The First Cake You Ever Decorated

Decorating By morg Updated 13 Mar 2007 , 4:13pm by acholloway

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morg Posted 30 Sep 2006 , 4:14am
post #1 of 33

(I apologize if this is a repeat, but I *did* search like crazy for a previous thread on this.)

What was the first cake you remember decorating? I don't mean sprinkling a few glitters on a cake top, but really decorating like a project?

Mine was 6th grade in 1962. I used Momma's round pans and baked multiple cakes. I carved them into a bugs bunny type shape, and I iced them then covered it in coconut for white fur. Jelly beans made up the eyes and nose (color according, lol), and I used thinly sliced black licorice for whiskers. The paws held an icing carrot, and I tinted the coconut for pink paw pads and feet pads... and man I can't remember the rest? icon_razz.gif

I entered it in the county fair's kids baking category. Momma got a call from the fair that they felt it was unfair to the other kids (!?!), so they moved it to the adult baking division. I won a blue ribbon...and I was hooked!

Pretty cheesy, huh? I'm curious if anyone else got "hooked" on cake decorating in a similar fashion? icon_smile.gif

32 replies
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rosiecakes Posted 30 Sep 2006 , 4:50am
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I was a brownie girl scout when i first became intrigued. Ms Ruth was the mother of one of the other girls and she made these littl santa minicakes that looked so cute no one wanted to eat them! I was so impressed, i said I'm going to be the kind of momma who can make stuff like that. True Story.

When i was a teen i convinced my mom to get me a wilton starter kit from jc penny's on day and i played around making star borders and trying to ice cakes smooth with that lil tiny spatula it comes with, but i didn't take an actual class until I became a Mom. ( In fact the only actual class i took was Wilton course 1 and the rest has been self taught and internet taught learing from my online buddies.)

Here's the neat part though, I ran into Ms Ruth again at the grocery one day right after i had completed my turkey cake, I had the picture of it in my purse and showed it to her and explaned how she had been my mentor. She was very impressed with my work and invited me to join the "confectionary artist guild" a local cake club and to come be a guest in one of her classes to show them what a beginner could do. I moved to MS shortly after that but ran into her again at a parade a few years back and she told me the ICES convention was going to be in New Orleans and she wanted me to be involved with it. Real life issues and i got busy and stopped doing cakes for a while and didn't even get to GO to convention because i could not afford it, then Katrina hit. Well my area is about 50 miles from N.O. and doing fine with some minor growing pains, alot of people lost touch with their decorators so there's lots of business now, if only i could find the time!

oh sorry this was so long, but that's my story!

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sweetsuccess Posted 30 Sep 2006 , 12:59pm
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It was twenty-something. I saw a Wilton-Way decorated cake in a magazine and that started a lifelong passion with cake decorating. I bought a Mickey Mouse pan from Wilton and made my first decorated cake. I still have the photo.

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JulesM7 Posted 30 Sep 2006 , 9:17pm
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I have made birthday cakes for both of my sisters since I was about 12 - but those were all canned frosting spread all glumpy with a butter knife and then sprinkles on top or those sugar decorations that come stuck to a sheet of paper.
The first cake I made actually using a piping bag was a Bret Favre Packers' jersey using the t-shirt pan. It was for my sister's birthday about 12 years ago. She loved it and I was hooked! I have gotten better with each cake, but still have a lot to learn. This site has given me so many great tips and easier ways of doing things. I am so glad I found it icon_razz.gif

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morg Posted 30 Sep 2006 , 9:29pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rosiecakes

I was a brownie girl scout when i first became intrigued. Ms Ruth was the mother of one of the other girls and she made these littl santa minicakes that looked so cute no one wanted to eat them! I was so impressed, i said I'm going to be the kind of momma who can make stuff like that. True Story.




Rosie I just loved that story! That is so cool how your decorating "evolved"! icon_biggrin.gif

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JaneK Posted 30 Sep 2006 , 9:30pm
post #6 of 33

I decorated a treasure chest cake long ago when I was in my 20's for one of my son's birthday cakes. Previous to that it was just smartie cakes...
I was living in Germany at the time and I cooked a 9 x 13 cake..cut it in half iced it and decorated it and filled it with candies and foil coloured money which was abundant over there. I remember I didn't know how to prop the lid open and so I just stuffed and stuffed it with candies. He loved it so much that based on that, he asked if I could make his wedding cake..can you believe it??? That is why I am taking the courses and practicing like mad...I want to make the cake as good as what he thinks I am. lol

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morg Posted 30 Sep 2006 , 9:32pm
post #7 of 33
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetsuccess

It was twenty-something. I saw a Wilton-Way decorated cake in a magazine and that started a lifelong passion with cake decorating. I bought a Mickey Mouse pan from Wilton and made my first decorated cake. I still have the photo.




I'm not the only one keeping old pics, huh? I wish I could get to mine so I could have some posted. DH's procrastination is about to drive me to drink, lol. (packed trailer I can't budge)

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morg Posted 30 Sep 2006 , 9:37pm
post #8 of 33
Quote:
Originally Posted by JulesM7

The first cake I made actually using a piping bag was a Bret Favre Packers' jersey using the t-shirt pan. It was for my sister's birthday about 12 years ago. She loved it and I was hooked! I have gotten better with each cake, but still have a lot to learn. This site has given me so many great tips and easier ways of doing things. I am so glad I found it icon_razz.gif




That is a formidable first project...holy mole! I agree, this site is pure honey and gold. icon_wink.gif I'm so glad I'm getting to know some of you.

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loriemoms Posted 30 Sep 2006 , 9:41pm
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My first cake was one from a betty crocker cookbook of a black cat. It was the same kind of thing, where you baked two round cakes, and cut out the ears and tail from one round. I covered it with chocolate icing and licorice whiskers and gum drop eyes. It was for one of my girl scout badges, and turned out very nice! I was in the 6th grade I think.

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vickymacd Posted 30 Sep 2006 , 9:54pm
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I think we all decorated some sort of a cake way back when, but I remember when I got HOOKED. It was for my first child's first b'day (26 yrs. ago) and I found an aluminum foil cake pan by Wilton of Raggedy Ann. It was all star tip design except for a little bit of other stuff, but when I saw my daughters face as well as the compliments of others I knew I could do more. Well, 7 kids later, I seemed to be many months ahead of Wilton in designs. I always made cakes for the kids but never was able to find pans for it, so I had to design them. Then maybe 6 mths. later, Wilton would come out with it! (I should have worked for them). But I'm still going strong coming up with designs and 26 years later, I'm still getting 'memories' from people on my cakes. Oh, I remember it took me ALL day to make that Raggedy Ann cake and my daughter after seeing it, HUGGED IT!!! There went the cake!! The cake was gone, but my passion for decorating increases!

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morg Posted 30 Sep 2006 , 9:55pm
post #11 of 33
Quote:
Originally Posted by loriemoms

My first cake was one from a betty crocker cookbook of a black cat. It was the same kind of thing, where you baked two round cakes, and cut out the ears and tail from one round. I covered it with chocolate icing and licorice whiskers and gum drop eyes. It was for one of my girl scout badges, and turned out very nice! I was in the 6th grade I think.




White bunnies and black cats in the 6th grade. Not bad! It just goews to show kids have their own special creativity. icon_smile.gif

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mdutcher Posted 30 Sep 2006 , 9:59pm
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My first decorated cake was a 9X13 cake cut up to make a choo choo train for my first son's first b'day. My mom always made our b'day cakes (and her mom for them), so I wanted to carry on that tradition. I was totally hooked! I have 3 kids now and their birthdays can't come quick enough! Finally started making cakes for other people about 5 months ago. I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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cotufita Posted 30 Sep 2006 , 10:37pm
post #13 of 33

Hello everyone! My first decorated cake was a large sheet cake. I was living in Baltimore,MD(1976) it was my second daughter's first b'day and I wanted to srprise all my new friends there. It took me a ot of time to cover that large cake, I remember I used white buttercream and small pink drop flowers. This was the bad part; those drop flowers!!I was not able to do that hand twist, but I I did them after a few trials(laughs) it sure was a nice experience. I came out with a beautiful white and pink sheet cake. I've been decorating since them for the whole family: b'days, first communions, weddings. By the way, I also made that Rageddy Ann foil mold. I'm from Venezuela, South America, but live in the Canary Island of Tenerife. I sure enjoy reading this website. I'm glad I found it.
I forgot to say that now I'm making cakes for my grandchildren.

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morg Posted 1 Oct 2006 , 4:09am
post #14 of 33

You guys are great! I am enjoying reading all this...

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lilmisscantbewrg Posted 1 Oct 2006 , 4:21am
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My first was only about 4 years ago. I made a 3D airplane for my son using a mold I'd bought online. Later that year, I attempted the Christmas drum cake using 9 inch rounds. Only when I took the Wilton classes a few years ago did I realize why my icing didn't look like the picture. I'd always used canned..and didn't realize there was such a thing as meringue powder!!
I still have pics somewhere...buried deep..so they'll never be found..haha..well, that is ..unless you search my computer!! icon_lol.gif

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morg Posted 3 Oct 2006 , 2:40am
post #16 of 33
Quote:
Originally Posted by lilmisscantbewrg

I still have pics somewhere...buried deep..so they'll never be found..haha..well, that is ..unless you search my computer!! icon_lol.gif




*G* Yay, someone else with pics still hidden. I hope to see some of them someday?

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CupCake13 Posted 4 Oct 2006 , 1:33pm
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I think I did some baking as a kid. Mom was the type that although she worked full time (teacher) we usually did a lot of cookie baking. So something was always going on in the kitchen.

The ones that I remember the most are the cakes I did for my kids when they were born (they're growed up now! LOL). My oldest had this big crush on Big Bird. So I did a lot of Big Bird cakes. And I drew them myself, no pans. I have photos somewhere of her 2nd birthday and half her 3rd birthday cakes.

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peajay66 Posted 4 Oct 2006 , 1:49pm
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My very first "decorated" cake was about 5 years ago or so. I'd just gotten the PC decorator thingy and used it to practice stars. I made a round cake and covered it with stars using green icing. I called it an M&M.

My next project was a project from Kraft Foods. It was a cake that looked like a bunny. Turned out not too bad.

A few years later I started with the Wilton courses and really enjoyed it!

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KHalstead Posted 4 Oct 2006 , 1:49pm
post #19 of 33

well, when I was growing up my mom ALWAYS bought cakes for us from the grocery store....except one year when I was turning 6. I was in LOVE with Michael Jackson (gimme a break...it was a long time ago lol) and my favorite color was pink. My mom made me a cake in a 9x13 pan and left it in the pan lol..frosted it pink and then held her hand an inch above the cake and traced it with icing and filled it in with silver dragees (before we knew you shouldn't eat them..they were good too) and there I had it....a Michael Jackson glove cake....I thought that was the most awesome cake I ever had. I decided when my first child was turning one that I wanted my kids to always think their cakes were the coolest.....so I decided to make them. The first one was a wilton Pooh pan with him holding the honey jar....and that was when I realized I have hot hands too hahahha...anyhow I baked 3 other cakes in pyrex bowls and frosted them and attatched red licorice rope from those 3 cakes to pooh's hand so it looked like he was holding balloons.......then I had a pooh stencil that I put on the "balloon" cakes and sprinkled sanding sugar to make pooh's face (kinda) on the balloons.....everyone was impressed and I was hooked.....that same year for christmas I received my first cake dec. book, a box of tips, and a box of assorted colors......I was hooked although I still only made cakes for my kids birthdays....it wasn't until about 1 yr. ago that I started trying to find excuses to make cakes, and that's pretty much because I saw the flower pot cake on here with the baby in it in the tutorials and decided to make a flower pot cake for my daughter's 2nd birthday last Nov. and discovered gumpaste and fondant and everything else I'd never known about...so all the cakes in my folder are pretty much since las Nov. before that it was just a couple cakes a yr for my kids!! Darn you cc......I love you sooo much!!!!

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deijha Posted 4 Oct 2006 , 2:40pm
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The one I remember, other than just a cake iced in the pan, was a wedding cake my sister and I did for our youngest sister. It was a three tiered, with a mirror on bottom one with little swans on it to look like a lake. We did it all in white icing and used a star tip for decorations. It turned out pretty good. We didn't really know what the heck we were doing, we made buttercream icing, it took us three days to bake and set up and decorate, it was in the middle of the summer and we had NO air conditioning, we had fans set up everywhere, its amazing that thing didn't fall over. But we had fun! Then another one I did was for my father in law. It was 3 cakes that I torted and iced each layer with chocolate icing and the outside was chocolate icing too. I never doweled it, didn't know what that was back then. Got made fun of by my MIL and SIL for it. Never did anything like it again until about 2 years ago.

The wedding cake was over 26 years ago now.

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georgiamom Posted 4 Oct 2006 , 2:44pm
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I feel like such a beginner, but when I think back, I've done quite a few cakes!!! Some I wish I had pictures of and some I wish I didn't!!!

I guess my very first cake was when I was 13 or 14, I think. For Valentine's Day, I made a heart cake for a project at church. I baked red velvet cake in a 9" square pan and a 9" round pan. I cut the round in half, tilted the square and put the halves on the top 2 sides to form a heart. Cream cheese frosting and decorated with wrapped red and silver Hershey's Kisses!! LOL

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KHalstead Posted 4 Oct 2006 , 2:52pm
post #22 of 33
Quote:
Originally Posted by georgiamom

I feel like such a beginner, but when I think back, I've done quite a few cakes!!! Some I wish I had pictures of and some I wish I didn't!!!

I guess my very first cake was when I was 13 or 14, I think. For Valentine's Day, I made a heart cake for a project at church. I baked red velvet cake in a 9" square pan and a 9" round pan. I cut the round in half, tilted the square and put the halves on the top 2 sides to form a heart. Cream cheese frosting and decorated with wrapped red and silver Hershey's Kisses!! LOL





That's a really cute idea for a cake!!!!! What a creative teenager you were!!

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Mandica12182 Posted 13 Mar 2007 , 3:37am
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What started my cake obsession was trying to find a cake that matched my son's first birthday theme....my grandmother has always made our cakes growing up so...we always had special cakes...I didn't like having to pick out of a book at the grocery store....so my mind started wandering and I found this place....and I've been hooked ever since!! The first decorated cake I made though was the cake for my dad in my photo's....cover in wilton fondant and painted with straight food colors and the only "piping" I did was the grass tip!! Poor dad...lol!

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cocakedecorator Posted 13 Mar 2007 , 3:47am
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mine was when I was 15. I made and easter chick from a family circle magazine. I had to carve the cake into the shape, frost it and it was sprinkled w/ colored coconut. It was pretty bad. LOL.

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shelbur10 Posted 13 Mar 2007 , 3:56am
post #25 of 33

My first was for my DD's third birthday and it's actually posted in my gallery (spongbob). I got the instructions off nickjr.com and decided to decorate it with frosting instead of using all the candy they suggested. It was kind of sad, I used regular canned frosting with liquid food coloring. But I was hooked from then on! I've buried the photos of many I've done since then, I've only gotten serious over the past year. My biggest regret was camo cake I made for DS last year...I forgot to take a pic!!

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stlalohagal Posted 13 Mar 2007 , 3:59am
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Actually there were two, less than a month apart. The first was an attempt at a basket weave using the store bought DH frosting and then strawberries on top for my SIL birthday... within two weeks after that I attempted the Thomas cake in my gallery photos for my son's 2nd birthday. (He's now getting ready to turn 7) What's not in that photo is the morning after. I learned that you can't stand cakes up on end without support. Which is what I did for the cab (where the conductor is) on the cake. I had worked so hard to keep poor Thomas's face on and propped up the bottom with my pretzel stix train track because it kept falling off that when I checked the cake the next morning I didn't even notice that the back had completely fallen over... also never new about inserting dowel for support until my Wilton classes this past Sept. Needless to say I was in tears after having stayed up till after 1 in the morning finishing it. It was my first big family cake and they would be there in less than 4 or 5 hours and I didn't have time to make another.

- Paula

PS - I didn't count the one I made in the microwave for my mom's b-day using grapes for decoration at around the age of 10 or 12. That was merely the ability to say I'd done the whole thing on my own. There may have been a couple other 'attempts' of this nature but nothing to grand and worth remembering.

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heavensgaits Posted 13 Mar 2007 , 4:11am
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LOL, I don't know if I should post in this or not. I'm a baby decorator, LOL. The first official cake that was for anybody is the baby boy cake with the oversized moon in my gallery. It was a team effort between my best friend and I for a young lady in our Sunday school class. We had a blast! After the reception that the cake recieved from our Sunday school class and the new mommy, I was hooked. I felt like decorating was and is something that I can really do. Even the men were gushing with compliments!

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heather2780 Posted 13 Mar 2007 , 4:28am
post #28 of 33

you guys all have some great storys.
my mom was never much of a baker more the kind that puts the icing out of a can on the cake and some sprinkles and calls it good (and they were) I was always the one trying to add to the cake with the little plastic tips that come with the tubes so my mom started buying me cake pans at yard sales and things the first cake I ever did start to finish on my own was an easter egg cake that has since become a tradition in my family no matter how many fancy cakes I can make they all want that simple easter egg cake so I have passed that tradition down to my son (hes 7) when I really got serious about cake decorating was when I worked as a baker in a store and needed a 3D tiger cake for my sons first birthday (in my pics) the store decorator taught me how and before you knew it I WAS a DECORATOR and I loved and its just been evolving everysince.

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melysa Posted 13 Mar 2007 , 4:48am
post #29 of 33

my first cake was for my sons first birthday in july of 2000. it was a carrot cake from a mix, an 8" round 2 layer cake. frosted white (from a tub of betty crocker). i tinted some frosting orange- you know to MATCH the carrot cake...?.....and using a plastic bag snipped at the corner, made graduated circles, then took a toothpick and pulled lines through from the center to the outer edges. it ended up looking like an orange spider web. stuck a candle in the middle and VIOLA!


after that first cake, i have done it for my sons (3 of them) and husband until just this past august. a friend wanted me to do her wedding cake, thats when i decided i had to learn how to do cakes the "right way"...wedding was a week ago, the pic is in my gallery. now i am pathetically addicted.

ummmmm....i've....come a long way!

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Wiltonlady Posted 13 Mar 2007 , 5:16am
post #30 of 33

It was my second daughter's first birthday cake in 1973 and I thought I would try the Wilton wonder mold and canned frosting and that wasn't too bad.

I quit for a while then when my granddaughter turned a year old in 2002, I decided to try it again, and that didn't turn out to bad. I followed the directions for buttercream frosting recipe on the pan brochure and it only took about three hours to decorate the doll that time. I was hooked and I enrolled for Wilton classes a week later. That's when I found out that you don't use stiff consistency frosting to do tip 16 stars. Oh, my aching hand . . .

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