and everything in between – glaze icing is effortless. Glaze icing is best for decorating cookies. Its thick consistency is easy to work with. Eventually, the icing hardens. The icing won’t smear, which is a bonus. However, it’s best to refrigerate glazed cookies in the summer. Those cookies don’t stand a chance against 110 °F weather.

After you finish baking try these cookie decorating ideas. You can opt for an icing recipe, but making a glaze is simple. All you need is powdered sugar and a few tablespoons of liquid.

If you love cookies with bright citrus flavor add freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice to your powdered sugar. I find mixing it with a spoon results in a smoother glaze. The acid from the citrus is incredibly refreshing. Sugar and lemon make an excellent pairing. Of course, you can emphasize that deliciously sweet flavor by mixing in whole milk or plant-based milk.

If you’re aiming for precision, use icing recipes that complement the flavor profile of your cookies. These recipes are straightforward and beginner-friendly. Though, a recipe is not a necessity in this instance. To make a glaze icing pour a cup of powdered sugar into a small bowl. Start with one tablespoon of liquid then mix. Add another tablespoon if the consistency is too thick. Repeat until you reach the desired consistency.

There are a lot of concerns about artificial dyes and for good reason. I decorate with these sprinkles made without artificial dyes or ingredients. Not only does it make your desserts look beautiful, but it also tastes MUCH better. There’s no plastic-like aftertaste. In retrospect, there’s nothing I hate more than ruining a perfectly good dessert with the medicinal aftertaste of overly processed sprinkles!

Favorite Decorating Tools for Cookies

Since selecting the right decorating tools depends heavily on preference, here are a few of my favorites. For a time, I would frost my cookies with a small offset spatula and call it a day. Until I thought to myself: “What if I wanted to give these to my friends? What happens when I invite people over to enjoy delicious, yet ugly cookies?” It’s a silly thought, but it stems from the truth.

People eat with their eyes. When you present sloppy food at a dinner party no one is going to WANT to eat it. They’ll politely nibble on a few bits and pieces. Then drive to the nearest drive-thru on their way home.

For this reason, these tools will soon become your new best friends.

More Options for Decorating Tools

If you’re looking for a multi-purpose decorating tool that creates tons of designs grab this decorating kit. This is the decorating kit I used when I first started cake decorating. Here’s the best part – it works for decorating cakes, cupcakes, and cookies! I still use it up to this day. Cookie decorating for beginners is so much easier if you start with this kit.

If you do want to buy a few tools for cookie decorating, I recommend buying sprinkles. Often, sprinkles have the power to complete a theme. Whether it’s hearts for Valentine’s Day or pearls for weddings, odds are you’ll find sprinkles for any occasion.

I also suggest Ghirardelli premium baking bars for melting chocolate. I’ve had a great experience baking with the semi-sweet baking chocolate. It’s easy to work with. Melting the chocolate creates a silky, smooth texture perfect for drizzling over a chewy bakery-style cookie.

Serve your decorated cookies with a side of your favorite ice cream. Likewise, snacking on homemade cookies with a cold glass of milk is just as satisfying.

How to Store Decorated Cookies

After baking a batch of cookies it’s common to have leftovers. We don’t want all our efforts to go to waste, so proper storage is essential!

Cookies topped with cream cheese frosting need to be refrigerated. Cream cheese needs time and temperature control to prevent rapid bacteria growth. For best results, always refrigerate desserts made with cream cheese.

Store cookies in an airtight container. The duration of time you can safely store cookies depends on the recipe. The ingredients and the type of cookies you bake are factors that determine how long you can store them.

After taking notes on these awesome tips, you know what it takes to start decorating cookies. Plus, you know how to make easy sugar cookies by opting for drop cookies that are thicker and softer. Take advantage of the techniques that you learned today to help you decorate cookies like a pro.

See?

Cookie decorating for beginners is fun and delightfully sweet.

Further Reading for Beginners

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Every Baker Needs to Pay Attention to Detail

First, attention to detail is a significant part of baking. Missing important steps can negatively impact the texture and taste of baked goods. The quality of what your baking is the first thing that people will notice when you are sharing your desserts. For instance, making whipped cream at home is easy for bakers at all skill levels. However, timing is a key factor in making whipped cream or meringues. Over mixing the whipped cream causes it to curdle. No one enjoys eating chunky whipped cream on top of apple pie! Likewise, if you don’t mix the whipped cream long enough it won’t have that smooth, fluffy texture that makes everything taste better. Instead, you will have watery whipped cream.

How to Avoid Common Baking Issues

To avoid these issues, make sure that your mixer is set to the correct speed. Also, remember to use a timer! Some timers have low sound, which means that when the timer goes off the mixer can drown out the noise. For that reason, your cell phone is the perfect baking timer because you can control how loud you want the volume to be. 

To be sure, that a recipe is successful make sure that you use a timer. Naturally, your nose is the first indicator of when something is ready to come out of the oven. Also, keeping an eye on how the texture is developing is another way of knowing if the mixture is fully incorporated. On the other hand, sometimes you get distracted and then you lose track of how much time has passed since you put your pie in the oven. This is not a fun situation to be in because now you must guess how long the pie has been baking. In this situation the pie might burn, or it may be undercooked. 

Always use a timer when baking! It makes life so much easier. I use the oven timer or the microwave timer. In addition, if you’re making two different dishes use two timers. I like to do this when I cook dinner and dessert at the same time. It is truly beneficial.

Every Baker Needs Patience

Next, is an important aspect of baking. Specifically, understanding when to cut corners or take shortcuts is extremely important. For example, if you make brownies and add twice the amount of sugar the brownies are going to be hard as a rock. Throwing away all your hard work takes all the fun out of baking. For best results, take the ingredients into consideration. Moreover, if a recipe is too bitter try substituting the chocolate with a slightly sweeter baking chocolate. 

Personally, I dislike the taste of 60% baking chocolate in certain recipes. However, some people love the way it compliments other flavors. Avoid compensating for the bitter taste by adding extra sugar. I don’t recommend it because it ruins the texture. Instead use semi-sweet baking chocolate. 

Unfortunately, it’s hard to find different kinds of baking chocolate at the grocery store. Without a doubt you’ll find more options of chocolate online. In fact, Guittard and Ghirardelli chocolate are popular brands for baking. In addition, the Pound Plus has dark, 72% dark, and milk chocolate. If you do your grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s, try their Pound Plus chocolate. It’s great for baking and makes for a great snack! 

Plus, you can always store it in the freezer and save it for later.

The Right Bakeware

Additionally, every baker needs quality bakeware to make their favorite desserts. It’s important to consider the recipes you make the most. For instance, if you enjoy baking bread and muffins on a regular basis it would be ideal to invest in the best bakeware for baking different type of bread as well as, standard and “jumbo” muffin pans. Moreover, there are some details that you should explore before buying baking pans. 

Check which temperatures are considered oven safe for the baking pan that you’re interested in. If you plan on baking at high temperatures this is super important!

Learn all about the best baking pans to help you find quality baking pans to store in your kitchen! Also, if you plan to bake a variety of dishes, a bakeware set is a great place to start. Usually these are 10-piece sets with versatile baking pans. Bakeware sets typically include a cookie sheet, muffin pan, loaf pan, cooling rack, and more! These sets are perfect for beginners. Best yet, you don’t have to worry about buying individual baking pans when you buy a bakeware set. 

Mixing Bowls

Primarily, every baker needs a set of mixing bowls. Mixing bowls are easy to find at the store. In addition, you can choose from glass, stainless steel, or ceramic mixing bowls. Also, you can buy mixing bowls in a set of three or five. Best yet, some brands sell mixing bowl sets that come with lids. This is helpful if you need to chill dough in the refrigerator. Overall, my favorite mixing bowls are ceramic batter bowls and glass mixing bowls. 

Batter bowls are great because of the handle and pouring spout. Plus, using a batter bowl makes it easy to add dry ingredients into the wet ingredient mixture. In addition, glass mixing bowls are easy to clean and last for many years. 

Prepare Ingredients

Before you start baking put all the ingredients that you need to use on the counter. This ensures that you won’t forget to add ingredients to the recipe. Furthermore, forgetting to add ingredients to the recipe affects the taste and texture of baked goods. For example, forgetting eggs in a cookie recipe that requires them ruins the texture. Likewise, the cookies will crumble as soon as you pick them up.

In the same way, a baking cart is another great place to store ingredients when you’re baking. Utilizing a baking cart gives you more space for mixing, measuring, and everything in between! Plus, baking carts have wheels so you can easily move it around the kitchen!

There are a variety of colors for baking carts including blue, pink, and painted wooden carts. You can find baking carts at The Container Store or Amazon. Best yet, have some fun and decorate your baking cart with signs and store cookbooks on the shelves. Indeed, there are many ways to customize a baking cart to be more functional. 

In the end, these baking basics are what every baker needs to bake efficiently and with confidence.

More Baking Tips :

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Sheet Cake Decorating For Special Occasions

There’s a range of sheet cakes you can choose from. It’s an easy dessert to make when the craving for cake hits. Best of all, you can make it throughout the year. These cakes can feed a crowd and they’re beginner-friendly. I could always count on sheet cakes as the chosen dessert for family celebrations. A slice of cake was the dessert of choice to celebrate graduations and it makes for the most delicious birthday cake.

A sheet cake requires little effort. In turn, this gives you enough time to make a cake that looks and tastes great. I used to make sheet cakes topped with buttercream frosting and no decoration. Of course, everyone enjoyed eating them, but they were too simple for my taste. It’s nice to have the option to dress up cakes once in a while. You can use these sheet cake decorating ideas for birthdays, house warmings, and other special occasions!

All About Sheet Cakes

When baking sheet cakes, make sure you’re using the correct pan. A standard sheet cake is made in a a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. This pan size is ideal for baking a cake for your family or friends.

For a large party, you need a quarter sheet cake, which is made in a 9″ x 23″ pan. It can feed up to 20 people – best for serving at parties or large family gatherings. These cakes are the perfect option for celebrations. The number of guests will determine the need for a quarter-sheet, half-sheet, or full-sheet cake pan. To learn more about baking pan sizes for sheet cakes, check out desserts to feed a crowd. 

Instead of making homemade cake batter, you can opt for a box cake mix. It won’t adversely affect the flavor. If you select a quality cake mix, you can infuse that incredible homemade flavor by making your frosting from scratch. This results in a tender cake topped with a light, fluffy buttercream frosting fit for any cake lover.

How to Bake a Sheet Cake

Remember to use the correct baking pan. Always use the size recommended in the recipe. I suggest following a recipe that uses a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. It’s a standard baking pan used for a multitude of recipes.

If you opt for a box cake mix, you can find the necessary pans near the instruction section. Saving time is the main benefit of using cake mix.

To prepare the pan line the baking pan with parchment paper. This method creates an easy release for transferring the cake to a cake board.

First, slide an offset spatula along the edges of the cake. Next, place a cooling rack on top of the cake. Use both hands to flip it over. Finally, gently lift the pan. Remember to remove the parchment paper before placing the cake onto a cake board.

Can I make a two-layer Sheet Cake? 

There are two ways to make a 2-layer cake. First, cut the cake in half for a smaller sheet cake. Apply frosting to the first layer, then add the final coat of frosting to the top layer.

The second method involves baking two sheet cakes and stacking them. Freeze the cakes to lock in moisture.

10 Ideas For Decorating Sheet Cakes

Here are 10 sheet cake decorating ideas. This next section goes from simple methods to more advanced techniques.

Ribbon Border Sheet Cake

A ribbon border is common for decorating sheet cakes. Once the border is complete, you can add edible pearls around the perimeter of the cake. The finishing touches showcase a cake worth celebrating!

Decorate Cakes With Flowers

Another option is to add flowers to your design. Adding flowers to the top left, and bottom right corner is a beautiful way to draw attention to your cake. Florals make a sheet cake look pretty and delicate. Best yet, you can pipe with different color frosting to make the flowers look more realistic.

Add A Topping To Your Sheet Cake

Add a topping that compliments the flavor. For example, if you make a butter pecan cake, sprinkle chopped pecans on top of the frosting. Toss whole pecans into a food processor to chop them into smaller pieces. This improves the texture and makes it easier to eat.

Decorate With Cookies

There is another method for decorating the cake border. Top it all off with crunchy cookies to make it stand out. Oreos are ideal for making delicious cookies and cream cakes. Cookies like Biscoff cookies or Nilla wafers work fine. These classic cookies are perfect for decorating.

Look for a decorating tip for piping swirls. To start, pipe upward swirls along the border of the cake. Place a cookie in between each swirl.

Decorate with Mini Chocolate Bars: Mini chocolate bars are the perfect addition to a custom cake border.

Kit Kat bars: Kit Kat bars are another option. Plus, you can decorate with white chocolate candy bars. Fruits like passionfruit or cherries are a delicious combination with white chocolate.

Advanced Sheet Cake Decorating Techniques

Here are a few more sheet cake decorating ideas. Create a theme based on the cake flavor. For instance, a carrot cake can have carrots piped onto the cake. To take it up a notch you can pipe a rabbit eating a carrot. These decorations are a fun way to make your cakes look more interesting.

Create a custom border: This technique requires several decorating tips. First, you need a star tip, a decorating tip for swirls, and one for roses. Then fill the icing bags. Now, you’re ready to create a custom cake border.

Remember to use two or three different colors if you want the swirls and roses to pop.

Garden design: A garden design gives you a chance to freestyle your own design. You can pipe grass or vines. In addition, you can add a variety of flowers like roses, daisies, sunflowers and more!

Decorating cakes with fresh fruit: Making a design with fresh fruit is a fun way to create various designs. Berries are the best fruits for creating patterns and increasing depth of flavor. Plus, fruit adds complexity to flavor and texture.

In addition, you can drizzle caramel or chocolate sauce before adding fresh strawberries. Use a squeeze bottle for drip cakes. 

Edible printer: Airbrushing was a technique that advanced cake decorators used. Now bakers have shifted to edible printers. These printers use icing sheets to create life-like images that bring your cake to life.

Did these sheet cake decorating ideas inspire you? If you’re looking for more inspiration, check out these cake decorating ideas for beginners.

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