Make Writing On Cake A Breeze With This Parchment Paper Hack

Got an unsteady hand? Then piping a happy birthday message directly onto the top of a homemade cake will likely sound like a daunting ask. Luckily, you can make writing on a cake a breeze with a simple parchment paper hack that will leave you feeling like a rockstar baker. All you need to do is pipe your chocolate message onto non-stick parchment and transfer it over to your decorated sponge once it's set and easier to handle; no muss and no fuss.

To begin, write your message down on a regular piece of paper (you can do this by hand or use a printer if you're after a uniform finish or fun font). Then take a sheet of parchment paper and stick it down on top, making sure the tape doesn't cover any of the letters – the translucent nature of the parchment paper will allow you to see the lettering through it, much like tracing paper. Finally, use a piping bag filled with chocolate or your choice of frosting and trace over the message before refrigerating it.

When your chocolate has become stiff, peel your message off the parchment paper and place it on top of your cake. If you've written in cursive where every letter is connected to the next, you should be able to lift the entire thing off in one move. However, if you've written the entire message in print script, you'll need to delicately remove the letters one by one.

The awesome thing about this parchment paper trick is that it isn't the end of the world if you make a mistake. You can simply clean off the mess and rewrite your message until it's perfect, or make extras in case of accidents. Just make sure to arrange the letters on your cake quickly to prevent the heat from your hands from melting the chocolate. Once you've mastered this technique, feel free to flex your creativity on more than writing — make hearts, flowers, stars, and more! Of course, you don't have to stick to using milk or dark chocolate in your piping bag either. Switch to white chocolate or candy melts, and you can color them with food coloring to make vibrant lettering.

After some more super-useful cake decorating tips? Trim your cake with a serrated knife to guarantee every layer is even and brush each one with simple syrup to keep them moist. You should also spread a thin layer of frosting on your cake, known as a crumb coat, and chill it until set before coating it fully. This traps and messy crumbs and guarantees that the surface of your strawberry sponge cake remains pristine with an immaculate finish.