Discover the secrets to crafting the perfect Basket Weave Cake with our step-by-step instructions. Get all the tips you need to learn how to make a basket weave frosting design.
Are you ready to step up your baking game and impress everyone with an eye-catching Basket Weave Cake?
Cake designs like the basketweave design is perfect for a spring gathering, as an Easter cake, or simply to add a special touch to your dessert table on Mother’s Day.
The basket weave technique, is surprisingly easier than it appears, adding elegance to any cake.
Whether you opt for a simple vanilla cake, a rich chocolate cake or a vibrant red velvet cake, pairing it with buttercream icing will ensure a smoother design and an elegant finish.
This stable and consistent frosting not only enhances the cake’s appearance but also makes the weaving process more manageable, allowing you to achieve stunning results that are sure to wow anyone who sees (and tastes) your beautiful basket weave cake.
How To Make a Basket Weave Cake Design
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.
Instructions
Start with your favorite cake recipe, baking two layers that will provide a sturdy foundation for your design. Vanilla, chocolate, or carrot cake? The choice is yours!
A homemade buttercream icing works best for a basket weave cake due to its ideal texture and spreadability. Tint your icing with food coloring if desired, aiming for shades that mimic natural basket materials for an authentic look.
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.
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 cake layers onto the board and create your inside layers.
Once the cake is put together, lightly crumb coat the cake with a thin layer of buttercream.
Place the cake into a fridge or freezer to set up the icing.
Fill a a piping bag fitted with a basket weave tip (Tip #47 is a classic choice), halfway 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 coating, 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.
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.
Relevant Recipes to Try:
- Chocolate Buttercream
- Vanilla Buttercream
- Perfect Cake Recipes
- Cake Decorating Guide
- Cream Cheese Icing
Tips for Perfecting Your Basket Cake
- Before tackling your actual cake, practice the weave pattern on a piece of parchment paper on a flat surface.
- Ensure your icing is of the right consistency; too stiff, and it will be difficult to pipe, too soft, and it won’t hold the pattern.
- If your icing becomes too soft as you work, don’t hesitate to pop your piping bag in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up.
- When making a basketweave cake, start on the side that will serve as the back of the cake,
- When piping, begin with a single vertical line followed by short horizontal ones, rather than doing all vertical lines at once.
- For ease, work with the cake at eye level on a turntable.
- If using colored icing, prepare extra to avoid running out and facing color matching issues as the icing sets.
Basket Weave Design FAQs
What tip do you use for basket weave cake?
To create a basket weave design on a cake, the go-to tool is a basket weave piping tip, with the Wilton #47 tip being a popular choice among bakers. The basketweave tip features a flat and a serrated side, allowing for both smooth and textured patterns that closely mimic the appearance of a woven basket.
How long does it take to pipe the basket weave pattern?
Depending on your skill level and the size of your cake, it could take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to cover the cake with the basket weave pattern.
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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.
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