The Intelligent Baker
A Glossary of Terms

Basketweave - Piping technique featuring vertical and horizontal lines
Buttercream - Smooth, creamy icing that stays soft so it’s easy to cut through. Can be colored or flavored. Also used to create piping, swags, and other borders, as well as decorative rosettes. Can be used as a filling too!
Cornelli - Elaborate piping that yields a lace-like pattern
Dragees - Decorative sugar balls coated in silver or gold
Dotted Swiss - A Pattern of tiny dots in a random pattern similar to a fine Swiss fabric.
Fondant - Popular sweet, very elastic icing made from sugar, corn syrup, and gelatin. Rolled out with a rolling pin and draped over the cake, literally! Its firm base allows it to be used for intricate details, and architectural designs. NOTE: Do Not refrigerate a fondant cake!
Ganache - A rich chocolate between a mousse and fudge in terms of density. Can be used as an icing or filling. NOTE: Keep a cake with these ingredients in a cool place in warm humid weather.
Gum Paste - A paste of sugar, cornstarch, and gelatin used to mold life-like garnishments. Decorations made with gum paste are edible, and will last for years as keepsakes of your affection.
Latticework - A piping detail that features criss-crosses in an open pattern.
Marzipan - Can be used as a paste for decorative flowers or fruits, or rolled and used as icing.
Pillars - Separators used in tier cakes. NOTE: The New Trend is to have “STACKED” cakes creating a continuous uniform look just like your marriage. Pillars and columns are not considered to be en-vogue.
Piping - Decorative details (i.e. leaves, borders, basket-weave patterns, etc) created with a pastry bag and various metal tips.
Pulled Sugar - A technique using boiled sugar to produce intricate flowers and bows.
Royal Icing - Egg whites and confectioner’s sugar. A soft paste to produce latticework, beading, bows, etc. NOTE: Do Not Refrigerate.
Torte - Dense cake w/o leavening agents.