Have you ever been to a bakery and you have no clue about many of the terms displayed on the menu or your are not sure what the baker is talking about when he or she is trying to explain you something?
We understand cake lingo can be a bit confusing, so if there are some words you’ve heard in bakeries or seen in our store, but you’re not sure what they mean, check out our Glossary of Terms for help!
You might never even hear many of these words, but if you ever do we want to make sure that you understand what is going on and what kind of cake you are getting. Because you don’t want to end up with a cake that you don’t even like!
So here are some of the most popular terms you might hear:
Airbrushing: airbrushing is the act of using a small air pump to spray food coloring onto cookies, cakes and cupcakes. Think of it as an edible spray paint for cakes!
Almond Paste: this is an ingredient used to give cakes a subtle almond flavoring. It’s made from ground almonds and looks like smooth dough.
Animal Print: a popular decoration on or in cakes, which incorporates various animal markings including zebra stripes, leopard spots and cheetah spots.
Basket weave: Basket weave is a pattern made on cakes in a crosshatch pattern (interwoven vertical and horizontal lines), giving the cake the appearance of an actual basket. This can be achieved with fondant or buttercream.
Buttercream: smooth and creamy decorator icing (commonly referred to as frosting). It can also be made in different consistencies.
Cake Pops: a dessert treat made of cake crumbs and frosting (or chocolate), rolled into balls or other desired shapes, dipped in chocolate or glaze, and placed on a stick (creating a ‘pop’ or lollipop effect). Often used as favors, additions to dessert tables, or in place of cookies.
Cake Topper: (see also cupcake topper) a small cake that can be placed atop a cupcake tower or used as a stand-alone cake on a dessert table.
Chevron: a pattern involving different colored ‘V’ shapes in repetition usually created on cakes with fondant
Damask: a pattern for cakes, cupcakes and desserts, commonly found on silk textiles. They are usually intricate botanical patterns but can be geometric or include animals.
Fillings: referring to the flavoring added between layers of cakes.
Fondant: a type of icing made of corn syrup, sugar and gelatin. It comes in many different colors, has a sweet flavor, and tends to be elastic in nature.
Marble: when flavors or colors are “swirled” together to create a marbled, swimming effect. Interiors of cakes can be marbled (commonly chocolate and vanilla), or fondant can be marbled for a beautiful color effect.
Ombre: when tones of color blend into each other, usually graduating from light to dark. A popular color choice for cakes, but can be achieved in many forms, including cupcake towers.
Royal Icing: typically a mixture of meringue powder, powdered sugar, & water.
Smash Cake: a small 4 to 6 inch cake traditionally give to your little one to “smash” into on their first birthday!
Tier: refers to each level of a cake.
These are definitely not all of the cake terms that you may hear, but if you hear these you will know what they mean!
And if you are ever at our Sweet Cherry Bakery in Apex, we will make sure that you understand every detail about your cake!
