Creating a beautiful cake decorated with sprinkles doesn’t have to be hit or miss. There are ways you can simplify the process while increasing the beauty of how it looks. I have dealt with problems such as sprinkles bleeding or not sticking to my cakes before. Thankfully, I learned how to overcome those challenges.

Applying them evenly and knowing they will stay where you apply them is important. I didn’t know that before, and that is why my cakes weren’t even. I would also have tons of sprinkles to clean up off the table where I displayed the cake. Now that I know better tactics, I reach for my sprinkles often. They are a lovely way to inspire a look for a cake. I often bake for no reason, so there isn’t anything I want to write on the cake. Yet it looks plain with just icing, I have found sprinkles are the finishing touch to add some elegance to it!

Working with rainbow sprinkles is one of my favorite options. The colors are bright and vibrant, and the cake looks cheerful. I often use them for a fun cake my family can enjoy. I also use them when I create a cake for someone’s birthday or other happy occasion. I also enjoy working with pastel sprinkles. They are a good way to create a flattering color that is lowkey and impressive at the same time.

There are proven methods I use to apply sprinkles to a cake. You can’t just shake the canister and hope for the best. If you do it that way, you will likely end up with clusters of them in some spots. Other spots will seem bare. Overall, this isn’t a good look, you want the sprinkles to be as even as possible. Keep reading though as I am going to share several tips with you that will help you love the way it looks after you decorate it. They include:

· Quality of sprinkles

· Shapes and colors of sprinkles

· 12-hour rule to prevent bleeding of colors

· Heat the icing before adding sprinkles so they stick

Quality of Sprinkles

I discovered long ago, nothing sabotages decorating a cake with sprinkles like using a cheap product. Not all of them are the same – not the quality of the ingredients they create from. You want sprinkles that look great and taste great. If you try to use a product that doesn’t meet those standards, you set yourself up to fail.

I encourage you to learn about a sprinkles manufacturer before you buy any of their products. Compare prices, overall value, and look at feedback from other consumers. How long does the product last? Most sprinkles last for years so you don’t have anything to worry about. To save money, I often look at sprinkles wholesale. I use them all the time though, and encourage you to buy them this way too if you plan to create cakes with sprinkles often.

Look for wholesale options that give you a variety of sprinkles to work with. It is boring if you get a bulk amount of them but they are all the same color or the same design. If you are like me, you enjoy being creative and mixing it up. Don’t limit yourself to what you buy when it comes to bulk sprinkles.

How long has the sprinkles company been in business? While a new product may be great, I usually stick with those that have a long history of happy consumers. When I see that information, it encourages me to buy because they have been in business for a long time. They know what consumers are after and they strive to deliver a quality product.

Sprinkles are relatively inexpensive, and that is another reason I love to decorate cakes with them. I don’t spend a fortune or invest a great deal of time to create something that looks amazing! Prices vary based on the manufacturer, size of the container, if you go with a wholesale order and other variables. Don’t cut corners on the cost of them and end up with a product that doesn’t work well to decorate cakes. I encourage you to conduct your research before you buy sprinkles so you aren’t disappointed with what you have in your kitchen to work with.

Shapes and Colors of Sprinkles

For me, a fun element of working with sprinkles is the variety of shapes and colors. I have shapes that represent every holiday! For example, I have my Valentine’s Day hearts and my Christmas trees and snowflakes. For Halloween, I have black bats and orange pumpkin sprinkles. I bake cakes all year long, and holiday themes are high on my list to create! Just about any color of sprinkles, you can imagine are out there. I already shared that I enjoy rainbows and pastels, but you will find plenty of other options too.

Remember, this is your artistic endeavor, use the color of sprinkles that appeal to you. Some you may like are those that look like glitter! I use them to make cakes around the 4th of July and New Year’s Day because of how festive they are. I have used the gold sprinkles on cakes to celebrate milestone birthdays or milestone anniversaries too. You can save money on the sprinkles you want by purchasing them after a holiday too. They will be 50% off or more, and that means you can save quite a bit on them. Put them away until that holiday rolls around next year and you will be all set with plenty of sprinkles in your inventory!

12-Hour Rule to Prevent Bleeding of Colors

One of the biggest mistakes people make when they decorate a cake with sprinkles is not following the 12-hour rule. Basically, you shouldn’t apply your sprinkles more than 12 hours before you plan to enjoy the cake. This is because if they sit longer than that, they tend to bleed. Imagine creating a lovely cake with sprinkles, but the next day when your guests arrive, it has bled and doesn’t look pretty anymore!

Poor quality of sprinkles, high humidity, and adding the sprinkles more than 12 hours before you plan to serve the cake all increase the chance of bleeding. If you can reduce these factors by ensuring you use a quality product and you add the sprinkles in the last few hours, you will see improvements over your previous cakes. A dehumidifier in the kitchen can be useful too if humidity is an issue where you reside.

Of course, you don’t want to be in a time crunch with any cake you create and decorate. I am the first to share that additional stress takes the joy right out of the process. Instead, plan your time proactively for the best results. I bake the cake early in the day and then cover it in icing or fondant that evening. I do this the day before I plan to display and serve the cake. Don’t worry, once you get the hang of decorating with sprinkles, it won’t take you long to complete that part of it.

Heat the Icing before Adding Sprinkles so they Stick

I usually apply the sprinkles to my cake for 4 to 6 hours before I plan to display and serve it. As mentioned above, you can do it for up to 12 hours. Heat the icing a bit before you add the sprinkles. Doing so gets them to stick to a place where you want them to. You don’t have to worry about them rolling off the cake!

One of my easiest ways to add sprinkles is to go around the entire outside rim of the cake. I generously pour sprinkles in my hand and then gently pat them into place all around the cake. I use my Lazy Susan for this so I can gently spin the cake around and continue the process until it is completely covered. You can use this same method if you wish to cover the top of the cake with sprinkles too.

For a light layer of sprinkles on your cake, consider mixing them into the icing before you put them onto the cake. You should use a rubber spatula and be careful not to spread the icing too hard. Too much force can cause the sprinkles to break. Make sure you have enough icing for the entire cake before you start. If you have to make a second batch, it is difficult to get the same amount of sprinkles into it for the look of the cake to be uniform.

Conclusion

Experiment with these tips to help you decorate a cake with sprinkles. Once you master a few basic concepts, it all falls into place. You don’t want to spend all that time baking and decorating the cake to hate the way it looks! When you incorporate these 4 tips I shared with you, it will all look the way you want! Remember to use quality sprinkle products and have fun with the variety of shapes and colors available.