cake decorators i envy (craft, train, best, how to)

[confusedTee]

I would love to add this to my lists of hobbies..i want to take a class so bad and can not find one to save my life..unbelieveable..........I have looked at numerous web sites and books/videos but I NEED a class............i have even put an ad in the paper to no avail no colleges either that has it..................this is such a neat way to express yourself..and here it is 4 am and i could be decorating one right now if i could get passed the swirls...................hobby yes a passion that makes u smile and time flies...

[sweetana3]

There is actually a cake decorator convention and National Group. I found it one day while doing a google search. So search away. The convention was in Las Vegas and they had classes. You may have to travel if you are in a remote area. I know our town has community college classes and cake shop classes. Hobby Lobby and Joanns also have regular cake decorating classes in their stores (Joanns in the larger stores). They do it to sell the product.

Check Wilton in Google to see if they have a retailer directory.

[rubytue]

Do you have a Michael's craft store near you? They often teach Wilton cake decorating

[confusedTee]

Not yet...........had one down south in fla..but i here one day well one year..I'll check again at joanne's ours is tiny but hey maybe if i suggest it they mite give it a shot............

and that show ''ace of cakes'' FANTASTIC..................

[Baltic_Celt]

Originally Posted by rubytue

Do you have a Michael's craft store near you? They often teach Wilton cake decorating

Thanks, Ruby. This is great. I'd be interested, too & will look out for local classes. I didn't know Michael's offered them.

Tee, I'm wondering if you have any centers/high schools which offer adult education classes on weekends/evenings? I have a friend who took a 1-mo cake decorating night class at a local high school with her mom (I believe it was $10/class as it included materials) & they were so good at it, surprising as the daughter just went along with the mom to keep her company, that they began designing wedding cakes & did catering until my friend married & began having children.

If not, could you place an ad on Craigslist to ask for a teacher or perhaps barter some sort of service you can offer in return?

I just thought of something else, could calling a local caterer/wedding cake designer perhaps work? You never know, perhaps the caterer can offer classes in their slow season. Doesn't hurt to try.

Good luck. I think a class would be fun... VV

[confusedTee]

it all sounds good..no we don't have that offered at our schools..i even put a flyer up..............

But i will go to Wally World since that is the biggest bakery we have and ask those girls where they got their training and who knows one mite decide to teach.............i know it's odd but we don't have any REAL bakeries here or deli's......hey anyone want to open up a real good business in our neck of the woods?????Now donuts we are quite full on those......lol
thanx.

[princessvanessa]

I took my first cake decorating class through a vocation technical school. Then the instructor started teaching out of her home. I ended up taking every class she offered--for a total of 4 years. It was great. I even ended up a "certified cake decorator"--she was a journeyman cake decorator.

It is great to give a nicely decorated cake as a gift when I visit someone, especially at Christmas time. The person receiving it does not feel that they need to reciprocate with a gift.

[confusedTee]

I agree what a wonderful gift.............

[Inthesierras]

Have you checked out the park districts that are in a reasonable driving distance? Many offer specialty classes. You can also call and ask the recreation supervisor to consider a cake decorating class. Often times they will know someone or ask around if there is interest in an activity.

[princessvanessa]

Originally Posted by confusedTee

I would love to add this to my lists of hobbies..i want to take a class so bad and can not find one to save my life..unbelieveable..........I have looked at numerous web sites and books/videos but I NEED a class............i have even put an ad in the paper to no avail no colleges either that has it..................this is such a neat way to express yourself..and here it is 4 am and i could be decorating one right now if i could get passed the swirls...................hobby yes a passion that makes u smile and time flies...

If all other avenues fail try Wilton. They have DVDs and videos that show how to decorate. If you would rather not spend the money, try your local library for books. I checked on my county library and there were 82 matches for "cake decorating". It is harder to do from a book....but perhaps you can get some pointers.

The biggest thing is to practice, practice, practice. You do not need to practice on a cake. Get yourself a 12" x 12" piece of 1/4" plywood. Cover one side with a couple of layers of contact paper--you will use this surface to practice on. Make up a batch of icing, no need to put in any color--it's for you to practice with. As you practice and fill up the surface simply scrape off and throw it back into the bowl to reuse. Of course, you will never be eating this icing--only using it to practice. Also, as the icing gets warmer from the heat of your hand on the pastry bag, you will need to refrigerate it for a while to firm it up before practicing again,

A lot of the technique is controlled squeezing of the icing filled pastry bag.

Also, a very handy thing to have is a lazy susan base. This elevates your cake and you can easily turn the cake to get the best angle to apply your icing.

My instructor said that she uses boxed cake mixes and does the following:

1)If the cake mix calls out for vegetable oil, she adds an additional "glug" out of the bottle (like about 2-3 tablespoons) 2)Add 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 3)Add 3 tablespoons of flour. Grease and flour the sides of your baking pan and cut out a piece of wax paper that fits into the bottom of your pan (you might want to put a little vegetable shortening here and there on the bottom to help hold down the wax paper). The wax paper, when peeled off of the cake provides a much better, lower crumb, surface for icing.

Also, if the boxed cake mix does not call out for any oil at all--she adds 1/3 of a cup and then step 2 and 3 above.

I have always used this cake mix "secret" and gotten rave reviews. Everyone thinks I made the cake from scratch.

Sorry, I got carried away with my post but I wanted to share some of the hints my instructor had told all of us.