food decorating GUIDE

food decorating GUIDE to mix and match sweets, toppings and decorations

It’s been over a year since Sugarlicious hit the shelves, and I’m still super proud of that book. Why? Because it packs so much information in over 200 pages. It’s the book I wish I had when I started moving beyond decorated cookies into cupcakes, cakes, marshmallows, stuff on sticks and the mysteries of fondant. This food decorating GUIDE is inspired by the book. 

Here, I’m going to expand on the Sugarlicious Chart I include in the back of the book. While I provide ideas for sweet crafts here and in the book, my goal is for you to learn the techniques so you can mix and match and make your own. But not everything goes together well. I wouldn’t use royal icing to top cupcakes, egads!  And you can’t use edible markers on buttercream frosting, but you can use them on poured sugar icing. See? It gets confusing. So what goes with what?? Royal icing, frosting, fondant, cupcakes, cookies, cake pops, marshmallows… aaaaagggghh!!!?!  Though I’m sure you can find examples of exceptions, below are the matches I think work best.

First, choose a sweet to start. This is your base:

• cookies or cookie pops, • cupcakes, • cakes, • cake pops, • petits fours and • marshmallows or marshmallow pops

And here are your choices for toppings:

•  royal icing, • buttercream frosting, • poured sugar icing, • fondant and • melted candy melts

And these are some things you use for decorating:

• royal icing designs, • piped frosting, • fondant and candy clay decorations, • edible markers, • painting and stamping with food coloring, • sprinkles and candy, • edible icing sheets

NOW WHAT GOES WITH WHAT??

These toppings are best with these sweets:

• top cookies with royal icing, poured sugar icing, fondant, or dip pops in candy melts

• top cupcakes and cakes with buttercream frosting or fondant

• dip cake pops in candy melts

• top petits fours with poured sugar icing or fondant

• leave marshmallows bare or dip pops in candy melts

These decorations go best on these toppings:

•  on royal icing, use piped royal icing designs, fondant or candy clay decorations, edible markers, painting and stamping, sprinkles and candy or edible icing sheets

•  on buttercream frosting, use piped frosting designs, fondant or candy clay decorations, sprinkles and candy, or edible icing sheets

• on poured sugar icing, use piped royal icing designs, fondant or candy clay decorations, edible markers, painting and stamping, or sprinkles and candy

• on fondant, use piped royal icing or frosting designs, fondant or candy clay decorations, edible markers, painting and stamping, sprinkles and candy or edible icing sheets

• on candy melts, use piped royal icing or frosting designs, fondant decorations, edible markers, or sprinkles and candy

I hope this helps!! In the book, of course, I go over each of these sweets, toppings and decorations in ridiculous detail.

Below is a cheat sheet.

To PRINT, click HERE.