Hi!
I am in melbourne and i'm looking to chat with other aussies. As much as i love the site there is alot of stuff that doesnt relate to us. I would love to discuss everything from starting a business, training and courses, products, substitutes for the american products and of course your experiences with cakes!
I am just starting out, been doing cakes for friends for a while and have some professional training as a chef (almost qualified) but that was 10 years ago. i have recently decided that I would like to do cakes for a living. And thats about all the thinking i've done on it! I dont know where to start! I am working full time atm and ive decided to give myself till feb to start a course or go back to TAFE. (doesnt help that i work in a hospitality supply store )
Where to go now?
Also- rolled buttercream? Does anyone have some nice tasting recipes that are easy to make with the ingredients we have here?

Cheers! L x

( please move if you think it is in the wrong place!)

Hi, GingerKitten!
Welcome to CC and the Aussie contingent!
For more Australian content, the Planet Cake forum is just starting to get off the ground - http://www.planetcake.com.au/
The staff at Planet Cake (no, I'm not one of them - just done a couple of their courses! ) are astonishingly helpful with every aspect of Cake Decorating and have cheerfully answered even my dumbest queries!
That said, the people I have "met" through CC couldn't be more helpful! There always seems to be someone here that can answer questions regarding Aussie equivalents and to come up with previous posting strings, appropriate websites, etc. to answer any "what do you mean" questions we poor colonials can come up with! (Thank you, Doug, Shirley et al! ) Even the most idiotic-seeming question is met with helpful advice!
Hang in there - you have found on what is probably THE best site for cake decorating questions, inspiration, and just plain fellowship, on the web!!

Sorry, I can't help with the buttercream question but I wanted to say hi and welcome to cakecentral!

Are you planning on a home business? Or a shop front?

Howdy, I'm in Melbourne also. Just getting my foot in the door cake wise and I love it. I'm in the northern suburbs. Where are you located??
I'd be keen to find out about courses, I'm currently doing some workshops and classes in Greensborough.

Not sure, most likely from home though i did see that "let them eat cake" was looking for apprentices... (hmmm )

And ozcookie? THANKYOU!! the planet cake website is exactly what i am looking for! As much as i love CC its nice to also have somewhere to go that specifically relates to what i'm doing. Danke Danke Danke!!

OzCookie, I'd LOVE to go and do a few classes at Planet Cake. being in Melb makes it hard tho, cause accomodation in Sydney is very pricey!!!
Good to know the staff are great, given their reputation in the industry. I love checking out their cakes in Modern Wedding.

LiliS and GingerKitten - try www.lastminute.com.au for accomodation - some AMAZING deals available!
Also - forgot to add, GingerKitten - Crisco, which gets mentioned a lot on this site for Buttercream recipes, is available through David Jones and also through USA Foods, which is located in Melbourne! Other alternatives are So-Lite and Cream-Cup, which can both be ordered on-line or (if you ask nicely!) can be bought from your friendly neighbourhood bakery or cake-supply outlet.
Good luck to you both, and hope to see you in Sydney, soon!!

Welcome to CC gingerkitten79. I'm sorry cannot really help with questions regarding starting a business but as to your other questions, there are lots of helpful CC members around, as mentioned by OzCookie.

I have not been to any of the courses at the Greensborough Cake Decorating centre but I shop there. Most of my stuff is through trial and error and from books. If you have any questions just post it on CC and your will get lots of help.

LiliS - I'm in the northern suburbs to - Mill Park. Where are you?

Hey gingerkitten, welcome to CC, there is an Aussie contingent on here, so don't give up. I would suggest you pm or try to contact Boonenati she's in Melbourne and can give you Melbourne specific info for an at home business, please be aware that some experiences and some rules differ slightly from council to council.

You don't have to have done any courses to run your own cake decorating business, but I'm of the belief that knowledge is never a burden. I'm mostly self taught but had my greatest growth period after attending a sugarcraft class, it won't be my last.

You might want to look at joining the cake decorating guild in Melbourne you can look them up and check out where your local chapter is.

Above all I say keep posting things here as well, despite some differences in ingredients etc, I've found the site to be a wealth of information I take what is useful and leave the rest of anyone else who might find it useful!

Hope this all helps!

Cheers
Nicole

Barbra, just further down Plenty Road in Sth Morang!!! hey, do you do classes??? My cousin mentioned one of the mums at her childcare does cakes and classes... just wondering if that was you????

Ginger,
I have really enjoyed the classes at Greensborough so far. I am looking into this cake thing as a business at some stage.

Hey girls

its great to see more aussies on CC, I'm about three hours drive away from melbourne going towards adelaide.. right near the grampians...

I just wanted to say that CC and the internet in general are fantastic to learn from, i have never taken any courses and am completely self taught.. since late last year i have been selling my cake from home, my local bakery has been fantastic referring customers to me..

i mostly made my kids cakes from the womens weekly books until i found cake central about a year and a bit ago, everything i have learnt since is thanks to this site and a few others.

i say just go for it and have fun

cheers

kylie

Hello,

Is there any people in qld that have done courses or any other cake decorating things here.

Love seeing ozzies here and would also love to chat...

Leigh

Ladies, i found this website that lists all the courses in Oz for cake decorating (amongst other courses but we know the ones that are important!)
I hope you find a course for you!
http://www.courses.com.au/subcategory.cfm?subcatId=58

Hi, another Melburnian here!
I've taken a number of classes at Greensborough, I highly recommend any class you can get into with Heather, she's the lady who makes just about all of the flowers for the shop and she's just a wonderful person, also Irene is a lovely teacher and has lots of wisdom and experience.
I've not heard very nice things about the teacher at Cake Deco, apparently he's rather nasty to his students and isn't very encouraging, but of, course, I've not been to one of his classes so I can't tell you for sure what he's like.
Planet Cake is the be all and end all of the cake workshop! They are incredible artists there and if you can get together the cash to make it to any of their classes then you should definitely do it, you will not regret it!
Good luck with it all

Hi all!
Just passing through and thought i would say hi!
and welcome to CC!!!

I just want to say HI too!

I live up on the gold coast and am also starting my business slowly but surely. I started doing cakes for friends and family but one day decided to take my cakes to the farmers markets....WOW what a response!!! It took a lot of cold early mornings but was totally worth every second!
Also take your portfolio to wedding planners, I have found I get a lot of work through them!

Good Luck!!!

Hey ya all,
What amazing work all of you have..Delicate Lee I love your figures. How do you get them so delicate and standing. Do you use tylose or cmc in the fondant? Oh and go the Tigers (yes I know they are out)hehehe
Mmmmmcake I think you would get heaps of great comments on your cakes if you turned on your comments section. You have some great work

Thank you gingerkitten for the course list. That was very helpful. I now see one near me.

Anyhoo, have a great night guys, (can confidently say that since you are all in the same country)
And have a great night or morning to those in another country.

Leigh

i really love the interest this thread is getting. is excellent to get feedback from neighbours! Maybe we should try to organise get-togethers in our local areas to put faces to names and to sit around eating cake!

Hi all fellow aussies and cake makers. Anyone in sydney i ve just started cake classesat castle hill and finding it reallygood mainly flowers at this stage. Ozcookie how did you find the planet cake courses i am in love with there website but looking at it depresses me cause i ll never be that good!! but very curious to know how you found there classes i know there releaseing there 2008 classes in october and am tossing up whether to do there figure class if i get in!!

Jo, what do you mean you get depressed because you'll never be that good?? Have you looked in your gallery you're cakes are lovely and check out the TMNT one. The thing about Planet Cake is the cost of their classes, often only one or two days for $400 +++, I just can't afford that!

There have been some other threads with some info but it would be great with all the new aussies sticking their heads into these threads to be able to swap info with each other. Particularly in regards to suppliers and any info from those who have had to deal with their council in getting approval!

Nice to see some more Aussie's about!

Hi all

This is a great idea , I am always trying to search out Aussies on here as there are a lot of differences in our styles and flavours and names of certain items
I have met so many wonderful people and so very very friendly , from all over the world , would be nice to help each other out DOWN UNDER

My door is open if needed

G'day

Hi there fellow Aussies, just thought I say hi too. I still have alot to learn but I only do cakes for family and friends as part of my hobby. I found cc about a year ago and I became addicted. I often get together with sweet_as_tisse so if you are ever near the Grampians drop us a line.

Holy cr*p Jo, hehehe, your cakes are maybe even better than cake planet. How cool. Love to see so much good talent right here in oz. Means we can get a good learning right here with some awsome people lol

Leigh

Hey thanks guys for your sweet comments. Nicole i agree the only thing thats stopped me from doing pc courses is the $$$$$ if the courses where longer then fair enough but its only 1-2 days anyways does anyone knowany where else in sydney that does classes on figures?? And Suzy of course you can use my superhero idea such a fun cake to do!

Hello, another Aussie here! lm hoping to go to one of Planet Cakes courses next year as well!
Its great to see they are sharing their knowledge and tricks of the trade.

I'm going to add you all to my buddylist so I can keep track of you guys better.

For those saying what? Click on private messages and there is a tab that says buddylist, type in the persons name and then add them to your list!