The holiday season is filled with joy, festive gatherings, and, of course, sweet treats! Whether you're an experienced baker or just trying your hand at holiday desserts, adding that extra flair to your cakes, cookies, and cupcakes can make all the difference. A beautifully decorated dessert can be the star of any holiday table, and the key to achieving that festive look lies in having the right cake decorating supplies.
In this guide, we'll dive into everything you need to know about decorating your holiday treats, from using Christmas sprinkles to creating intricate designs with fondant and piping bags. Let’s also explore how you can add shimmer and sparkle with edible glitter to make your desserts stand out this season.
Christmas Sprinkles: Adding Festive Fun to Your Desserts
Nothing says holiday cheer quite like Christmas sprinkles. Whether you're decorating sugar cookies, cupcakes, or a gingerbread house, sprinkles are an easy and fun way to add color and texture. Christmas sprinkles come in various shapes, sizes, and colors, from classic red and green dots to more intricate designs like candy canes, snowflakes, and stars.
Here are a few types of Christmas sprinkles to consider for your next baking project:
- Jimmies: These long, thin sprinkles are perfect for decorating cupcakes and cookies. Available in red, green, and white for Christmas, jimmies provide a colorful, smooth texture.
- Nonpareils: Tiny, round sprinkles that add a delightful crunch to your desserts. Christmas-themed nonpareils often come in red, green, and white, making them ideal for holiday baking.
- Shaped Sprinkles: These sprinkles come in festive shapes like Christmas trees, reindeer, and snowflakes, adding a playful touch to your desserts.
- Sugar Pearls: For a touch of elegance, sugar pearls come in metallic finishes like gold or silver, which pair beautifully with more sophisticated holiday cakes and cookies.
When using sprinkles, it's important to consider when and how to apply them. For cookies and cupcakes, sprinkles are typically added before baking, while for cakes, it’s best to sprinkle them on frosting or glaze while it's still wet to ensure they stick.
Fondant: Crafting Intricate Designs
If you’re looking to take your cake decorating skills to the next level, fondant is an essential tool. Fondant is a smooth, pliable icing that can be rolled out and molded into various shapes and designs, making it perfect for creating intricate decorations. During the holiday season, fondant can be used to create adorable Christmas-themed figures like snowmen, Santa Claus, and Christmas trees.
Some of the most popular ways to use fondant in holiday baking include:
- Covering Cakes: Fondant provides a flawless, smooth surface for cakes, creating a professional, polished look. You can use colored fondant to create a solid base, then add additional decorations like Christmas sprinkles or edible glitter.
- Shaping Figures: Fondant can be molded into almost any shape, so you can get creative with holiday-themed figures and ornaments.
- Cutting Shapes: Use fondant cutters or cookie cutters to create festive shapes like stars, Christmas trees, and snowflakes. These can be placed on top of cakes or cookies for a fun decorative touch.
When working with fondant, be sure to dust your surface with powdered sugar or cornstarch to prevent it from sticking. And if you’re creating layered decorations, edible glue or a small dab of water can help attach the pieces together.
Cake Decorating Supplies You Can’t Do Without
In addition to sprinkles and fondant, there are a few other cake decorating supplies that every holiday baker should have in their arsenal:
Piping Bags: These bags are used to pipe frosting, royal icing, and whipped cream onto your desserts. For the holiday season, piping bags can help you create intricate designs, such as snowflakes or wreaths, on cakes and cookies. You can also use piping bags to create borders or to write festive messages like "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" on your treats.
There are reusable piping bags made of silicone or disposable plastic ones, and they often come with different piping tips for various effects—think star tips for textured swirls or round tips for smooth, clean lines.
Edible Glitter: If you’re looking to add some sparkle and glam to your Christmas desserts, edible glitter is a must-have. Available in a range of colors, edible glitter can be dusted over cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and even drinks. It catches the light beautifully and adds a magical shimmer to your baked creations.
For Christmas, consider gold, silver, or even red and green edible glitter to match the festive theme. Just be sure the glitter is labeled as "edible" since some glitters are only meant for decorative purposes.
Food Coloring: To truly embrace the Christmas spirit, stock up on red, green, and white food coloring. Whether you're coloring your fondant, icing, or cake batter, food coloring allows you to get creative with your holiday desserts.
Tips for Decorating Your Holiday Treats
With all the tools and supplies in hand, here are a few tips for decorating like a pro this holiday season:
- Plan Ahead: Before you start baking and decorating, sketch out your design ideas. This helps you gather all the necessary supplies and ensures your decorating process goes smoothly.
- Practice Piping: If you’re new to using a piping bag, practice on a piece of parchment paper before applying it to your cakes or cookies. This helps you perfect your technique and control the flow of icing.
- Get Creative with Color: Use food coloring to create vibrant, festive hues in your icing, fondant, or even cake batter. Mix and match colors for a fun, Christmas-themed palette.
- Use Edible Glitter Sparingly: A little goes a long way when it comes to edible glitter. Use it to highlight specific parts of your dessert or add a final dusting for a glamorous touch.
Conclusion
Decorating Christmas desserts is one of the best ways to celebrate the holiday season. With the right supplies—like festive Christmas sprinkles, smooth and versatile fondant, piping bags, and shimmering edible glitter—you can turn simple baked goods into stunning, professional-looking creations. Whether you’re crafting an intricate holiday cake or just adding a few sprinkles to sugar cookies, the key is to have fun and let your creativity shine.
