See how easy it is to create a beautiful cake using the basket weave cake decorating technique.This tutorial will give you the right tools you need to know to start creating a basket cake design.
If you’re looking for a fun, new cake decorating technique to try out, look no further than basket weave! This tutorial will show you how to create an intricate woven pattern on your cake that is sure to impress.
It’s easier than it looks to create a basket weave pattern on your cake, and the results are stunning!
The basket weave cake design is a very popular pattern for cakes. This is the perfect cake that can be used for an Easter cake, Mother’s Day, or a new baby among many other events.
A few favorite cakes to use for this project are a simple vanilla cake, chocolate cake or even red velvet cake. You can also go with any pre-baked flavor you like!
This cake is pictured here with Easter Bunny Cupcakes!
Use buttercream icing for a smoother design that’s easier to control on your basket weave cake. Buttercream icing is a stable and consistent frosting that will give your cake designs an elegant sheen.
Basket Weave Cake Decorating Step by Step Instructions
Supplies
- Turntable
- Piping Bags or pastry bags
- Coupler
- Decorating Wilton Tip #47 – basket weave tip
- A Pre-baked cake, preferably frozen.
- Buttercream Icing
- Offset spatula
- Cake board, the same size as your cake or a Cake Drum 2 inches larger than the size of your cake.
Some Things to Note When Using the Basket Weave Technique:
- The thing to remember is whatever side of the cake you start, will ultimately be the back of the cake.
- You can bake your cake from scratch or pick up a frozen, un-iced cake from your grocery store bakery.
- They also sell icing if you don’t want to make a homemade buttercream.
- Do not use the cake icing found in the cake aisle, as it will not be thick enough to hold this pattern. A homemade vanilla buttercream or premade buttercream is preferred.
- Always pipe a single vertical line, then short horizontal lines. Do NOT attempt this by piping all of the vertical lines at once.
- Place the cake on a turntable and on a surface at eye level (sit to create this) make this much easier to complete.
- If using a colored icing, make more than you need originally. Underestimating the amount of icing you need can cause issues down the line. For example, you may not be able to recreate the same color. During the time you are making more icing, the icing on the cake is already setting and deepening in color so they will not dry the same shade of the colored icing.
- *Cake boards are cardboard circles that cakes sit on but are not very sturdy. Used when placing the cake layers on top of one another or before placing them on a cake stand to protect it when the cake is sliced. Cake drums are several cake boards glued together and covered in a food safe decorative foil used for presentation. This is often used in lieu of or with a decorative cake stand for presentation.
Instructions
You have complete control over how tightly woven you would like your final product so give this one some thought before getting started with our instructions below.
Place one dollop of buttercream into the center of the cake board. This will serve as our “glue” for the cake.
Place frozen cake layers onto the board and create your inside layers.
Once the cake is put together, lightly add a crumb coating with a thin layer of buttercream.
Place the cake into a fridge or freezer while you set up the icing.
Place the coupler in a piping bag and fit with tip 47. Fill bag ½ full with buttercream icing.
Remove cake from the cooler and place on top of the turntable. (Imagine the top of the cake is a clock)
Hold the decorating bag at a 45 degree angle at 6 o’clock.
Very lightly touch the piping tip to the crumb coated cake, serrated side up, squeeze out a vertical strip of icing from the top to the bottom of the cake
Stop squeezing and then pull away.
For the duration of this project, remember to squeeze, stop and then pull away.
With the bag positioned at a 45 degree angle, this time at 3 o’clock, squeeze out short horizontal stripes of icing over the vertical line starting at the top.
The spacing between the horizontal stripes should be even. Pipe the second vertical line over the ends of the horizontal stripes.
Begin a set of horizontal stripes by burying the tup under the previous vertical line.
Repeat the buttercream basket weave with vertical and horizontal stripes until you have covered the entire cake with the woven design.
What to Top Your Basket Cake With:
- Icing Rosettes to make it look like fresh flowers are in your basket.
- Berries or other fresh fruit to make it look like a fruit basket.
- Easter Candy to make it look like an Easter basket.
If you are looking for a new, fun challenge in cake decorating, give this technique a try today for your next cake! You will be amazed at how intricate and stunning your final cake will be!
Doesn’t this cake just look so pretty on an Easter dessert table?
Basket Weave Cake Decorating Tutorial
Ingredients
- Prebaked cake of your choice, preferably frozen
- Buttercream Icing
- Supplies listed in recommended products section.
Instructions
- Place one dollop of buttercream into the center of the cake board. This will serve as our “glue” for the cake.
- Place frozen cake layers onto the board and create your inside layers.
- Once the cake is put together, lightly crumb coat (do a thin layer of buttercream icing around the entire cake to capture any crumbs that can mess up the presentation).
- Place the cake into a fridge or freezer while you set up the icing.
- Place coupler in piping bag and fit with tip 47. Fill bag ½ full with buttercream icing.
- Remove cake from cooler and place on top of turntable.
- (Imagine the top of the cake is a clock) Hold the decorating bag at a 45 degree angle at 6 o’clock.
- Very lightly touch the piping tip to the crumb coated cake, serrated side up, squeeze out a vertical strip of icing from the top to the bottom of the cake. Stop squeezing and then pull away.
- For the duration of this project, remember to squeeze, stop and then pull away.
- With the bag positioned at a 45 degree angle, this time at 3 o’clock, squeeze out short horizontal stripes of icing over the vertical line starting at the top. The spacing between the horizontal stripes should be even.
- Pipe the next vertical line over the ends of the horizontal stripes.
- Begin a set of horizontal stripes by burying the tup under the previous vertical line.
- Repeat this process, with vertical and horizontal stripes until you have covered the entire cake with the basketweave pattern.
Notes
Always pipe a single vertical line, then short horizontal lines. Do NOT attempt this by piping all of the vertical lines at once.
Place the cake on a turntable and on a surface at eye level (sit to create this) make this much easier to complete.
If using a colored icing, make more than you need originally. Underestimating the amount of icing you need can cause issues down the line. For example, you may not be able to recreate the same color. During the time you are making more icing, the icing on the cake is already setting and deepening in color so they will not dry the same shade of the colored icing.
Remember, wherever you start, will ultimately be the back of the cake.
*You can bake your cake from scratch or pick up a frozen, uniced cake from your grocery store bakery.
They also sell icing if you don’t want to make a from scratch buttercream.
*Do not use the cake icing found in the cake isle, as it will not be thick enough to hold this pattern. A homemade buttercream or premade buttercream is preferred.
Recommended Products
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14Packs Food Coloring Set, 12 Color Liquid Vibrant Food Color Tasteless Food Dye for Baking, Icing, Cake Decorating, Fondant, Cooking, Slime Making DIY Supplies Kit - .35 Fl. Oz (10 ml) Bottles -
Oasis Supply Edible Confetti Sprinkles Cake Cookie Cupcake Quins Pastel Sequin (8 Ounces) -
12 Inch Cake Board Drums Round, 6-Pack, White, Sturdy 1/2" Thick for Heavy Or Multi-Tiered Cakes