Guide & Resources

So, maybe you’re interested in getting a cake, but you aren’t sure where to start.
Don’t worry! Just check out this handy guide, and you’ll be on your way to decorating (and enjoying) your very own cake in no time.

The General Process:
01-base

STEP 1 : CHOOSE YOUR BASE.
It goes without saying, but you can’t make a cake without a cake. First, ask yourself – do you want one giant cake, or many little cakes? Because we’ve got both. We have cake bases of different sizes, and little cupcakes for when you want the fun to be divided.

Next, choose from one of our many flavoured bases. It doesn’t matter which one – they’re all great. And we’re always adding more flavours to the line to expand your horizons even further. So go with your heart, and pick a taste your tongue will thank you for.

Check out our catalogue page to take a look at what we have to offer.

02-ganache

STEP 2: FLAVOUR-BOOST.
Different flavours are what’s going to make your cake really stand out. All bases can be paired with our ganaches and creams, both made right here at Naked Cakes, and they’re formulated to work with our bases. But of course, that’s only the beginning. You can add whatever else you want – sliced fruit, jam, crushed biscuits, or even candy.

Feel free to be brave and experiment. After all, another Naked Cake is just around the corner.

03-decor

STEP 3: BEAUTIFY.
It’s said that we eat with our eyes before our stomachs. Make your cakes look beautiful with our range of edible decorations. And they’re not just for show. Like we said, you eat with your eyes first, so go ahead! Pop ’em in your mouth afterward. All our decorations are 100% edible. Check out our range, and feel free to shape your cake in your own style. If you want a little more jazz, our acrylic and wood cake toppers can help with that finishing touch.

04-custom

STEP 4: PERSONALIZE.
If your cake is for a birthday or another special event, we sell some edible decorations that can put a name to the cake. Literally. Check out our fondant letters. Tasty, delicious, and customizable. We even sell candles (real ones!) and birthday signs, so you don’t have to go searching for them yourself.

05-box

STEP 5: GIVE YOUR CAKE A HOME.
After you’ve made your work of art, you’re going to want to keep it somewhere safe. Storage is no problem with our cake boards and boxes. These allow you to carry your cakes around safely, and serve them up without worrying about making a mess. Alternatively, you can also use a beautiful cake stand if you want something more elegant.

06-unique

STEP 6: CALL US FOR ANYTHING ELSE.
If you’re looking for something even more unique, we’d be happy to work with you. Maybe you want some edible decorations of a specific type, or you want fillings of different colours and flavours. Just give us a call or send us an e-mail, and let us know how we can help you. Even if you’re just looking for a few quick flavour-pairing tips or advice on decorating techniques – our bakers are fully qualified to answer your questions, so don’t hesitate to ask!

You can reach us at 8208-2278, Mondays to Saturdays (10am-4pm), or via e-mail at cakes@nakedcakes.sg.


The Cake-Making FAQ:

Some new-comers might be a little bit daunted. What’s the difference between frosting and decorating? How do I fill a cake? What is ganache, even?
Well, don’t worry. We wrote a whole separate FAQ just to explain all these things for you, in easy terms, so you’ll be confident in putting your very own cake together.

Q: Should I choose a cake or cupcakes?

Q: Can you be a bit more detailed about the cake-decorating process?

Q: How much frosting will I need for my cake?

Q: What are the serving portions for each cake?

Q: What tools will I need to frost and layer a cake?

Q: What tools will I need to decorate a cake?

Q: Is there a preferred topping for any one base flavor?

Q: How about cookies? Any tips for baking your cookie dough?

Q: How does your cake service work?


Q: Should I choose a cake or cupcakes?
It’s really up to you. There’s benefits to each, but the way we see it, cakes are grander and feeds a big crowd, they’re great for messages or special events, and they’re really the highlight of any party. A well-decorated cake always stands out on a table.

Cupcakes are an ideal choice for when the fun has to be shared. They’re easier to handle than full-sized cakes for younger hands, and they come in family-friendly portions. They’re great for personalization, games, or when you just want to decorate more than one.

Be sure to consider the needs of your group, too. After all, everyone should be able to have fun together.

Q: Can you be a bit more detailed about the cake-decorating process?
Absolutely!

The general flow goes like this:

STEP 1: Get a Cake Base
Choose from any one of our cake base flavours. You will get one large cake, or if you ordered a rainbow/ombre cake, six smaller cake layers.

STEP 2: Frosting and Filling
What it is, in a nutshell, is coating your cake in a layer of delicious ganache. Ganache, in simple terms, is a mix of cream and chocolate in a really lovely rich coating, and it goes great on cakes or cupcakes. Our ganache is made in-house out of genuine German or Italian chocolate and the best cream from England.

For layer cakes, you will also have to fill them – that is, filling the gaps between layers with ganache and making everything stick together. If you have a regular base, you can also cut the bases in half yourself and add a layer of ganache in between.

Ganache is ideal for this step because it will help prevent your cake from drying out, since the heavy sugars of fondants will suck out all that lovely moisture. We also especially recommend this for layered cakes because it holds everything together.

In the end, you will end up with a nice, even block, ready to move on to the next step.

But we’re not going to lie. This step is quite a challenge, especially for the ones who have less experience. That’s why we’re willing to take this off your hands if you want. During the shopping process, simply add the CAKE SERVICE item to your cart, and that’ll let us know that you want us to do this step for you. For more information, check the CAKE SERVICE page under our product listings.

Since Ganache contains dairy cream, if you have dietary restrictions, here’s a tip: you can brush a layer of jam over your cake base instead, before continuing on with the next step. It’ll help lock in the moisture in a pinch.

STEP 3: Fondants and Compound Chocolates / Decoration
Once you have your base all dressed up in ganache, you’re ready to add your own custom decorations with either fondant or compound chocolate. Each has their own unique flavours and textures, so we’d like to give a short primer:

Fondant is a thick, firm paste primarily made out of sugar. They come in a variety of colours and ours tastes like fluffy marshmallow. Fondant is mainly used to mold shapes or draw lines or pretty much anything you want. Think of it as modelling dough, but edible and delicious. It’s that versatile, and keeps its shape.

Compound chocolate is a special kind of chocolate that is suitable for giving an extra coat to your cake. You can also squeeze it out of a piping bag onto your cake in fun designs. It sets easily in an air-conditioned room, and won’t melt even if it’s not in the fridge. A few blasts in the microwave at 10 second spurts gets it ready for use. Professionals usually use this when making cake pops or for chocolate decoration.

We recommend using fondants or compound chocolates to decorate your cake instead of ganache, as ganache doesn’t work as well as a decorative medium.

STEP 4: Toppings
Cake toppers are like little figures or decorations made out of sugar. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, themes, and colours. The difference between these and fondants is in the detail. Just give our toppers a look to get a good idea! These are great to spruce up your cake and give a little texture to them. You can use them in just about any way you can imagine, and they’re especially great for personalization. The best part? It’s all edible.

STEP 5: Eat
If you still have concerns even after this, feel free to give us a call at 8208-2278, Mondays to Saturdays (10am-4pm). We’ll be happy to assist you. Alternatively, you can take one of our CLASSES, where we guide you, personally, through all the steps and beyond.

Q: How much frosting will I need for my cake?
Each size of cake requires a different amount of frosting, of course. Check out this list below to get a good idea of what you need to buy.

Please note that rainbow/ombre cakes require more frosting than regular cakes.

Frosting All frostings for Regular Cake/Fresh Cream for Rainbow Cakes Ganache & Cream Cheese for Rainbow/Ombre Cake
300g 4″ NA
400g 5″ 4″
500g 6″ 5″
750g 7″ 6″
1kg 8″ 7″
1.5kg 9″ 8″
2kg 10″ 9″
2.5kg 11″ 10″

 

Q: What are the serving portions for each cake?
It’s honestly hard to say, since everyone has different appetites. But for a rough average based on regular-sized portions, please refer to this reference list.

Cake Size (inches) People Fed
4″ 4-5 pax
5″ 6-8 pax
6″ 8-10 pax
7″ 10-15 pax
8″ 15-20 pax
9″ 20-26 pax
10″ 26-32 pax

 

Q: What tools will I need to frost and layer a cake?
A spoon and a butter knife.

No, really.

Although the professionals use things like spatulas and palette knives, all you really need is a spoon, a regular knife and a steady hand. Of course, you’ll eventually want to get some proper tools for more advanced techniques, but if you’re just beginning, just go grab what you have from your kitchen.

Don’t worry, we won’t tell if you don’t.

Q: What tools will I need to decorate a cake?
Contrary to popular belief, you do not require specialised (complex) tools to put a cake together. Frosting a cake can be as simple as using a sharp knife, metal ruler and just a plain flat plate. But in addition to that, you can use a piping bag. Piping bags are essentially little cones of plastic that you fill with cream or chocolate. By cutting off the tip, you can then squeeze your cream/chocolate out in thin lines or patterns, sort of like drawing with sugar.

We sell piping bags for your convenience.

Customers will be given a link to watch a video on how to frost a cake with some basic instructions.

Q: Is there a preferred topping for any one base flavor?
This is a matter of personal preference, but as all things, there are always some flavours that just work better together. We can give you suggestions if you call or mail in, but we don’t want to limit you to those combinations alone. Everyone should be free to mix and match flavours to their delight. Who knows? You might find something new that you like. So don’t be afraid to try something new, and don’t hold back if you need to ask for tips.

Q: How about cookies? Any tips for baking your cookie dough?
In order to make sure the dough keeps shape even better while baking, freeze the cookie dough shapes after you’ve cut them until they are hard before popping them into the oven. This is an extra little step to help prevent the cookies from going out of shape.

Q: How does your cake service work?
If you are unable to frost your cake, or don’t wish to, we can do it for you for a small extra fee. All you have to do is add the CAKE SERVICE item to your cart before checking out, and that’ll let us know you want us to decorate your cake for you.

Please note that this does not constitute decoration – please refer above in this guide (STEP 2: Frosting and Filling) to get more information. Essentially, this is the step we cover for you with our cake service.

The cake will be delivered to you fully and professionally frosted with your filling of choice, ready for you to decorate further.

Cakes will be about 3” in height after trimming and frosting.

For more information, please check the CAKE SERVICE item in our catalogue listings.

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