Decorate A Cake With An Air Brush Compressor

Cakes are often frosted and piped with various colors of icing. However, mixing each color, filling clean bags and using new tips for each color makes for a lot of work and clean-up. Another way to decorate cakes with color or add sheen and dimension to a cake is to air brush cakes with edible paints. An air brush works by pressing a small trigger that allows air from the compressor to shoot out through a small opening. The air picks up edible paint that is held in a small cup and sprays it in a fine mist out the end of the nozzle. This can give the icing on the cake soft wisps of color or bold, all-over finishes of any hue, depending on the amount of pressure you apply to the trigger and how long you aim it on one area of the cake.

Instructions

1. Buy an air brush compressor system that is made especially for decorating cakes from a cake decorating supply store or online (see Resources below). Buy as good a machine as you can comfortably afford, as you usually get what you pay for. Very cheap machines tend to break easily or pulse the air which results in the nozzle spraying out splotches of color rather than a dependable fine mist.

2. Buy edible paints that are recommended for your air brush system. Try mixing small amounts of colors to make new colors, or buy pearlized or metallic colors for special finishes.

3. Prepare the cake by coating it with a layer of icing (usually buttercream). Wait a few minutes for the icing to set up, then place the smoothest side of a Viva paper towel on top of the cake. Brush your hand quickly over the towel a few times to create some friction. Move the towel to a new position and repeat. Do the same procedure to the sides of the cake to create a smooth finish all over the cake's surface.

4. Read the directions that came with your air brush system and ensure that you understand them. Re-read them if you are unsure of any of the steps to prepare to use the new system.

5. Place a small amount of edible paint into the cup of the air brush. Practice spraying the paint using various trigger pressures and back and forth movements of the brush on a paper towel to observe the effects.

6. Decide on the pattern you want to make on the cake and begin spraying the first color. Clean the cup and load it with the next color. Continue until you have the effect you want.

Tags: brush system, cakes with, each color, edible paint, edible paints, fine mist, paper towel