CakeWhiz FAQs

Once your cake is ready, steam it to make it smooth and shiny. I use a simple steam iron that I use for my clothes.

I make my cakes only 24 hours prior to serving. So, I keep them at room temperature until I serve. After serving, if I have leftovers, I just store them in the fridge because I am no longer worried about how it will look.
I have noticed when I keep my decorated fondant covered cakes in the refrigerator, they are fine as long as they stay there. But, when I take them out and they start to come to room temperature, the fondant looks like it's "sweating" with little beads of water. That just ruins the cake!

I make my own homemade marshmallow fondant and love it. Satin Ice fondant tastes pretty good too. You can also add extracts to make them taste better.

Check out the comments in the marshmallow fondant post. Many of my readers have been kind enough to share what they use instead of shortening.

Yes, I use halal marshmallows. I buy them at Mediterranean stores. They are a bit pricier than regular marshmallows like JetPuffs.

I use gel colors. Don't use liquid food coloring! It will make your fondant very sticky and messy to work with. The two brands I use are Wilton and Americolor. I did a detailed post on How to Color Fondant that you should really check out.

You cannot freeze fondant or icing covered cakes but you can freeze freshly baked cakes, once they have colled to room temoerature.. Just make sure to wrap them multiple times in saran wrap and put them in a sealed ziploc bag. I try to use my frozen cakes within 1 month.

I really like using Classic American Buttercream Frosting in almost all my cakes but sometimes, I like to use crusting buttercream. It's great for people who don't like the taste of fondant but like the way it looks. Crusting buttercream gives your cake the look of "fake fondant."

I am sorry. I wish I could help but since I haven't tried those modifications myself, I don't know how those modifications/ substitutions would affected the dessert's texture, flavor and appearance.

My recipes have been tested over and over again before I post them on my website for everyone to try at home. I stand by my recipes 100%. I strongly believe baking involves science. All those ingredients and measurements I have provided for my recipes work together in harmony to create a perfect outcome. Please make the recipe as I have instructed first and if you still encounter problems, send me an email and we can troubleshoot the issue. Maybe it has something to do with high altitude baking or oven calibration or different brands of ingredients.

You did nothing wrong. Cake  decorating requires practice. LOTS OF PRACTICE and PATIENCE. Just keep going and don't stop what you are doing. Trust me when I say that you will see an improvement. Check out my early cake disasters and you will see how far I  have come.

I get this question a lot! Check out this post on How to Decorate Cupcakes. There are step by step process shots as well as a video tutorial for you to follow along. In this post, I will show you how to make different designs of swirls (including the infamous tall swirl and rose), using a variety of piping tips.

That depends on the complexity of the design. If it's something simple like making a swirl on a cupcake, it will probably take me a few seconds. But, making fondant and gum paste figures, flowers and adding other fine details can take hours.

I don't take special requests for tutorials. I am more than happy to assist you in any way I can through emails but fulfilling specific requests is not always possible.

50/50 is a combination of fondant and gum paste with 50% fondant and 50% gum paste. It dries faster than fondant but not as fast as gum paste. It also holds is shape better than fondant. I like to use it for cake and cupcake toppers.

I use bubble tea straws in each tier and all my tiers are resting on separate cake boards. I prefer straws over wooden dowels.

I started off with a Canon Rebel and love it. Now, I use a Nikon and even my iphone camera.

I take all the pictures myself. Some of the pictures in my earlier posts from almost 10 years ago were taken by my husband because I had no idea how to use my camera.

Pretty much anything. I have used cheap cardboards and poster boards from dollar stores, scrapbook paper, kitchen counter, old tables, pieces of fabric, discarded pieces of wood. I also like to buy dishes, bowls, spoons, forks, plates and cake stands from Goodwill and thrift stores. Some of the items I use are gifts and some of them I actually use on a daily basis. I have also bought affordable items from Target and Walmart.

You can email me at abeer@cakewhiz.com

No! Some day, I might. But for now, I am just happy baking, trying out new recipes and cake decorating techniques and sharing what I am learning with all of you.

I strongly believe practice makes perfect. There is no reason why a newbie can't make a decorated cake using the tutorials and tips I am providing plus I am always here to help through emails. There are also lots of cake decorating books and videos online too.

A little bit. I make it a point to eat dessert everyday but in moderation. I also try to stay active.

Thankfully, my family and friends are always around to offer me their appetites

I usually get them from Michael's or Hobby Lobby and even Walmart. They are all easily accessible to me and I can see what I am getting in person. I have ordered a few of things from Ebay and Amazon too since I couldn't find those in person at stores. Wilton has an excellent online store too that I highly recommend.

I am always honored to have people try my recipes and tutorials. All I ask is that you use your own photographs and link back to my site. Feel free to e-mail me directly with any other questions.