Every cake I do, I'm always so disappointed in it -- there is always (at least) one (if not more) major flaw that leaves me so disappointed and makes me want to give up.

I will admit that I only started making progress in May (couldn't smooth a cake until then, really couldn't make my own icing) -- but I bake so often (1-2 times a week) that I feel I should be making more progress than I am (I feel like I'm making none).

I look at my pictures and then see everyone else's on here, and it just makes me realize I'm so amateur and my cakes really are that awful, and I just get a sinking feeling. I enjoy decorating so much, but am just so discouraged.

I'm not an artistic person, so everything is that much more difficult for me. I took the Wilton course 1 and it did help me improve on some areas (haven't had slumping sides since, and some of my boarders have gotten better) -- and I'm starting Course 2 Monday (though with how I feel now, I'm ready to cancel and give up).


I did a golf cake for my step-dad's birthday (for today), and it's just been nothing but disaster after disaster.

Both layers of my chocolate cake ended up with big chunks missing because of sticking to the pan (which has never been an issue for me). Seeing I was about to freak out, my boyfriend's mom, thankfully, helped me remedy the situation by sticking the chunks back in (and thankfully the cake was salvageable even though it was still on the brink of breaking apart -- it still worked which was the only good thing to have come out of this).

Both layers of my carrot cake wouldn't even come out of the pan. It took 4 of us to get them out. Those were re-baked (which my boyfriend's mom did for me while I was at work to save me the time).


I made all of my icing/fillings. For the first time, I think my SMBC came out (at least, I think that's how it's supposed to come out...).

But when it came to decorating... and smoothing. The carrot cake's icing crusted beautifully (different BC than the chocolate) - though didn't taste as I expected it would.

Even though I made the BC for the chocolate cake the same that I do every time (without issue), it barely crusted. When I tried to smooth (via Viva -- the SMBC was a filling, not the icing), the icing just kept coming off. I made it the same way as I always do, yet, nothing worked. I don't get it. I even put it in the fridge to help get the icing firm enough to smooth, but it just still was not good enough. The Viva method is all I know right now. So now I have a cake that is not smooth at all -- I gave up because I figured it was better that way than ending up taking off the icing and have my cake fall apart on me (as a portion of it is already delicate).


After even putting on the remaining piping/decorations, it just looks awful. I don't even want to take a picture of it because I'm too embarrassed by it and disappointed in it. Actually I got the idea off another cake here and was very inspired and excited to do this one... but mine doesn't even make the cut. I was so upset by it last night that I just sat there crying as I decorated.

My boyfriend kept telling me it was the heat -- but I've worked in higher temps before and did not have this much issue with my BC (or baking -- though I think it was more humidity than heat as the humidity was beyond awful). And it wasn't even that (though it certainly did make it worse), but every cake I do is just awful, and it's very discouraging. Last nights cake just made me want to quit.


At what point do you decide that decorating is not your forte or keep practicing and hopefully something will click?

You say that you've only been doing this since May? I took a look at the pictures you have posted and while there are some flaws they're really not that bad for someone who's only been caking for at the most 3 months. And you've only had one class! You need to remember that a good portion of the photos you see are from folks who have been at this a really long time so give yourself a break. Take all the classes you can and don't over reach. If cake decorating is something that you really love it will come but you have to have patience and give yourself permission to not be perfect.

Don't take it to heart. We all have mistakes and hopefully learn how to rectify them. If cake making and decorating makes you happy and people enjoy your cakes, don't give up because you can't grasp a certain procedure. I have been providing cakes for family and friends for the last 5 years and I have also cried when things have gone wrong. I'm still here doing what I love though and as they say 'Practise makes Perfect'. Don't give up!!!

I'm sorry to see that you are feeling so discouraged! First of all, I think you are being too hard on yourself! After reading your post I was expecting really terrible cakes when I looked at your gallery, but they aren't so bad!

I have not been decorating for all that long, so I'm no expert... but I see flaws in every cake I do. But other people don't see the flaws! Usually I'm able to cover imperfections with decoration, but there have been occasions where I've had to re-cover a cake 3 times with fondant and it still didn't come out the way I'd like it to! A couple of weeks ago, I was making a cake for my MIL, it was one of the had re-cover and still didn't come out right cakes... I was going to decorate it at me destination (traveling overnight) and my daughter had to hold the box on her lap. During transit it got jostles, smashed up against the box... when I opened it the next morning to decorate, I seriously wanted to throw it away, cry and go buy a store cake! But I trudged on, did my best to cover things and brought it to the party. Everyone raved about it and it was a HUGE success... Other people don't see what we see. Like my husband says, we have different standards. We see cakes like the Awe Inspiring ones from Cake Central, we MAKE special cakes. Most people haven't ever seen a cake like this in real life, it's like "TV walking into their homes" as he said. We are our own worst critics, but if we weren't, if we couldn't see flaw in our work... how could we improve. If we looked at every cake and said "Man, I nailed it again!" How would we know what to work at, how would we have any motivation to try and be better?

Don't be so hard on yourself. Everyone has one of those days. I made a 3 tier cake last weekend. I was distracted and left one of them in the pan for too long after it baked and when I turned it out, I the bottom stuck. It was un-salvageable and I had to re-bake the the layer. It wasn't any hotter than any other day, it wasn't EXTREMELY humid. It could have just been one-of-those-days or it could have been something different in the climate.

I'm not sure if you are doing this just to be a fun hobby, or if you are looking to start a business some day. But to answer your question, as many people have said before, if you are no longer finding joy in it, then it might be time to consider giving up. BUT, just because your cakes don't come out like you expect doesn't necessarily mean you aren't enjoying it! If you want to get better, practice! When I first started (and I haven't been doing this too long) I made a few practice cakes and put pictures on my FaceBook and let my friends and family know that I wanted to make practice cakes. I thought I would be sending many cakes to work with my husband, but i think I've send a total of 2 cakes to work with him! I've been so busy with free cakes that I don't often have more than a week or 2 off in a row (and I get my license from the health dept next week so I will be in business!).

Keep at it if you enjoy it, only you can decide it is worth the trouble for you. Keep practicing, take the Wilton class... YouTube has SO much information as well as this site. There are some really great videos and books. Check out your library and see what they have! But like I said, I think you are being too hard on yourself. Without knowing how long you have been at it, I'd say you've got a pretty good start

It took me ten years to get to where I am today. I made so many mistakes over the years, but that is how you learn. You just have to get through the learning process, it takes time and patience.

Regarding the cakes coming out of the pans though, the only thing that works for me is the Wilton Cake Release. Every time I try another method (ex. shortening and flour) chunks of cake come off of my cake too. I know the Wilton Cake Release is expensive but that's the only thing that I've had success with.

Still this past weekend, I learned some things... that Fondx fondant is not for me - the fondant stuck to the mat while I was putting it on the cake, then I had to pull it off the cake and it ruined the cake, therefore, I've decided to never use anything but Satin Ice from now on. I still haven't successfully covered a cake in ganash... the first time I tried it, the ganash never hardened, so I'll be trying it again and again until I master it.

Do not be so hard on yourself, the more cakes you do, the better you'll become! Sometimes it helps knowing what tools, supplies are the best though and that you can learn from here on Cake Central. Keep at it, learn from your mistakes (I still am) and, I promise you, you'll get to where you want to be!

This post made me sad. I'm sorry you're having so much trouble but as the previous posters said, lots of these women have years of practice and it takes some of us a while.

I took the Wilton class in May with alot of women who were new to baking. Some did better than others and there were actually a few who were planning to retake the same class for the practice.

What I found myself doing after class was while watching TV I would fill a bag with my left over class frosting and start piping. It really does help to practice but even so there are things that I just don't do well and that's ok!

As for your cakes sticking to the pan, that is probably a technical problem. I recently started using Cake Release and that stuff is AWESOME! Before that if I was making a very moist cake like carrot I'd grease, line with wax paper, and then grease again and that makes the bottom release very smoothly. Don't let cakes sit in the pan too long after they come from the oven, just long enough to cool down a bit, maybe 5-10 min, then flip it over.

If it has a high dome, I usually cut it off before I flip so that the unevenness doesn't make the cake split.

I sometimes struggle with smooth frosting. This could be your recipe or your technique. Try to add less liquid and if that doensn't work try to pipe the covering on the cake. I've used stars or rosettes to cover an entire cake or make lines or basketweave instead. I always do this on carrot cake because my cream cheese frosting doesn't crust.

Don't give up on something you obviously love so much! Keep at it!

I have always loved the thought of decorating cakes since I was very young, but try as I might, my cakes were disasters. From uneven cakes to sticking buttercream that peels off the cake, to you-name it! Disaster! But I'd keep trying. Nothing clicked until I went to work at a bakery 3 years ago when my daughter was planning her wedding.

I did not bake or decorate but I did observe and asked a lot of questions. Suddenly it all clicked. I was only there a year but there were some fundamentals that I took with me that started me off well.

First, working with a cold cake a a LOT easier than working with one at room temp. I will freeze my cakes after baking and cooling and then fill and crumb coat cold. Then it's back in fridge to harden and then I start to layer my BC on, smoothing each layer with a bench scraper and then back in the fridge to harden each time.

Don't get upset if your cake cracks or an edge falls off. All that can be cured with cake spackle (cake crumbs mixed with frosting. Fill smooth and then harden in the fridge, then ice over it.

For some reason (pretty sure it's my oven), every cake I do has a droopy corner. So I take the trimmings I've made off my cake and stuff them underneath the corner that's droopy until it's level. It won't show when the cake is cut. In fact, I've used trimmings to even out areas where the cake isn't flat on the sides. Just stuff them in and take my bench scraper and cut them even with the cake. Cover with frosting and no one knows the difference.

I saw an episode of Fabulous Cakes once and the decorator was doing something similar and she said 'cake is all smoke and mirrors!'...and it's true. Only we know what cures and fixes have been done under that beautiful exterior!

My solution for making sure cakes come out of the pan is one I came up with. I grease with Crisco, flour it (making sure that I get all the excess flour out by banging the pan) then I spray the whole concoction with Pam. The only problems I've had are with chocolate cake. For that I will put a parchment in the bottom of the pan. So far the sides have not stuck.

Now...I looked at your pictures and I see improvement with every one! You even had some favorites saved on one! I think your Harry Potter cake is smooth, looks level and you did a great job on the transfer! You do have to start thinking in terms of filling the open space on your cake so draw out a plan on paper of how you want something to look and see how it's sized.

I think the best way I learned was to pick out a cake design I really wanted to do and then I had to figure out how to do it. Asking questions here and watching tutorials on techniques on YouTube were invaluable.

Confidence will come when you lose your fear of messing up. We all mess up...it's learning how to fix it and knowing it's going to be fine in the end that counts.
I look at mess-ups as opportunities to learn. At least I tell myself that when it happens! ;D I've had many 'learning' experiences, believe me.

And have fun! Laugh at the mistakes and go on. No one is judging you but you. And if you need help, this is a great place to come for it! Ask for honest critiques and don't take it personally when you get them! They can only help you in the long run.

Good luck and as long as it doesn't make you miserable...keep caking!

Agree with everything said! You've only been decorating for a few months, cut yourself some slack! I know the feeling, I am a major perfectionist and tend to obsess over every little flaw. Everyone, even the pros who have been doing it forever, have bad days. We had a wedding cake a month ago that was giving us fits- we were doing BC roses in a cascade, and they kept falling off the cake! I was FREAKING OUT! But we fixed it, learned from our mistakes, and moved on. We've been doing cakes for a few years now, and I learn something to improve on every time! Hang in there, you can do it!

i think your cakes are realy good if youve only been doing this since may, after just a few months i could barely do a sponge cake. dont be too hard on yourself this time next year you will laugh at this post and you will surprise yourself with how far you have came. believe me it will happen one day you will stand back and be so pleased with yourself, dont give up, if you enjoy it keep at it

I started with the Wilton level 1 class in April. I took the Level 2 and 3 classes in the following months. Everything else I've learned is from the wonderful people on this site. I think you are being WAY too hard on yourself. It's like saying you'll never scrapbook because Martha Stewart is soooo much better at it or you'll never pick up a golf club because Tiger Woods puts you to shame. There's always gonna be someone better. Who cares?? You like cake decorating so just go for it. I am in constant awe at the stuff I see on this site but I think that's a good thing. It gives me something to aspire to. Be proud of every cake you make because you worked hard on it! Hang in there.

You will have to PM me and we will find much to laugh - and cry - about!

I, too, am a beginner AND I am my own worst enemy and best critic. My oldest son is twelve. When he started school, I had never even made a cupcake - couldn't figure out how you get the cupcake in the cute paper cup - everyone knows you don't put paper in the oven so how does one make cupcakes and then get them in the paper cup - I'm a faux blonde!!!!???

About one year ago, my husband basically alluded to the fact that I was lacking in hobbies and was basically lacking a life. He was right. I had made everyone's life my life but I had no life. I decided that week that I would sign up for whatever class was available at any cost - scrapbooking, floral arranging - didn't care. The Wilton course started the following week and I was in. I have no artistic ability and was only an average cook. I had only learned how to do a few things semi-okay in the basics class. Took the fondant class and enjoyed it but found that everyone else's cake looked better. I just keep trying - and spending money.

Everytime I see one of my cakes - I see only the flaws. I lose sleep at night because I know it should have been done differently. If even one person comments that it could have had a bit more flavor, then I'm upset. Disaster after disaster is routine in my kitchen. In the end, I swear I'm not making another cake. How could anyone want one of my awful cakes????

By the next week, I'm searching CC for another recipe and another idea. I'm hooked in a good way. I have found my "ministry." I find that my EFFORTS are what make people smile. Just because you do no create severn tiered cakes of sheer perfection does not mean that you did not bring joy.

It is your effort that makes a difference. The fact that you WANT to do better and you are upset that your cake did not turn out well this time is your message to yourself. If it weren't important to you, then you would say "Oh well! My cake is a disaster and we will eat it out of a bowl and that is fine for me! I'll order from Walmart next time - no big deal."

Keep trying and definitely use the Cake Release and the baking strips. That's my story and I hope I made you smile!

I have been doing cakes for about as long as you have.. I don't know how it happend I just started one day and can't stop.. anyway I has the same problem with my cake for my wiltong class when I was trying to smooth it.. I was getting upset as well... Good thing that night it was my last class of my second course and I took my cake in to my teacher... I told her the issue I was having.. So she said to leave it uncovered for a bit and then she would take a look at it.. she started to mess with it and figured out the problem in a minute... My BC was to thin thats why it wouldnt set so I couldn't smooth it. Go look at my cakes I have a lot of flaws but i'm working on them one cake at a time.. Practice makes perfect.. Don't let the cake win!!!!
Take a deep breath and walk away for a while.. If u happen to mess up a cake .. So what your just learning, if it's not perfect your prob the only person that thinks that.. I'm the same way I criticize myself to much and get frustrated at times.. Hang in there I promise it will get better

Try not to be dismayed. In the beginning I felt like throwing powered sugar up in the air on my way out of my kitchen and NEVER going back. But, through the years and months, I learned something from EACH & EVERY cake!
One of the tips that has made my life the easiest is CAKE GREASE, Girl!! Equals parts of shortening, oil and flour. Mix that all together and rub those cake pans GOOD. The cakes will pop right out. I keep mine in a plastic bowl with lid. I wouldn't be without it!

Don't me so hard on yourself - you are doing a great job and its a case of having to "walk before you can run". I think you work is great for somebody that has only been doing it as long as you. I have been decorating for about a year and a half (?) and I still have a loooong way to go and am learning all the time.

Just try to breath, enjoy what your doing - we are our own worst critics

Ya gotta have time to relax while your doing the cake. That's my big thing. If I have plenty of time, my mind isn't going 90 miles an hour in a panic and I can think. When things go wrong (and they almost always do), I am calm enough to remember what things I can try to fix them.

If I'm in a rush, fuggedaboutit. It's freak out, slash, dash, go, and regret.

Practice (and planning) makes perfect! Keep your chin up and don't give up!

When my BC just won't behave because of weather or it's just one of those days, with the Viva method....I go to the hot knife method. Dip your spatula in hot hot water, wipe the water off then go over the icing. You have to keep dipping it to keep it warm, so it takes more time, but it works! I have tried to find different solutions to the most common problems I have so if 1 method doesn't work I can try another and see if that will make things better.

I am pretty much never 100% happy with my cakes, but that is because I know what I wanted it to look like and where all the flaws are. And when things go wrong it is very frustration. I've been doing this for about a year, for friends and family, and there are a few things I have improved on but I know I still have much more practice to do and a lot left to learn! Just keep trying. I like the suggestion of mastering 1 thing first, then moving on. And trying not to do something that is out of your range (I give myself a lot of headaches with this one) lol. Good luck!

In everyone of these posts, I see that we bake with love and give it our own personal best. We are our worst measuring sticks. I bet your friends and family would say nice things about your cakes.

I remember the first clay ashtray my son made - it was so flawed that it could not be considered anything but a lumpy pancake. However, it was priceless to me. I hope that my loved ones know that my cakes are filled with love - if not perfect filling!

My friends have no idea this website exists (sorry CC!) and, therefore, they can not compare my efforts to the true works of art on CC.

They tell me nice things and I just try to accept the praise and block out the voice in my head that is screaming: It is not level, the frosting is too gritty, I swear it is leaning, I should have tried a different color, I wish the cake had been vanilla and not chocolate, I swear the fondant is sliding, I think the filling tastes funny, I should have let the cake cook longer, It is definitely leaning, Is that a crack? etc.

If you don't know something , then ask on CC - I sure do!

We can be our very own worst critics. Your cake pictures look really nice. Alot of the cake decorators on this website have many years of experience on you. I've been baking for 21 years and cake decorating for 16 years. I try to make it a point to learn something new everyday. Alot of us as well are professional cake decorators. My advice would be to start of with simple designs, use cake mixes and premade fillings, and find a buttercream icing you like that can easily be modified to make different flavor varities. I prefer to grease and flour my cake pans along with using parchment paper to prevent sticking. Most of all have fun. Whether or not your cake looks perfect it will still taste delicious.

I could have written this post myself, but I have been doing this for five years....I don't bake but maybe 2-3 times a year, though. I don't post my most recent cakes because I know people can see how long you are a member and probably think I am crazy for not being better than I am... but I can help you by saying use parchment paper in your bottoms of your pans, cut to fit perfectly, spray it if you want, or don't. Pour cake batter on top. I NEVER had a problem since with cakes sticking like you mentioned. (THANKS MOM!!)

Don't give up, your cakes impress me! You seem to have tried a lot of different techniques and one you do the other course, it will give you confidence. Best of luck to you!

Don't worry about the smooth frosting unless it MUST be smooth. Just swirl the frosting and let it be pretty that way.

Don't give up if you have the passion. But don't bake more times than you have to if you're getting frustrated.

I don't think you are giving yourself enough credit. You have only been at this since May. I think you do quite well. We all have times where things just don't go right...sometimes they seem like weeks on end. My cakes have been sticking recently as well. I just attributed to the humidity.

But you can't beat yourself up so much or you will suck the fun out of caking. I say this because I was at one point an art major in college. I LOVED to draw, paint...whatever...

The stress of comparing myself to others and living up to my standards of perfection made me completely crumble and I dropped out of the program. I graduated with a different degree, but I've never drawn or painted since.

So don't make your passion into your worst enemy.

Take care hun

You are not alone, I have been decorating for only a few months as well. There are no places near me for classes so I depend on this site and youtube to learn techniques. I love to bake and I have never had a complaint about taste (or look for that matter). My husbands always tells me my cake look good but I always feel they could be better. I'm hoping when we move next year I will be able to take classes to improve/sharpen my skills. For now though I will continue to do what I love and hope to learn what I can from read/watching tutorials.

O by the way, your cakes look great! Don't give up hope!

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

I just feel like I should be making more progress for as often as I'm baking and decorating; though I would be lying if I said I hadn't made any progress because I know I have.

Since my Course 1 class, my icing no longer slumps to the bottom. I'm getting a bit better with borders (as I practice).

I never knew to use dams before when doing a filling, and since I started doing that a little over a month ago, I no longer have the bulges.

My cakes are tasting better; I'm getting more comfortable stepping outside of the cake mixes only and working on doctored and scratch. A cake I made earlier in the month was actually compared to the flavor of a reputable bakery nearby.


I know that this is something I want to do (and thankfully have a very supportive and encouraging boyfriend and family). I can think back to every job I've ever had (including my current job) and know that I've never felt as much pride and satisfaction as I have in a single cake. Yeah, they make me want to cry at times, but when I do something right... When baking and decorating, I've never felt more exhausted in my life, but know that I want to get up the next day and do it again.

I would love to get good enough to be able to have a business some day. Though my boyfriend/family is pressuring me a bit to start selling soon (under Cottage Foods Law, which I've thoroughly researched), but I keep trying to express that I'm not good enough for that yet -- though I'm contemplating doing that with just family for now until I can get good enough.


I will admit that it hit me mid-day yesterday why my BC was not crusting and I could have kicked myself (though it was too late to change anything). When I was making my icing, I was already feeling rushed because of what happened with the cakes not coming out right -- I felt so behind schedule and just kind of lost it from there. I didn't have the right amount of powdered sugar. I would like to learn the hot knife method so I can have an alternative to Viva as well as be able to work with non-crusting icings.

Though, even though the one icing didn't turn out to my liking, I also realized that my icings came out better when I used the stand mixer as a hand mixer instead. I think I had less air bubbles. So I think I'm going to keep that in mind of my future ones.

I do have a co-worker who is into baking/decorating and has offered a lot helpful advice -- though I feel almost hesitant on some things as she gave a lot of backlash to a local baker because she doesn't bake from scratch and uses crusting BC. So after that conversation I feel a little less comfortable as I'm not totally scratch and have pretty much only ever used a crusting BC.


I know my scaling is completely awful. I honestly don't even know where to begin.

I know many people sketch, but I can't even draw a stick figure. How do plan things out when you can't draw at all? Then going from there, how do you scale things to the appropriate size?


But aside, I do plan on continuing because I know this is something that (usually) makes me happy. It's just so easy to get discouraged when it feels like you're not making any progress and your cakes don't seem to come out right. I know that my family and boyfriend are too complimentary and say they don't know what I'm talking about -- though I do appreciate when my boyfriend adds in suggestions when I'm working, like "it would look better if you added this" or "it would look better if you changed this and did this" etc.

Hopefully with the next two classes it'll give me different things to try and hopefully I'll start getting better at the other things -- I did order a couple of cake dummies so I can practice without it being very costly.

Dear, cut yourself some slack. Your cakes look professional quality compared to the first ones I made! You've only been doing this for 3 mos??? And only had one class??? I've been doing this for 10 years and STILL look at every cake and immediately see what I could have done better. I STILL sometimes have issues that I feel like I should be past...uneven layers (gotta get an Agbay), troublesome buttercream, sticky fondant. You'll never ever ever stop learning, unless you stop trying. Give yourself some time, crank out a few practice cakes, watch a ton of YouTube videos, buy some Sugarshack dvd's (or all of them lol), and 6 months from now, you'll be amazed.

I agree with practice. I am a very experienced scratch baker. Last week I made a stout gingerbread cake seven times and it is still not where I want it to be. I have said this before, but the people who succeed in baking and decorating have failures, we just do it again... and again... and again...