Lessons From Cake Decorating
I recently taught a cake decorating class, and while I was doing it, I started thinking about all the techniques that a cake decorator uses to design and decorate a cake. This led to a reflection about all the ways God uses to turn our lives into His masterpiece. Paul talks about the same thing in 2 Corinthians 4. He reminds them of all the things that might happen in life and how God is using those things to make us more like Him.
There are so many different techniques, skills, and frostings that go into making the outside of the cake a thing of beauty, that masterpiece that everyone sees and enjoys. This cannot be accomplished without a strong foundation. The inside of the cake must be baked correctly, leveled, and crumb coated. The same is true in our lives; we must have the strong foundation of salvation. We can then mature into a masterpiece that reflects Him. God works through us, and the Holy Spirit works in us to make us more like Himself. Paul refers to it as “this treasure in earthen vessels.” (II Cor. 4:7)
Our foundation must be secure in Christ (I Cor. 3:11). Once we have the foundation in place, we build on that (I Cor. 3:12-13). We will give an account of those works when we get to heaven and stand before God. It is also those things that people can see which bring glory to God. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” The baker knows that the foundation of a straight cake is critical to how the look of the cake will turn out. Much care is put into leveling and crumb coating the cake, but today my comparison is about the outside of the cake and all the work that goes into that.
The Christian life takes work. It doesn’t just happen by accident. A baker chooses the frosting based on what he wants to do on the outside of the cake, as well as on taste. He must plan for texture, as well as how it is going to hold up in the situation to which it is being sent. Does his cake need to hold up under hot weather conditions or for a long time? Is it for the “wow” factor with a lot of fancy flowers or a unique design? Is it just plain, functional, and all about taste? Cakes serve so many different and unique purposes, and the baker plans accordingly.
One of the smoothest finishes used to cover the cake is fondant. However, this confection gets a bad rap when it comes to taste because many people don’t care for the sugary sweetness that comes with a lack of flavor. This makes sense because it is basically sugar and shortening. Companies and bakers go to great length to improve this factor. I recently found that Wilton has added chocolate to their recipe. Chocolate makes everything taste better - but I digress, as this blog is about the way the cake looks. When done correctly, the fondant layer is thin. If the foundation, the cake underneath, is not prepared correctly, all the flaws show through the fondant. This distracts from the beauty of the cake and is noticeable no matter how nice it looks.
For the beauty of Christ to show through, we must have the foundation of salvation. People can see right through us, whether we want to acknowledge that or not. Laying fondant correctly is not as easy as it looks. Once it is rolled out to the thinness the baker wants, it is gently laid over the cake. It then must be tugged and stretched to fit the shape of the cake much like God must send things into our lives to stretch us and conform us to the image of His Son. Romans 8:28 is a verse we use often when God is stretching and growing us into his image. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” However, it normally takes a real trial in our lives to show us if we truly believe those words.
There are lots of different tools that the baker uses to smooth and shape the fondant, just as God uses many different things in our lives to smooth and shape us. The little tug to stretch the fondant might be a little trial like Paul mentions in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal: but the things which are not seen are eternal.” It might be like the fondant smoother, that holds the fondant in place and allows the baker to conform the fondant to the shape of the cake. Romans 8:29 reminds us that these things are sent to “conform us to the image of his Son.” While the fondant sets on the cake, it can develop air bubbles as the sugar from the frosting inside breaks down and creates gas. This takes a pin prick to get the bubble out. God sometimes has to prick our conscience to remind us of something that needs to be done. He uses the Holy Spirit to do that. Jesus explains the work of the Holy Spirit to His disciples in John 16:8 where He says, “And when He (the Comforter) is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement.” All these things are used by the baker to achieve the desired exterior of the cake, just as God uses these things in our lives so that our exterior reflects Him.
Now, if the baker wants the same look as fondant, but a better taste, you might choose what is called a crusting icing. This frosting tastes wonderful. My favorite crusting icing is cream cheese frosting. It tastes great and is easy to work with. The foundation is still important, and you use the same processes through the crumb coat. You then add the final thick layer of finishing frosting. With a crusting icing, you allow this layer of frosting to rest without touching it for about 30 minutes. This time allows your frosting to develop a crust, which is why it is called a crusting icing. You then use a paper towel that has no design in it to gently pat and rub the surface to get that completely smooth finish. Sometimes God can be gentle with us in the process of correcting and beautifying our lives, because like this type of frosting, we are pliable and ready to listen to Him. Hebrews 13:20-21 explains this perfectly. “Now the God of peace…Make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ.” We remain ready to receive His touch by spending time in His Word (Ps. 199:11), praying continually (Eph. 6:18), and developing a relationship with Him (2 Pet. 3:18). We allow Him to control our lives and because we have developed that relationship with Him, He just needs gentle nudges to fix things the way He wants them. Sometimes the corrections the baker needs to make take a different technique because the baker uses a different type of frosting. Just as each one of us is different, so God must use different techniques to conform us to His will.
A longtime favorite of bakers and consumers alike is the buttercream frosting. Buttercream frosting has a wonderful flavor and holds up well in warm weather conditions. However, the technique for getting a smooth finish with this frosting is heat. The baker adds the final layer of frosting but does not have to allow it to set before smoothing the layer. Instead, he uses his offset spatula or smoothing tool that has been heated in warm water. When this heat is applied to the frosting, the butter is melted slightly and it creates a smooth surface. Sometimes God must use the same method. He must use a little heat in our lives to bring out the beauty. He knows just what we need and does not apply too much heat. Too much heat will melt the frosting completely and destroy the cake. God controls the situations that He sends our way, knowing that as we trust Him to bring us through the situation, the heat will have the desired result - making us more like Him. Job 28:10 reminds us, “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”
A smooth surface may not always be what the baker desires, so he may use a different technique on one of the icings above, or he may even choose the deliciously light whipped icing. A whipped icing tastes great and looks good, but it will not hold up to the environment. This icing only allows for simple decorations. The baker can add swirls and designs in the icing and may even pipe a large flower or rosette. However, he must be very careful with the environment to which it is sent because these designs will not hold up if there is too much heat. To help with this, the baker will stabilize the whipped cream. This is an ingredient that will make the whipped cream hold its shape and stand up better under the pressures of the environment. God gives us many things that help support us as we go through life – friends, counselors, His Word, podcasts, blogs, and more. He sends along just what we need, when we need it. You and I just have to put them to good use.
There is one type of frosting I have not mentioned yet that has been used for a long time to make elegant flowers and piped cakes, but is currently trending as a way to decorate cookies. Royal icing has been around for a long time, but it is never used to cover the entire cake for two reasons. It is too hard, and it has no flavor. This icing becomes so hard that if used to frost a cake, it would crack when you cut it. However, this hardening makes it the perfect frosting for piping beautiful flowers and elaborate designs. You can also make flowers ahead of time. They can be stored and used later because they hold their shape and harden. This technique takes the longest to master. Reflecting the beauty of Christ to others is not something that is instantaneous once we have accepted Him into our lives. It takes work and practice. A beautiful cake will take hours to create from start to finish. Your life as a Christian takes years to develop, and you still will not have mastered it. It also takes practice. If you are not using the tools God has given you, then you cannot expect beauty to result.
A bakery may mass produce hundreds of cakes that they whip together, and all look the same. This is easy and the baker creates these cakes out of habit. As a Christian, we are called to stand out and be different, to be a light in the darkness, and to reflect Christ to others. I Peter 3:3-4 is one of my favorite verses because it reminds me of this fact. “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”
Christ must show forth on the outside for us to be truly beautiful. This takes a well-built foundation that is decorated just as the Master planned. Use all the tools and techniques that God has given you to be transformed into a beautiful masterpiece that reflects His beauty to others.
