While baking a cake requires a lot of effort, decorating the finished piece can seem equally stressful. When you don’t have time to mess with frosting or can't manage to summon any creative bone in your body, one common ingredient can help you turn baked goods into art pieces: powdered sugar.

Light coatings of confectioner's sugar can be sifted over a cake to create patterns, as long as the cake is cool, since powdered sugar will melt on warm surfaces. Cut any shapes you like out of a piece of paper to make a stencil, lay the paper on the cake's surface, and carefully sift powdered sugar over top before removing the stencil.

For stripes, use strips of paper to create striking white lines on top of a dark chocolate cake, or place jar lids on top of your cake to make circle patterns. You can also layer cocoa powder or powdered spices on top to add some color, but make sure the toppings you choose complement and do not overpower the taste of the cake.