Stenciling cakes is no longer the exclusive domain of professional cake decorators with special gear and complicated techniques. With a little creativity and an inventive mind for repurposing, home bakers can top their baked treats with elaborate designs composed of edible art using common kitchen tools. Here in this article, we discuss the practical, artistic, and even a little unconventional way of stenciling pastries at home using common objects available in plain sight in your kitchen.

Find Stencils in the Surprising Daily Places

One of the simplest ways to begin stenciling desserts at home is to look beyond the baking drawer. Think, for instance, of a metal or silicone trivet. They usually have cut-outs forming shapes like circles, hexagons or flowers which makes them ideal for sprinkling powdered sugar or cocoa on delicious cakes or tarts. In the same way, clear mesh splatter guards are commonly used to stop oil from spitting out of a pan and can be used to achieve a lacy finish on brownies or cheesecakes.

Another unanticipated stencil source is the doily — a dainty paper mat usually found underneath plates at tea time. Their detailed, repeating lace patterns are just the thing for pastry decorating. Position a doily over a cooled pastry and sprinkle powdered sugar or colored icing sugar over the top. Gently remove the doily to create a retro-looking, filigree-like finish.

Tools You Didn’t Know Could Decorate

Beyond flat stencil options, common table utensils also can produce dramatic effects. A simple cheese grater, some of its surface masked by slits from parchment cutouts, will act as a stencil to produce linear or geometric shadowing when sprayed or patted over with edible powder. A colander, as well — especially one with small, regular-sized holes — will act as a mister for liquid food coloring or fine sugar layers in measured designs.

One of the most creative techniques is to make individual stencils using wax paper or parchment paper. Home bakers may cut their own with craft knives or, for a more delicate technique, small scissors. By cutting out, for example, stars, hearts, or leaf shapes and using them as a template over pastry before sprinkling dust on, intricate, individualized decoration is achievable. This is particularly well-suited for holidays or birthdays when one wants a specific design.

Leverage Common Ingredients for Unique Visual Effects

Even though equipment is the star of stenciling, materials used to give contrast and definition are equally crucial. Cocoa powder is an old favorite for dusting over white pastries or white glazes to create dramatic high-contrast silhouettes. But colored sugars — by mixing granulated sugar with gel food coloring and baking them in the oven until crispy — create the rainbow of color options. Turmeric, matcha, and even freeze-dried fruit powders such as raspberry or blueberry can be sifted for high-impact all-natural color.

One of the most stunning methods employs a refrigerated cake as a base and refrigerated whipped cream as an undercoat. Once the whipped cream is smoothed out even over the top, a stencil is laid upon it and sprayed gently with beetroot or carrot juice from a clean spray bottle or atomizer. This method creates water-color-like shadowing with astonishing sophistication.

Think Outside the Bakeware

Creative geniuses have delved into various miles so far, using pierced coffee filters as disposable stencils and salad spinners to produce centrifugal "splash" effects on cakes. During the second method, a cake is inserted into the basket of a spinner, a stencil placed gently over it, and colored icing flicked onto it through the spinning apparatus — a process that introduces movement and randomness to the otherwise sedentary act of stenciling.

Additionally, the use of pressure on textured materials like lace ribbon, burlap, or even clean, unused combs into soft fondant before dusting may produce tactile impressions that emboss. While not technically a stencil, this technique may be combined with stenciling in an effort to produce multi-dimensional layers of decoration.