All-in-One Guide to Cake Decorating

The comprehensive reference for someone who wants to go deeper into every major decorating technique. Janice Murfitt has written over 20 cookbooks specializing in cake decorating, and this book distills decades of professional experience into a single structured course.

Why Start Here

Where Atwater’s beginner book focuses on getting you comfortable with the basics, Murfitt’s guide covers the full range of decorating methods. Buttercream, royal icing, fondant, marzipan, gum paste, chocolate work, and sugar flowers all get thorough treatment. Over 300 color photographs and more than 100 step-by-step techniques make it function as both a learning tool and a reference you return to.

The book is structured as a progression from basic to advanced. It starts with shaping and filling cakes, moves through coating techniques, and then opens up into the decorative skills: piping, modeling, flower making, and finishing touches. Murfitt writes with the precision of a trained professional, giving exact measurements and clear instructions at every step.

This is the book to reach for when you want to make sugar roses that look real, pipe lacework borders, or cover a tiered wedding cake in flawless fondant. It assumes some basic comfort in the kitchen, which is why it works best as a second book after mastering the fundamentals.

What to Expect

A thorough, reference-style guide at 240 pages. It covers every major decorating medium and technique, from simple buttercream swirls to elaborate sugar flowers. The tone is instructional rather than chatty. If you want a book that will grow with you from confident beginner to advanced decorator, this is the one to own.