I have also NEVER found a forum that even comes close to Cake Central. The endless support and rallying around each other, not to mention the quick and knowledgeable responses and advice, are what make this website truly amazing and special!!!

Put me in the "hell yes" column. I am 34 and a straight guy and I own a company with my wife and all we do now is wedding cakes. Some of my golf buddies slide in jabs now and then about my chosen profession (it's pretty new to me but my wife has been doing it for years) but it's doesn't bug me anymore.

Being the only dude in a Wilton class is pretty cool actually. My first one was a blast. I strolled into the class with a shaved head and goatee, wearing all black and carrying a toolbox, (plus I'm not a small guy) judging by the looks on the faces of the women in the class, they were damn near ready to hand over their purses. I know they all thought I was in the wrong place.

If it is something you want to do, just do it. After all, it is pretty manly not to give a rats *** what anyone else thinks.

Why not? My late Uncle Walter owned a bakery for many, many years, before retiring from the profession. He was the best decorator around the area, Austria-trained in European techniques. What he did 40 years ago, people here in the US are just discovering over the past 10 years. We are talking back in the 1960's, doing royal icing, sugarpaste and fondant work. He was way ahead of his time. May he rest in peace. I wish he would have lived long enough to see what I'm doing now.

Theresa

I fart and think it's funny...therefore I am MAN.

You can be a Manly Man and make cakes as long as you dont bake wearing the newest Victorias Secret lingerie...or any lingerie for that matter. Thats not very manly...downright gay as a matter of fact.
It is permissible to have a lady friend standing beside you in lingerie though....chances are the cake wont get made though.

I was waiting for Dale to post something on here! where's Doug?

just wanted to say some of the best decorators out there are men. My DH is a former marine and is amazing with weapons. (out of 300 shots he got 298 in the black!!!) He's wondering the same question that you asked because he is really starting to want to know how to decorate cakes and to learn sugar work. Since he works so much and doesn't have time for a class, I've shown him some small things in the decorating spectrum and he's great at it! He also has wonderful ideas for cakes!

Go for it and if someone laughs make them a cake and lace it with something to make them run to the bathroom.

Are you kidding me Dan? Some of the best cake decorators and pastry chefs in the world are men. To name just a few besides Duff. Ewald Notter, Nicholas Lodge, Mike McCarey, Alan Dunn, I could go on and on. I am always happy to see a guy join the ranks of cake forums because you have something to add. This is not a "Girls Only" club, you know?

I think many men are concerned they will be thought of as gay if they go into a field like this, well many male decorators ARE gay, and just as many are straight. What does sexuality have to do with whether or not you can bake or create? I get really annoyed at people who label other's. They need to educate themselves and celebrate diversity.

Dan C, I know we all can't wait to see pictures of cakes that you've done. I agree with a previous post here that said that a guy who can pull off a pretty cake (in additon to all of those manly cakes) would make just about any woman swoon. There's just something about a manly guy who shows he's got a softer side. Of course, you can still construct that cake with the built in whoopie cushion that goes off when the cake is cut, but no matter the style of the cake the definition of a good decorator is neither male nor female . . . it is someone with the artistic vision who is good with their hands who likes to create something that makes other people smile. Plus, I bet that being a stay-at-home-dad (lucky you!!!) you will have hours of fun in the kitchen with those kiddos creating all sorts of delicious treats. And your wife will love coming home after a long day in the classroom to see their buttercream smeared smiles as they present her with their cakes. Go for it and have fun!

I am a man and decorate. I do it as a hobby only but there are no negatives that I have seen. Just tell everyone it's you Metrosexual side coming out.

Dale already stole all the good lines. too funny, I knew you were on here somewhere!

lJust tell everyone it's you Metrosexual side coming out. you have to love the male advice on this board!

so where are those cake pics at???? We all want to be your cheerleaders!

My hubby pitches in if I need him and he's manly in my opinion!

I was all stressed out because I was having issues getting the right shade of Hot Pink for my lil girl's Carebear cake last night. Hubby came over, laughed at my pathetic purply attempt and immediately mixed up the exact right shade of Hot Pink.

He's helped me mold fondant figures and always cuts all my cake boards. I'm going to keep him around.

I'm not a manly man by any measure, but I wish there were guys with me in my Wilton classes. I've always gravitated towards hobbies that women traditionally take part in, but I get on better with women.

I recon you could toss me in the manly man box. I was a bounty hunter, skip chaser, repoman, and did personal protection. I work for a bank now but in my spare time I do blacksmithing, wood working and I am building a glass studio. Cakes are a great medium to work with so I figured I would give it a shot.

I took some flack from my buddies for awhile. Yeah that's right I was Little Debbie, and Martha Villa at work. Now all I get are requests for cake, pies, cookies and pastries. Now I tell them sorry dudes I might break a nail doin that.

Of course manly men can be cake decorators. Like others have said, some of the best decorators are male (as well as interior decorators and hair stylists).

I really wanted to incorporate the words "cake balls" into this, but I could not really figure out what was appropriate, so just use your imagination!!!

Follow your dream. Running a pastry shoppe is going to involve all sorts of designs, whether they're "manly" or not shouldn't be an issue. Your skills as a decorator and a business person are what will make or break the business. I look forward to seeing some of your creations, we all do!

yes, yes, yes!! Go for it! Welcome to CC.
One thing I noticed is that my x-h's hand was way steadier than mine. Which made it easier and better for him to do crafts and such.

Can't wait to see pics!

well i think its awesome that guys are into this...and its even cooler that 2 of the most "known" guys on CC are from NC!!
i mean ok guys think about it this way...if a guy can work magic with a pastry bag, and has hands light enough to make delicate flowers...just think what else he can do with his hands...

Oh definitely !!! It's just like ballet.. some people think it's only for the ladies and the "not so manley" guys.. but that is all a misconcepcion and narrow mindedness... if women can be pilots and firefighters, then real men can also become cake decorators.. glad you chose to be a cake decorator..

Dan, my husband is a manly man and he is my number one fan, inspiration and idea person. He has helped me with so many cakes and cookies and has a great time doing it. He admitted last year he couldn't wait for the weekend we do gingerbread houses. He is like a kid in a candy store when he's around this stuff. We are hoping one day (soon) that I can open a storefront and he plans on helping as much as possible.
Good Luck with everything you do.

Hey, I know a man who is a very good baker/cake decorator. He's a family friend..... go for it!
goodluck.

"It's just like ballet.. some people think it's only for the ladies and the "not so manley" guys"


Uhhhh....call me narrow minded...but the tights and tutu are a bit too far for me...I'm not that secure in my manhood.
You'd never catch me in tights....cause I'd run...run like the wind...leaping and jumping, spinning thru the air...oh crap...I just said that out loud didnt I? Where's the damn edit button?

Welcome Dan-I took a class taught by a man-one of my favorites to date! He is happily married with kids and does BEAUTIFUL work. He makes drapes so soft you'd swear they were silk and adds beautiful little flowery touches to all of his work. He is making a terrific living and loves what he does. Do whatever you want to do! If you want to do "manly" cakes, go for it-but you can really blow people's minds by creating gorgeous works of art!

One of our forum superstars (Doug) has some of the best ideas for our cakes-he comes up with things that I would never dream of in a million years. I look forward to his posts just to see how he would try them! If you're around Dale though, don't decorate in a tutu.

Lmao this post is great. I, too, say GO FOR IT . Someone's already said it before, but if you only do what people think you're supposed to do, life would be pretty damn boring.

I came to Grad school in the PhD program but I'm graduating with my Master's and was scared I'd be a loser for not finishing the PhD, but come to find out, they're all just as proud of me as they would have been anyway, and it's what made ME happy!

I'm also one of the only girls in the Revolution Motorsports car club and did my own installation on some of the modifications my car has. I've been known to change my own oil and do some of my own parts work..

And at risk of giving some people a new view of me, I also work part time as a cage dancer and it's been some of the most fun I've ever had! Point being, people hardly thought a Chemist was supposed to do something like this.

Cake decorating, cars, chemistry, cage dancing.. It's hardly anything that meshes together. Life doesn't have to consist of only ONE thing so do whatever makes you happy and don't worry what people think you're supposed to do!

Hey DanC

You would be suprised. My husband looks like a biker (well did more before he cut his long hair) and he makes cakes and pies and does canning and cooks gorgeous and delicious gourmet food. He has a great natural talent and everyone loves his cooking. He has made some of the most beautiful cakes and pies. His pies are always perfect. They look like they should be in a magazine is what everyone tells him.

He has taught me a lot and no one has ever had a problem with him being rugged.

The first time he started baking homemade bread I thought it was so odd. I just had never seen him do it but then I thought about my dad. A rugged truck driver and he would bake homemade cookies all the time when we were little. I think men are wonderful bakers. Sometimes better than women just because in my family the boys are so close to their mothers they have been raised up in the kitchen.

My son is 11 and he bakes. A matter of fact he has a regular customer. She lives several hours away but when she comes to town she always wants to buy his fudge or brownies. She gives him $20 for one batch of brownies! I think its great and very educational. I never want my son to be one who moves out and lives on microwave mac and cheese.

This may be a little off topic but my dad is a guy's guy - likes golf, cigars, and is retired engineer but he enjoys scrapbooking and is great at it! He scraps all of the vacations he and my mom go on. So I say if cake decorating is your thing, and you obviously enjoy it - GO FOR IT! I say a good cake is a good cake, no matter who makes it.

Here is a website for Carlo's Bakery in Hobooken, N.J. I believe (could be wrong) that most of the decorators are men, and are very successful. This might be helpful in your search for other men in the cake-decorating business. http://www.carlosbakery.com/

You can also check out http://www.portosbakery.com/. I believe they have a large male staff too.

Dan go for it. when i was stationed in germany in the dinning hall there was only 3 or 4 of us that could decorate cakes all were men and my self. and we tault each other a few things about cake decorating. so if you enjoy it go for it.

Cake decorating is art and the media just happens to be flour and powdered sugar vs plaster or marble or paint. Express yourself like any other artist.

PS. Our art taste better than paint or plaster. trust me on that one.