Editing Cake (section)

==Cake decorating==
{{main|Cake decorating}}
[[File:Piping buttercream onto cake.JPG|thumb|[[Cake decorating|Cake decoration]] – [[buttercream]] swirls being piped onto the sides of this cake with a [[pastry bag]]]]
A finished cake is often enhanced by covering it with [[Icing (food)|icing]], or frosting, and toppings such as [[sprinkles]], which are also known as "jimmies" in certain parts of the United States and "hundreds and thousands" in the United Kingdom. The frosting is usually made from powdered (icing) sugar, sometimes a fat of some sort, milk or cream, and often flavorings such as a [[Vanilla|vanilla extract]] or [[Chocolate|cocoa powder]]. Some decorators use a rolled [[fondant icing]]. Commercial bakeries tend to use [[lard]] for the fat, and often whip the lard to introduce air bubbles. This makes the icing light and spreadable. Home bakers either use lard, butter, [[margarine]], or some combination thereof. Sprinkles are small firm pieces of sugar and oils that are colored with [[food coloring]]. In the late 20th century, new cake decorating products became available to the public. These include several specialized sprinkles and even methods to print pictures and transfer the image onto a cake.

Special tools are needed for more complex [[cake decorating]], such as [[pastry bag|piping bags]] and various piping tips, syringes and [[embossing mat]]s. To use a piping bag or syringe, a piping tip is attached to the bag or syringe using a coupler. The bag or syringe is partially filled with icing which is sometimes colored. Using different piping tips and various techniques, a cake decorator can make many different designs. Basic decorating tips include open star, closed star, basketweave, round, drop flower, leaf, multi, petal, and specialty tips. An embossing mat is used to create embossed effects. A [[cake turntable]] that cakes are spun upon may be used in cake decoration.

[[Royal icing]], [[marzipan]] (or a less sweet version, known as [[almond paste]]), fondant icing
(also known as sugar paste), and buttercream are used as covering icings and to create decorations. Floral [[sugarcraft]] or wired sugar flowers are an important part of cake decoration. Cakes for special occasions, such as wedding cakes, are traditionally rich fruit cakes or occasionally [[Madeira cake]]s, that are covered with marzipan and iced using royal icing or sugar-paste. They are finished with piped borders (made with royal icing) and adorned with a piped message, wired sugar flowers, hand-formed fondant flowers, marzipan fruit, piped flowers, or crystallized fruits or flowers such as [[grapes]] or [[Viola (plant)|violets]].

<gallery class="center" caption="Decorated cakes" widths="220px" heights="160px">
File:Strawberry Cake Cropped.jpg|A large cake [[Garnish (food)|garnished]] with strawberries
File:Strawberry Cake.JPG|A slice of [[strawberry cake]] with garnishing of strawberry
File:Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting topped with chocolate.jpg|Chocolate [[layer cake]] with chocolate frosting and shaved chocolate topping
File:大洗シーサイドホテル戦車ケーキ.jpg|Tank-shaped cake famous in [[Ōarai, Ibaraki|Ōarai, Japan]]
</gallery>