Cake decorating isn't merely the finishing step in the baking process — it is an art form, a sport. People on Instagram make careers out of their impressive cake-decorating skills, and while everyone would like to frost a cake perfectly, it isn't as easy as it appears. Thankfully, there are options for cake decorating beginners and professionals alike who just can't find the time to work arduously over a layered buttercream cake. The answer is something that you can find in your closet: Fishnet stockings.
While it is not a tool for laying frosting on your cake, stockings are a perfect stencil for powdered sugar, cocoa powder, or anything of the like. You can use whichever mesh size you please — larger holes mean your cake will have a simpler pattern, while smaller holes mean you'll get something more fine and textured. Grab a friend who can stretch and hold the stockings above the cake while you dust the powder of your choice over it. You'll end up with lattices and straight lines that are nearly impossible to recreate with the human hand. Cake Plate
Fishnet stocking embellishments aren't just for beginners, though. While professional Instagram cake decorators apply massive heaps of fondant to make shapes and characters, they can still use the fishnet stocking to their advantage. It could be used as a layering tool on top of buttercream frosting to give the cake a pop of texture and color. By giving a cake neat diamond shapes, the fishnet stockings come close to recreating the lattice of a beautiful pie.
The pattern of the fishnet tights is so neutral that it works as a timeless cake design. While Pinterest is full of vintage-inspired buttercream cakes with cheeky phrases written in the middle, the fishnet stocking version is an understated chic that requires way less effort. Imagine finishing off a simple lemon loaf or even this Blondie bundt cake with a fishnet stocking imprint of powdered sugar.
Plate Garnish your cake with one slice of lemon or nothing at all, and it'll look like a masterpiece that belongs in a bakery display. If you want to have more fun, you can even do layers of fishnet stocking decorations, one with powdered sugar and the other with cocoa or matcha powder. The contrasting colors will give your cake an eye-popping appearance.