Cake making & decorating tips

Be the birthday hero and create some fantastic kids cakes - you won't believe how easy they are to make! Just follow Woolworths Australian Good Taste's food editor Michelle Southan's tips to making your cake a show stopper.

Follow these handy tips to make sure your cake becomes the show stopper at any party.

• Remove the butter for both the cake and icing from the fridge about an hour before you start cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. It needs to be soft enough to beat and create a light, fluffy texture.
• Make the cake at least 1 day ahead before cutting it into shapes. This makes it easier to cut out the shapes. Store un-iced cakes in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
• Place your icing and sweets for decorating in separate bowls so you're ready to decorate.
• Secure your cake to a cake board or serving platter by spreading a small amount of icing onto the base of the cake. This stops it from slipping around when you're decorating the cake.
• Use a pastry brush to remove any cake crumbs that fall onto the board or platter around the cake
• before and during decorating. Wipe the cake board or serving platter around the cake with a clean, damp cloth after decorating to clean up the icing.
• Spread a little icing between the cakes if layering on top of each other, such as in our Fairy Castle Cake. This helps the cakes stick together and ensures the layers stay still so it's easier to decorate and cut into serving pieces.