Quick tips:

1. Softened butter or margarine can be used as a greasing agent instead of vegetable oil and its cheaper then quick release spray.

2. Always sift icing sugar before use never add more then the required amount of glycerine for royal icing, to much will make icing crumbly and fragile.

3. A little lemon juice will prevent icing discolouration, but to much will make icing go hard.

4. If buying marzipan, its best to choose the white kind for covering a cake, as bright yellow may discolour pale coloured sugar paste or royal icing.

5. Before using satin chocolate icing place cake on wire rack positioned over a baking sheet or piece of grease proof paper this will avoid unecessary mess.

6. Use a toothpick to add coluring paste a little at a time, and mix thouroughly before you add more.

7. For dark shades like red or brown you can add the colour in larger amounts. However, all icing colours intensify after there mixed. So avoid staring with too dark a shade.

8. When using red, the icing colour starts out as coral or orange, so continue to add colour until the shade of red is achieved.

9. Placing a cake in the fridge over night or in the freezer for a few hours after baking will make it easier to decorate.