Your first decorated cake: a little practice goes a long way

THE MAROONDAH EXCHANGE · Food & Drink · Learn something new

You’ve baked the cake. Now comes the part that can feel a little more daunting: making it look the way you imagined. Where do you start, and how much equipment do you actually need?

For Catherine, the cake decorator and teacher behind A Caking Hand in Ringwood North, a good first cake starts with a manageable design, buttercream at the right consistency and a little practice before you touch the cake.

Her advice is useful wherever your kitchen happens to be, whether you’re making a birthday cake, taking something to a family gathering or trying a new skill for the afternoon.

Catherine’s first decorating challenge was an ambitious one: she decided to make her own wedding cake despite having no previous decorating experience.

She took cake-decorating classes, read books and spent plenty of late nights watching YouTube. Then came practice: her children’s birthday cakes, desserts for family gatherings and cakes made alongside her day job.

In April 2026, A Caking Hand became her full-time focus. She now teaches beginner buttercream cake decorating in relaxed, hands-on workshops at her home studio. Catherine says she limits groups to four participants so there’s time for individual guidance and questions.

Having started as a beginner herself, she wants people to know they can learn the skills without arriving with decorating experience.

A highly detailed design online can be inspiring, but Catherine recommends starting with a simple buttercream finish. A smooth or lightly textured surface, a few piped swirls and some sprinkles give you a clear set of skills to practise without taking on every technique at once.

Begin with a completely cooled cake. Apply a thin crumb coat, the first layer of icing that traps loose crumbs, and chill it until firm. Then add the final layer of buttercream.

That pause between layers matters: you’re giving yourself a firmer surface to work on before concentrating on the finish.

The most common problem Catherine sees is buttercream that’s too firm or too soft. Firm buttercream can drag against the cake and be difficult to pipe. Soft buttercream won’t hold its shape.

Temperature makes a difference, and the right working temperature depends on the recipe. You’re looking for buttercream that spreads smoothly while still holding its shape.

Once her buttercream is made, Catherine finishes it with the paddle attachment on the lowest speed to help reduce air bubbles. In her experience, that usually takes about 10 minutes, but temperature and kitchen conditions change the timing. She checks for a smooth, spreadable consistency rather than relying on the clock alone.

A sheet of baking paper gives you somewhere to learn without worrying about the finished cake. Catherine encourages beginners to pipe a few swirls there first, getting used to steady pressure and knowing when to release.

Depending on the buttercream, another option is to chill piped decorations until firm and carefully lift them onto the cake. Some of her students find that less daunting than piping straight onto the finished surface.

It’s a small change in the way you practise, but it gives you a chance to understand how the buttercream moves before you commit to the decoration.

You don’t need to buy every piece of equipment before finding out whether you enjoy decorating. Catherine’s first purchases would be a cake scraper or bench scraper for smoothing the sides, plus one or two versatile piping tips, such as a 1M open-star tip, and piping bags.

A sturdy lazy Susan can stand in for a turntable, provided the cake board sits securely and the base doesn’t wobble. A regular kitchen knife can manage basic spreading, and an ice-cream scoop is handy for putting consistent amounts of filling between layers.

She suggests leaving specialised moulds, large piping-tip sets, airbrush equipment and novelty tools until you know which decorating styles you enjoy.

Catherine recommends baking a day ahead if possible. Let the cake cool completely, wrap it well and chill it before decorating so it’s firmer and easier to handle.

On a warm day, chill the decorated cake before transport. Keep it securely boxed on a flat, non-slip surface in the air-conditioned cabin of the car. Avoid a sloping seat, a hot boot or leaving the cake in a parked car.

The filling matters as much as the icing. Perishable fillings, such as fresh cream or cream cheese, need refrigeration. Count the time the cake spends out of the fridge during decorating, transport and serving together.

Buttercream tastes and feels better once it has softened a little, Catherine explains, but the filling and room temperature determine how long a cake can be left out. Don’t leave a perishable filling out for hours simply to soften the icing.

For guidance on cumulative time out of refrigeration, read Food Standards Australia New Zealand’s 2-hour/4-hour rule.

Many fully decorated buttercream cakes can be frozen ahead, Catherine says, provided the fillings and decorations are suitable. Freeze until the buttercream is firm, then wrap well and protect the cake in a suitable container.

Thaw it in the fridge while still wrapped, allowing plenty of time for the size of the cake. Fresh or delicate decorations may be better added after thawing.

Catherine sees confidence grow when people realise decorating is made up of small, learnable steps. In her classes, she demonstrates each process and gives participants time to practise with guidance.

Piping is often the turning point. Once someone can make a swirl, shell border or simple flower, they have a skill they can repeat and build on at home.

For your first cake, that gives you a useful place to start: choose a simple finish, get comfortable with the buttercream and give yourself room to practise. A few swirls on baking paper might be the step that gets you going.

Thanks for reading,

The Maroondah Exchange