Another bit of advice from Prue Leith is to take your time, but not in the way you think. Leith has experienced many cakes and baked goods that have simply fallen apart because the baker didn’t wait for their creation to cool down fully. “Most often, they’re having to put chocolate or icing or buttercream on top of a hot cake, which means that the decoration slides off or it melts or it makes a mess.” The residual heat from baking is too much for almost any decoration to handle. 

Leith’s tips are as simple as they are magical. She acknowledges that decorating is difficult for amateur bakers: “If they’re not trained chefs, they might not quite know how to make it look amazing.” And while the average person may not be able to pull off stunning, professional-level decorations, both of her suggestions are simple and can be achieved by anyone for a clean-looking bake.

“The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Holiday” is available for streaming on the Roku channel.