Decorating When decorating cakes for a variety of occasions, you'll want to make sure that the colors you've chosen are delectable.
Certain colors and color combinations may evoke a positive response from the taste buds of your cake-eating audience. Very intense colors are usually less appealing to the palate than are softer colors. Complimentary color schemes, which may work well in a striking graphic design, do not have much taste appeal. Finally, too many colors can create a hodgepodge of hues that compete with each other. Here are three sure-fire techniques selecting tasty color schemes that will appeal to the palate. USE PASTEL COLORS The safest method for selecting colors is to use three pastel colors. Select the lightest color for the basic icing on the cake. If your colors are sufficiently pale, you can even combine complimentary colors without the jarring effect obtained complimentary colors at full strength. Note that you can increase the strength of one of the colors for a bit of contrast. For example, ice a birthday cake with white or pale ivory icing. Add pink roses (they can be shades of the same pink) with pale green leaves. The red and green on which the pastel colors are based would vibrate intensely if used at full strength, but they are both eye and appetite appealing when rendered in pastel hues. For a shower for a mom expecting a baby boy, ice the cake in pale blue. Add icing booties in pale yellow and white, or select pre-made decorations in the same colors. Ideas for combining pastel colors are almost limitless, but here are some more suggestions for three-color pastel schemes: * Pale yellow, delicate peach, and pale green * Lavender, pale blue, and rose * White, pale blue, and pale blue violet * Pale yellow, pink, and peach USE A PASTEL BACKGROUND FOR INTENSE COLORS Clearly, there are occasions that call out for a cake with bright colors. Once again, using a pale icing as the background for brighter colors. This approach is often used for kid's birthday cakes, which may feature a cartoon character or other popular theme. For a clown cake, you'll want to use some bright primary colors. For the basic icing, use white or the palest of pinks. Then, you can use bright reds, blues, oranges, and even black icing or decorating gel to make the clowns features. Because the bright colors are used in small amounts against a light background, they provide both taste and eye appeal. USE CHOCOLATE FOR A DARK BACKGROUND In general, dark colored icing is not very appealing. Most of us are not likely to greet an acid green, navy blue, or intense red cake with enthusiasm. Without fail, though, chocolate lovers will greet the dark brown color of a cake iced in chocolate or fudge icing with high expectations for the flavor. When you ice a cake with chocolate icing, decorate it with pastel colors. Once again, limit the color palette to two or three pastels. For Father's Day, make a rectangular cake and ice it with chocolate fudge icing. Turn the cake so that the narrower side is at the top. Near the top of the cake, with ivory icing create a shirt collar. Use pale orange to create a necktie below the collar. Add a design to the tie in a slightly deeper orange. Other colors that look especially nice against a dark brown background are: * pale yellow, peach, and orange * pale yellow, pale green, and white * pale pink, peach, and white * white, pale turquoise, and peach * pale yellow and peach * white and pale orange Finally, as you choose colors for your cake, think about colors that occur naturally in the foods we eat every day. That will help you stay away from colors like chartreuse, intense blue greens, and intense purples, that appear particularly acid or poisonous. Pastel color schemes are the safest, but brighter colors can be used very successfully against a pale background. Marla [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Check out the new improvements in Yahoo! Groups email. http://us.click.yahoo.com/4It09A/fOaOAA/yQLSAA/QXMplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CAKE-RECIPE/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CAKE-RECIPE/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
