Cake Decoration Glossary

Cake Decoration supplies can be bought for the top of your cake from a cake decorating supplier, or your florist if you like to have fresh flowers on your cake.

Your wedding cake can be covered and decorated in various ways.

Listed below are some of the more common terms used that you will come across when looking for your wedding cake.

Cake Decoration Terms

	American Stack Each tier of the cake sits directly on top of the one below with no pillars in between.
image by cbcastro	Basket Weave A piping technique that looks like the interwoven reeds of a wicker basket, this is best achieved by using butter cream and royal icing.
image by tn something special	Buttercream Is used to fill and ice cakes. It is a mixture of butter and icing sugar.
image by icing on the cake	Cake Tower A multilevel, multiarmed cake stand which is used to display the cakes individually.
	Chocolate Ganache Is a mixture of boiled cream and coverture chocolate (white, milk or dark can be used). It is smoothed over the cake with a palette knife and can also be used as a filling.
image by themacgirl	Columns Also known as pillars, these are used in most traditional wedding cakes. They are tubes which are placed between each layer to achieve an open look between each tier and are a part of the overall design of the cake.
	Cornelli Cake Decoration An intricate piping technique that gives a lovely lace like look.
image by aussie gold	Croquembouche A French dessert made from profiteroles filled with cream, covered in rich toffee or chocolate sauce and spun sugar.
	Cup Cake Wedding Cakes Individual fairy cakes, one for every guest.
image by j terell photographer	Dacquoise A round dessert made up of layers of meringue mixed with ground toasted nuts, and layers of whipped cream mixed with soft fruit.
	Dotted Swiss A piping technique which tiny raised dots are arranged in patterns on the cake to resemble dotted-Swiss fabric.
	Dragees Sugar coated almonds that come in a variety of colors including gold and silver. Also known as Jordan almonds.
image by haraldwalker	Filling A fruit or cream based paste spread between layers within tiers of a cake.
	Fondant Cake Decoration A soft rolled icing that is used to give a formal finish to cakes. It is also used for sugar flowers and modeling work, and can be colored to match any theme.
	Fresh Flowers and Fruit Can be arranged on the cake on the day of the wedding.
image by foonus	Genoise A classic European sponge cake. It is a tender dry cake which is usually moisten with sugar syrup.
image by she takes the cake	Grooms Cake The use of a Grooms Cake is an old custom that is still observed at some weddings. It is a separate cake, traditionally a fruit cake but can be a sponge of any flavor and shape and can be based upon the groom’s hobbies, sport or any other interest he may have.
image by shovelmonkey1	Gum Paste This is a mixture of sugar, cornstarch, and gelatin. It is edible and is used to make realistic decorations, such as fruits, flowers and shells. It can also be formed into loops and bows. It is also known as sugar dough.
	Lattice work Is a piping detail that is made up of crossed strips arranged in a diagonal pattern with open spaces.
image by cooldudeandy01	Marzipan A paste made from ground almonds, corn syrup and sugar. It can be used to make shapes of fruit or other desired objects to decorate the cake. It is also used as a layer between a fruit cake and fondant icing.
image by paula bray	Meringue A mixture of egg white and sugar and air that is whisked and dried slowly in the oven. Meringue can be shaped before it is baked.
image by jenncharina	Meringue Butter cream Butter is added to egg whites that have been whipped with sugar over heat; this gives a glossy smooth creamy covering.
image by lynne	Modeling Chocolate A mixture of chocolate and corn syrup that is firm and pliable. It can be used in the same way as gum paste.
	Piping Cake Decoration Made from icing sugar or butter cream in a piping consistency to form dots, snail trail, shells, rope border, reverse shells, rosebuds and half rose, zigzags, ruffle, lily of the valley, basket weave.
image by kristenjolanda	Pulled Sugar A technique in which boiled sugar is manipulated and pulled to produce flowers and bows.
	Royal Icing Made with pure icing sugar and egg white it is used for detailed piping work on cakes. It can be color matched to your theme. It is also used to make piped flowers and shapes.
	Sugar Flowers Are handmade from gum paste, these flowers are delicate. They must be stored in an airtight container.
image by ginger jam	Spun Sugar Cake Decoration A web of fine, long strands of crystallized sugar.
image by ulterior epicure	Torte Has two meanings: A dense cake that does not use leavening agents like baking powder or baking soda. A cake cut into layers and sandwiched back together with a filling.
image by vita arina	Whipped Cream Heavy cream beaten until soft and foamy. It is unstable and not recommended in hot weather for outdoor weddings.