Cake Decorating Glossary: 15 Terms Explained
The words that show up in cake decorating specs, reviews and how-to guides, explained without jargon.
- Baking strips
- Damp fabric bands around pans that help cakes bake flatter.
- Related: Best Baking Strips for Flat Cake Layers Without Domes →
- Bench scraper
- A flat tool held against a spinning cake to smooth the sides.
- Related: Best Cake Scrapers for Smooth Sides and Sharp Edges →
- Buttercream
- Frosting made from butter and sugar. American, Swiss meringue and Italian meringue styles vary in sweetness and stability.
- Cake board
- A sturdy base under each cake or tier.
- Related: Best Cake Boards and Drums for Stable, Clean Presentation →
- Cake turntable
- A rotating stand that makes smooth frosting and piping much easier.
- Related: Best Cake Turntables for Smooth Frosting and Decorating →
- Coupler
- A two-part fitting that lets you change piping tips without emptying the bag.
- Related: Best Piping Bag Couplers and Bag Ties →
- Crumb coat
- A thin layer of frosting that traps crumbs before the final coat.
- Related: Best Offset Spatulas for Frosting and Cake Decorating →
- Dowels
- Supports inserted into lower tiers so upper tiers do not sink.
- Related: Best Cake Dowels and Tiering Supports for Stacked Cakes →
- Fondant
- A smooth, rollable sugar paste used to cover cakes and model decorations.
- Related: Best Fondant Brands for Cake Covering and Decorating →
- Gel food coloring
- Concentrated colour that tints frosting without thinning it.
- Related: Best Gel Food Coloring for Buttercream and Fondant →
- Gum paste
- A sugar paste that dries hard, used for delicate flowers.
- Related: Best Gum Paste Tools for Sugar Flowers and Figures →
- Leveling
- Cutting the dome off a baked cake so layers stack flat.
- Related: Best Cake Levelers for Flat, Even Layers Every Time →
- Luster dust
- A shimmering powder brushed on dry or mixed into paint. Check whether it is labelled edible or non-toxic decorative only.
- Related: Best Luster Dust for Cakes: Shimmer That Actually Shows →
- Piping tip
- A metal or plastic nozzle that shapes frosting, like round, star and petal tips.
- Related: Best Piping Tip Sets for Cake Decorating →
- Wafer paper
- Thin edible paper made from starch for flowers, sails and printed images.
- Related: Best Wafer Paper for Cake Decorating and Edible Prints →