1st birthday cake - decorating

[therumoursaretrue]

I am planning a 1st birthday cake for DS. I am a good baker but not very experienced decorating - I have never iced a full cake. Generally speaking I pick things up quickly once I have a go.

Anybody have any ideas what I could do which would look impressive but hopefully not stress me out entirely! Would it take long to learn how to ice a cake?

Snap! I'm quite similar, I would say deffo pre dyed sugar icing, get so,me little icing kits from supermarkets tens of thousands that kind of thing?

I was very proud of my DS's one which was a Very Hungry Caterpillar theme. I used ready made white icing to go over the cake, then ready made and coloured icing to make the caterpillar and the various things he ate. If you enjoyed plasticine as a child then it's a piece of piss.

Oh cabbage that does sound good! I am just worried I will spend hours on something that looks crap which is stupid really as it's only a cake.

Have a friend who has offered to ice it for me if I bake but want to do my own.

Second ready coloured icing as you can get some really vibrant colours -i used bright orange, red, yellow and cobalt blue to make DS a christening cake with a train on.

For decorating ideas just google children's birthday cakes and lots of pics will come up. Or if you want to make it a regular thing there's lots of decorating books to but or in the library.

Cake decorating magazine is good for showing you how to do different designs and the tools that come with it are good but that's probably better if you want to decorate cakes more often.

Crazykat I would like to decorate more often so will look into it. I bake a lot - usually atleast twice a week but never do anything that takes too much decoration as I'm nervous of mucking it up!

Therumour, you dont know what you can do untill you try, i made and decorated cakes over 20yrs ago then gave it up to work full time, then out of the blue i was asked to make a two tier birthday cake, i youtubed it and haven't looked back, just made my 2 wedding cake in 2 months, so have a go its the only way you'll get better, practise is the only way to go.

And crazykat is right, buy mags, books, google, youtube, it really is a good way to learn, and there is so much to learn,if you want that is, since i took it back up last May i've learnt so much more that i ever did before, now i have my own facebook page and regularly give out my cards, i put my card in our local papershop etc.The more you do the more you'll want to do.

I am a complete novice but did this for my DS 1st birthday in May and it looked excellent, www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/train-cake/5685f320-1e5c-4ebb-b2cd-1ab73633b016

www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/train-cake/5685f320-1e5c-4ebb-b2cd-1ab73633b016

better link sorry.

That's good advice, thanks nannycook. I think you are right and practice will really help as feel its probably a lack of confidence rather than a lack of ability!

Love that cake Sharon thank you for the link. I think I could make a good attempt at something like that.

The cake decorating magazine is good for beginners as it shows step by step how to make them, you also get the tools you need with the magazine.

A turntable is invaluable for decorating cakes, makes it so much easier especially for levelling and crb coating.

Ordered a turntable today I'm self-employed but only working about 4 hours a week at the minute so it's as good a time as any to get some practice in. No excuses!