What is the definitive guide to Hilary Erickson's cake decorating techniques?

Hi, I’m Hilary Erickson from The Pregnancy Nurse. How can I help?

The available content doesn’t list a single “definitive guide” to my cake decorating techniques, but I do share my main approach in my Birthday Cakes 101 post and follow-up “cake update.”

My core tips:

• Start with a box mix and “hack” it (butter instead of oil, milk instead of water, extra egg)
• Tap out air bubbles and grease/flour pans really well
• Cool about 10 minutes before turning out
• Use an easy-spreading frosting (I often use more shortening for smoother buttercream or a no-cook fudge frosting to hide flaws)
• Let go of “picture perfect” cakes and focus on the child and the day

If you’d like, I can turn those into a step‑by‑step cheat sheet for a birthday cake from start to finish—would that help?