You have sifted the flour, beaten the eggs, softened the butter, mixed the ingredients, put it in the oven to bake voila you have a beautiful cake. Now it time to decorate.

The first and obvious consideration before decorating is what occasion is the cake celebrating if any at all. Lets begin with a simple cake that is planned dessert for supper. A white or chocolate frosting is usually sufficient for a dessert cake. A basic frosting recipe contains butter, sugar, and water or milk. More liquid can be added if you are making a glaze. Different flavored extracts, fruit zest or juice, and chocolate are often added. The most important ingredient is sugar for it provides the sweetness and bulk. Butter comes next (sometimes shortening is substituted) and eggs. Egg whites can be used as well, but should be whipped in a mixing bowl to prevent peaks.

If the occasion is more elaborate like a wedding, anniversary, birthday or shower, you need to decide whether you want to use icing or frosting. There is a difference. Icing sounds more professional when talking about frosting. But the fact is, there is a difference. Frosting is stiffer and pipes well. It is considered creamier and softer than icing. Whatever you decide do not use inferior ingredients. Buy quality ingredients to guarantee your cake and topping is fresh, tender and delicious. You can make decorations like flowers ahead of time and put them in the freezer. Dont look for shortcuts. You wont be happy with the results. There are hundreds of books and online sites that can give you wonderful recipes for cake decorating. Treat your cake as a canvas and bake and decorate a piece of art.