Enough talk about how baking is a science. Let’s talk showmanship.
And no, you don’t need years of experience to put together unique, eye-catching baked goods.
In this post, I’ll share some ingenious ideas for turning regular recipes into something worthy of a spot on The Great British Bake Off.
10 Ways to Add Pizzazz to Your Baked Goodies
The list covers general ideas for cakes, cupcakes, bread, macarons, and other goodies (but, honestly, it’s mostly cakes).
1. Stay Sharp; Use Shards
Sugar/caramel shards are more or less like abstract art. They play on shape and color to add a hint of mystique and sophistication.
The huge plus is that they’re ridiculously easy to make and customize. For basic shards, all you need is sugar, water, a saucepan, and a tray lined with parchment paper.
Caramelize the sugar, pour it, chill it, and break it. Done!
For even more oomph, add peanuts, food coloring, or chocolate to the still-hot sugar.
Speaking of chocolate, you could ditch the caramel altogether and use melted chocolate alone. The resulting shards are perfect for mimicking tree bark texture.
Yule log, anyone?
2. Collar With Chocolate Lace
Once you get the gist of the shard idea, you can get more creative with your creations.
For instance, I love making lace collars for my cakes. I’ll admit that working with acetate paper can be tricky, but the finished look is stunning!
And hey, you can always just break bits of the lace and use them as extra sophisticated shards.
3. Dust Over Stencils
You could invest in an edible printing system. You could also have a crack at fondant painting techniques.
Or you could just grab a stencil.
Are you baking for a wedding or a baby shower? Go for store-bought stencils with intricate lace designs.
For Halloween, you can easily cut your own simple (but bold) stencil. Think bat outline or jack-o-lanterns.
The dust itself could be cocoa, confectioner’s sugar, matcha, or rainbow sprinkles.
4. Create a Piñata
Don’t want to limit the “wow factor” to the outside of your baked goodies? Make a piñata.
It’s not complicated, I promise.
Prepare a regular layered sponge cake and cut the center out of all layers but one (for the top). Then, fill that center hole with jelly beans, sprinkles, or M&Ms before popping the intact layer on top.
All that’s left is to let a party guest do the cutting for a pleasant surprise!
5. Gloss It Up
I know this will seem like a basic decoration tip, especially compared to the over-the-top ideas in this post. But hear me out.
Finishing can make or break any design, and nothing says “professionally done, head-turning finish” quite like a mirror glaze. The shinier, the better!
In fact, it’s okay to layer your shine.
So, if you end up with some blemishes in the glaze coat, cover them with gold leaf—no one will be the wiser.
6. Defy Gravity
Coating your baked goodies with ganache is good. Covering the top with a generous layer of M&Ms is better.
But you don’t want to settle for “good” and “better” here. Remember, the keyword is extraordinary!
And you know what’s extraordinary? A gravity-defying dessert.
With a skewer and Pocky stick, you can create the illusion that a packet of sweets is floating over the cake/cupcake, pouring a waterfall of candy.
M&M’s Illusion Cupcakes! Gravity Defying Cupcakes with My Cupcake Addiction
7. Use Caramel Glue
Want to stick stuff to your dessert without using skewers? Use Caramel.
My go-to decoration, in this case, is popcorn, You know, to complete the classic flavor duo.
Make sure the caramel-soaked popcorn is “spilling” down one side to give your dessert a unique profile.
8. Work With the Shape You’re Given
Take a moment to think about your baked treat’s usual shape.
What do you see? I’ll bet there are at least a couple of design opportunities waiting for you to try.
For instance, the hole in a Bundt cake looks like an open mouth. So, with two googly donut-hole eyes, white chocolate bits for teeth, and lots of frosting for fur, you can turn the cake into a fun monster.
On the other hand, cupcakes look a lot like little plant pots—so much so that people sell silicone pot-shaped molds nowadays.
Grab a few of those and go crazy with your piping bags. Some people do individual succulents, while others go for a full bouquet (perfect for bridal showers, Mother’s Day, and Valentine’s Day).
9. Think Outside the (Jewel) Box
One way to spice up a regular sponge cake is to gift-wrap it.
No, seriously. Give the “Jewel Box” technique a go.
You’ll bake the batter in a square pan and cover every inch with raspberries, leaving two perpendicular lines bare. That’s where the white chocolate ribbons will go.
10. Don’t Fear the Monochrome
Contrast works wonders for catching the eye and highlighting the best part of your dessert. However, monochrome still has moments.
It can be elegant and emotional. Plus, it’ll definitely turn heads.
I mean, how often do your friends see an all-yellow easter cake or pink Ispahan macarons?
Final Thoughts
Word of advice: Master the base before considering showmanship.
It doesn’t matter whether you use cake mix or your grandma’s tried-and-tested recipe. Just make sure the base is fail-proof!
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.