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Stencils are one of the easiest ways to add detailed designs to your cakes but they can
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also go wrong really quickly if you don't know the tricks. In this tutorial I'll show you exactly how
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to make and use cake stencils step by step, plus advanced techniques and troubleshooting on how
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to fix every common mistake. Let's start with the basics - making sure your cake has straight sides.
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This really matters. If the sides aren't straight, your stencil won't sit flat and your design will
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smudge. Chilling the cake before you frost it will prevent your cake from leaning. Frost your cake
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and smooth the sides and then chill it until the buttercream is firm. This is essential. If your
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cake is soft, the stencil will stick and pull the frosting off. Now let's make the stencil. You can
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draw your design onto parchment paper and cut it out or trace it using a phone or computer screen
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underneath it. To apply the stencil, hold it flat against the cake and spread buttercream over it.
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Try to spread inwards rather than outwards so you don't push the frosting underneath
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the edges of your shape. Then use your scraper to smooth and thin the buttercream. You want a thin,
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even layer. Carefully peel the stencil away. You can peel from both sides towards the middle
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or push down against one side and pull the other side towards it to prevent it moving
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or shifting as you peel. If you need to tidy up the edges of your design with a toothpick,
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you can also add a border around the edges with piping or sprinkles or coloured sugar like I'm
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doing here. Once you've got the basics, you can start getting more creative. For a blended effect,
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use multiple colours, spreading them side by side, and then you'll blend
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them together as you scrape over them to smooth the buttercream before peeling the stencil off.
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For a more elaborate design use two stencils, a simple shape with a pattern underneath it.
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And after wrapping both of these around a cake, spread and smooth colored buttercream as usual.
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But when you peel the stencils off, your design will be a shape with a pattern inside.
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Use a different layering technique for characters or scenes. Apply one stencil,
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chill the cake, and then add the next. By layering the stencils on top of each other one at a time,
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you can add more and more details to the design. Always chill in between stencils so that you don't
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damage the previous details while they're still soft. Outlining sections makes design stand out
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more and makes the edges neater, especially when there are lots of details and colours. Add texture
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over a stencil like I'm doing here with this goat. Texture makes the design more interesting and who
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doesn't love more buttercream on a cake? Another way to make your cake more interesting is to add
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sprinkles or coloured sugar. It's a good idea to wrap parchment paper or wax paper around the
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bottom of the cake first so that falling sprinkles or sugar doesn't stick to the bottom of your cake.
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Add sprinkles or coloured sugar around the edges of a design to give it an outline or press them
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against the buttercream before peeling the stencil away to completely fill the shape. Small sprinkles
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like non-pareils work best for this so the design stays clear and readable. Now, let's go through
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what can go wrong with cake stencils and how to fix those problems. If your design smudges and the
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outline is messy, it's because your stencil moved before or while you peeled it away from the cake.
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Use a toothpick to tidy up any smudges, scraping them off. And as long as the cake is really cold,
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the frosting on the cake will stay firm and won't be damaged as you scrape over it with the
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toothpick. If you spread buttercream too thickly over a stencil, when you peel the stencil off,
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you'll leave uneven edges on the design. Spread your buttercream thinner for neater results. But
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sometimes you do need thicker buttercream, like when you're covering up a dark colour with a
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lighter colour or adding a stencil detail over the top of texture. And in this case,
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if the edges of your design are uneven, you can use a toothpick to tidy them up. If you
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take a long time to spread and smooth buttercream over a stencil, your fingers pressing against the
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stencil to hold it still will warm up the frosting underneath, and you'll leave fingerprints behind.
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So, if you're new to stencils, pin your stencil in place the first few times while you get used
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to the technique so you can work slowly without worrying about leaving those fingerprints behind.
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If you're wrapping a stencil all the way around a cake, straight sides on that cake are essential.
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Otherwise, the stencil won't sit flat and the design will distort. If you're reusing stencils,
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clean them between uses so that leftover buttercream doesn't transfer onto your next
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design. And if you're layering stencils, make sure you wait long enough in between the layers.
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If the first layer isn't fully set, the next one can ruin it. Let's finish with the most important
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tips and tricks for cake stencils. Always chill your cake before and in between stencils.
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Cut your stencil neatly - messy edges in the stencil will show up on your cake.
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Spread buttercream inwards from the edge to the middle of your stencil
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and then swipe away sideways instead of pulling off straight and lifting the stencil with you.
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Move your fingers as you hold the stencil to avoid leaving warm fingerprints on the cake. And
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when removing the stencil, peel carefully either from both sides towards the middle or press on
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one side and pull towards that side to prevent the stencil moving and smudging the design. So now you
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know exactly how to make and use cake stencils to create simple designs and also advanced techniques
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and how to fix the mistakes that can happen along the way. Tell me in the comments what
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you're going to stencil onto your next cake. And visit my cake school on www.britishgirlbakes.com
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to learn hundreds more cake decorating techniques and designs. See you there!
