I am the first to admit that I have done cakes that aren't exactly the most creative...
Sometimes it's what people ask for and I try to put as much of "me" into it as possible....
That said....I have looked at a couple of different websites today of cake decorators that do nice work....but on several of the websites, in the galleries, there are cakes...very well executed...but the designs are straight out of Collete's book or Confetti's website. Like everything...down to a tee.
What do you guys think about this....I would love to hear different opinions...

I pretty much do what the customer wants. Some of them like to design their own (which is the most fun) and some find some homemade cake on somebody's website and ask me to copy it. LOL. Or find a professional cake and want it copied.

So...I guess I just do what I'm told. I prefer one-of-a-kind though, even within my own cakes...I hate reorders. haha.

I look at it as if the person wants it they will get it since they are paying for it. I love seeing all of the unique cakes on this site and others but no one around here wants those. I live in a rural area and they want sheetcake with flowers--white cake, buttercream and roses. When I suggest something else they say "No, that's ok flowers are fine." To copy someone's work I would hope would flatter the original designer. As long as recognition is given for the original work then thats ok.

I guess it's not the making of the cake that I'm questioning....it's more the advertising your cakes using somebody else's idea that brought the question to my mind.

Mind you...I don't necesserily think it's a bad thing...I mean...to even copy a Collette cake is a great feat....just something that made me go Hmmmmmmm......

I guess I was trying to get to that point and didn't quite make it there. It would be good to show unique things that you created on your own, but if you use someone else's idea you at least better give credit for it.

I think it's fun and challenging to try to make cakes like the more famous cake decorators. For me, it's something to strive for and improve on. I like to try new things all the time with my cakes, that's why I love doing cakes for family functions-nobody is paying me so I can do what I want! Though sometimes it is nice to just do a plain sheet cake with roses when you're strapped for time!

consider --

a long standing in art schools is requiring students create copies of the works of various master artists

soooo...

copying a master decorator's cakes can be seen as a method to increase skill and ability.

and even then -- there's always that voice.

yes -- BUT ------ if I were doing it all on my own, I'd .....

i only do wedding cakes, so there may be a difference with me. but if someone wanted an exact replica of a cake they saw (famous or not) i would suggest making some changes to make it unique, and only theirs for their special day. whether its just changing the colors, or incorporating a different technique, in my opinion a wedding cake should be as unique as the bride is herself. but if it came down to it, and the bride would not have any changes, i would prolly do it the way they want. fortunately this hasn't been an issue so far, as they seem to come to me wanting changes to the pics they have.

and on a side note, you don't need to give credit to someone who's design you're using. they don't own the design, just the photo. so if you recreate it, its still your work and belongs to you. not to your inspiration.

When a bride points out a cake (whether it be one I've made or one from a magazine) and tells me "I want this cake", who am I to tell her that I can't or wont' make that cake because it's boring or not creative enough?

Above poster is correct .... you can't "own" a design. (Have you all seen the copyrighted cheeseburger thread??). I mean, how are any of us going to give "credit" to the first cake person who wrapped a ribbon around the bottom of each tier? Bride wants a cake with ribbon around the base .... I'm giving her a cake with ribbon around the base.

If someone has the skill to duplicate a Collette Peters or Toba Garrett, then I say all power to them and charge accordingly!!

I have my cake photos in 2 books ... one is pics of cakes I've made and the other is magz/internet pics. I tell brides, "Cake decorating is like any other skill, such as crocheting, knitting, or sewing. Once you master the skill, you can follow a pattern and make anything. Book #1 (my pics) shows you that I have the skill. Book #2 (magz pics) are the patterns."

So I made a cake that looks like a cake someone else made. There's only so many ways to wrap a ribbon around a base or put dots on a cake. It's gonna happen.

I have seen websites that advertise "no duplicated cakes" and their selling point is how every wedding cake is different - no "cookie cutter cakes". I wonder how they tell a bride "Sorry ... can't do a cake with ribbon around the base because it's already been done" or "sorry, can't do that design you want because another bride did it last week."

Maybe I just look at it from a business point of view ......

This depends on the decorator - some see themselves as cake designers and some as cake decorators and some a mix of both. My heart sinks when people say my cakes are like Colette Peters or Margaret Braun's style as I want my own style however being able to recreate someone's esxact cake takes skill in execution. Some people just want to sell cakes in which case copying other people's designs is fine for them.

I think sometimes I copy a littel, but it never the same. I always make somethings a littel different.

Make any sence?

The trend that I am being asked to do is "simple, plain and white"...I'd say that 80% of my bookings start out that way. At the consultation, I always try to make suggestions to give the cake a little more oomph...sometimes they go with my suggestions and sometimes they don't. But, long story short...the cakes pay the bills, so if they are simple, plain and white, and what the customer asks for, then I do it for them.