I've been looking at some of the cakes you guys have done, and I am really & truely impressed. I have always loved baking cakes & cooking ect.. and decided recently to start "trying" to decorate cakes. My question is when you guys started out, were you already good at it? Or did it take awhile to accomplish. I've done two birthday cakes this past weekend and they turned out pretty good, I guess I am just hoping that my cake techniques will get better. BUT I don't really know where to start and what all basics to buy that I need.

It would probably help to take classes but we don't have any nearby. Where do I start?

I have also always been more of a cook then a baker. (I always felt food should not only taste good, but it should look good!) I never measured anything in my life and found baking too "inside the lines". But I discovered you CAN bake things and don't have to follow exact recipes and I can still experiement! (especaily using cake mix as bases and adding stuff to them!)

I wasn't good at ANYTHING when I first starting doing cakes! haha! They all came out lopsided and my frosting was full of crumbs and I didn't even dream of making roses! But I kept practicing...My cakes still are no where near what I see on this board, but there is one thing that I hear from people all the time..that they taste really good and are different from the "walmart" cake...

So dig in and enjoy!!!

Well if you love it so much its something you will get better at as you go . just buy books on cake decoration with basic instruction. All the Wilton Books are great also, The Complete step by step guide to Cake Decoratiing by Carol Deacon. Hope this helps.

i woudl spend days and days looking at this site, and the wilton site,, although this one is better. i would read all the topics, they go way back. look at some cakes. i would try to buy the cake decorating mags. from wilton, the ones that teach you step-by-step they are at the craft stores for under $5.00 then i would find any and ever reason to make a cake. practice is the key!!! that and learning new things from here...thats my advice. good luck with your new found hobby!!!
melody

You'll definitely get better with practice! And from reading the tips and suggestions here. Don't give up!!

I have found that each person is unique in his or her own style.

As with anything, the more you do, the better and faster you become.

Don't worry if your cake is not perfect, it is the love and care that you put into it that really counts.

I'm still trying to perfect the Wilton Rose

I cannot make buttercream flowers to save my life....so I decided to learn sugarpaste....so I tell my clients..you want buttcream roses, don't call me....*L*

Practice..practice..practice..find your niche and go with it. Find websites with different cakes..study them...read books.....try different decorating techniques...just experiment...have fun!!!!

There I go with that "buttcream" again...sheesh...BUTTERCREAM!!!!!

In my case, I learned cake decorating on my momma's hip. SHe always decorated all our birthday cakes and things like that and I was always there to help her. I knew how to make roses and shells and things before I ever took a class. I did end up taking a class--but at the time, they only had 1, not 3! lol!!

Like anything else--practice, practice, practice. When I got back into decorating cakes (when I had kids), I can TOTALLY see an improvement now from my "early" cakes. I am much more confident now. I'm finally getting to the point that if I have an idea on paper or in my head, I can execute the idea.

If you are just starting--try and take a class or maybe try a video or books. Ask questions. Have fun! Practice! That is my best advice.

Lisa

Geesh IHATEFONDANT, I was beginning to think I would tell my clients to go somewhere else for buttcream roses too, I don't make those! Although mine look more like that than roses

I've never taken any classes (for a number of reasons!) but my suggestion to you is to just match a batch of buttercream and just start practicing!!!! That is really the best thing to do. I don't think semi-experienced person on this board would look at their first cakes and go "Hmmm, look the same!!" I don't even have pics of my first cakes b/c they were so ugly! But it all just came with time and practice. I had lofty aspirations in the beginning and they never came out like I wanted or pictured. But now they are heading more in that direction.

Also, like the others said, find what you like best. If you are doing what you like, then you will get better. A majority of my cusomters give me a general idea and I take it from there. So I can add my own touches and the things that I'm good at.

Just DON'T get frustrated and give up! You can do the frustrated part b/c that happens, just don't give up

Over twenty years ago I began teaching myself to decorate with books, pictures, etc. I did a fairly decent job.... Recently I took the Wilton courses...and they're not the end-all-be-all....but I can tell you that learning and watching someone's technique goes a long way in speeding up the process of you discovering what YOUR technique is. I loved the classes. Combine this website, books, and a class or two and as you practice your skills will zoom!

Hi Cakesrme, Like you Im a proud newbie, I took the wilton classes for two main reasons:
1. I just wanted to make a cute cake for my first birthday son (dec. 18 ),
2. Stopped working to stay home with my baby (9 moths ago) so, I was desesperate to get out for any reason, Wilton was a good excuse


Im working on that cake now, but this is just the beginig of a new "passion" in my life. You will find a reason for a new cake everyday, holidays, birthdays and just beacause you wanted to make one!!!

just don't give up and keep creating beautiful cakes

Claudia

Thanks for the help Im glad I stumbled across this board