Anyone in here decorate cakes?

[stargrazer]

I'm thinking about taking a beginners cake decorating class and wondering if anyone else has done this. Did you learn any helpful tips? Do you decorate cakes very often, for yourself or friends? Or do you do it to make money?

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

I have probably decorated about 40 cakes since taking a cake decorating class. I don't do it for money because I can't stand the clean-up...and I get frustrated when things don't turn out right.

My MIL is a cake decorator and really enjoys it. Her few hours of work a week pay more than her full-time job.

 

[PrincessJasmine08]

I have taken 4 cake decorating classes. I decorate cakes all the time. It's actually gotten somewhat annoying because now that everyone knows I can decorate cakes they expect me to bring a cake to every family event! It's definitely an expensive hobby and a lot of work but it's also lots of fun! I've only gotten paid for my cakes a few times when I made them for showers and one time when I made someone's wedding cake.

 

[mum4jenn]

I used to do it for a living. I took all three courses of Wilton and later on worked at Publix. I mainlly did birthday cakes but did a few wedding cakes as well when the main wedding decorator needed help. I really enjoyed it but I ended up with carpal tunnel and I don't have the strength in my hands to do it anymore. On Saturdays we would sometimes have 80-90 cakes to do not including the wedding cakes!!!

 

[1Prince2Princesses]

I've thought about doing a cake decorating class too, mainly so I can do cakes for my kids. I think it would be really fun!

 

[stargrazer]

On Saturdays we would sometimes have 80-90 cakes to do not including the wedding cakes!!!

Thanks for the replies to everyone! I figured there was a market for decorating cakes after scouring around the past few days. I never really priced them out before outside of DD's birthday cakes, those usually coming from Publix.

All I can say is WOW - I can see how work intensive it must be to make master cakes, and how much time it no doubt takes. But it seems like it could be very lucrative; not to mention that my DD is now getting old enough to have taste which, of course, costs more .

I signed up with Wilton; my first class is tomorrow night. WISH ME LUCK!

ETA: 1Prince2Princess - check www.wilton.com for local classes. I got my class for 1/2 off today, it was only $15.00 for the course (plus supplies of course) and my local adult enrichment center also offers all three Wilton classes.

Mumm4Jenn, sorry to hear about the CTS. That's a LOT of cakes. Was it fun?

 

[lorimc]

Good Luck with the course, SG!!!

 

[kribit]

It's so funny that you posted this. A good friend of mine wants to abandon her corporate 9-5 to become a cake decorator. I couldn't do it, because I would be eating all the cakes and then I'd have a weight problem.

 

[stargrazer]

Good Luck with the course, SG!!!

Thank you!

 

[MosMom]

I've never taken a class. I'd like to though to start using fondant more. I always do cakes for my kids. Here is the cake I did last year for my son.

Fun fun fun

 

[kribit]

I've never taken a class. I'd like to though to start using fondant more. I always do cakes for my kids. Here is the cake I did last year for my son.

Fun fun fun

Wow, that is a fantastic cake. I would love to see pictures of cakes people made.

 

[tcmata]

I took the classes back in 2002 and started doing a few cakes for family and co-workers. When I became a SAHM, I really started getting the business. Now I average about 4 cakes a week- sometimes more and sometimes less. It can be a fun outlet for your creativity. There is so much out there that you can learn from the internet message boards, books, videos, classes, etc. I really love cake decorating and have built a nice clientale the past few years. The easiest way to get "business" is to start sending sample cakes with friends and family to work,etc.

If you really get into it, the tools and equipment can get expensive- although some of that is offset by the orders you take. Depending on how many orders you have, it can also be very time consuming. A lot of decorators get burned out after a few years because of this. So, you really have to pace yourself and find a good balance between cakes and family, etc.

Cake decorating can be a really fun hobby and it can bring in a nice little bit of money as well. Good luck with the classes and have FUN!!

 

[stargrazer]

Great cake MosMom!

I would also love to see more cake pics...post em if you got em!

PS I'm not worried about gaining weight...it takes a LOT of work to maintain this figure!

 

[jonestavern]

Wilton is good to begin with, the yearly books can give some good advice.

I found my decorating teacher via word of mouth & she was excellent!
Her methods were more taxing than the standard Wilton classes (and much more expensive, but limited to 6 students, too). Her ideas flowed like water & her artistry was breathtaking. Far better even than the very pricey semester long course I took in an expensive culinary school!

Here is a good web site to study:
http://www.ices.org/index.htm

Good luck! I found cake decorating fun & a great artistic outlet!

Jean

 

[lovetoscrap]

Check out www.cakecentral.com they have a forum there and you can find out a lot about the business end and how to get started.


I took the Wilton Course 1 just for fun and really enjoyed it. I learned a lot and have made lots of cakes for my kids and for friends. I never charged though because it was just a hobby and I was not interested in a business. I also got really burned out after I spent a year making cakes for lots of friends.

The last few years I have just been buying cakes from Walmart because they are really cheap and taste great and my kids love their designs. But for DD's last bday I made her Barbie cake. Most of my cake photos aren't digital but I will see what I can dig up.

Also, you don't gain as much weight as you might think I can no longer stand to eat ANY icing on a cake--except maybe a decadent chocolate on a specialty cake. Even the smell makes me a bit green and I have a huge sweet tooth.


I got busy with life and kids and didn't have a place nearby to take the Course II class but I do now and it is on my list of goals for next year.

 

[mum4jenn]

Thanks for the replies to everyone! I figured there was a market for decorating cakes after scouring around the past few days. I never really priced them out before outside of DD's birthday cakes, those usually coming from Publix.

All I can say is WOW - I can see how work intensive it must be to make master cakes, and how much time it no doubt takes. But it seems like it could be very lucrative; not to mention that my DD is now getting old enough to have taste which, of course, costs more .

I signed up with Wilton; my first class is tomorrow night. WISH ME LUCK!

ETA: 1Prince2Princess - check www.wilton.com for local classes. I got my class for 1/2 off today, it was only $15.00 for the course (plus supplies of course) and my local adult enrichment center also offers all three Wilton classes.

Mumm4Jenn, sorry to hear about the CTS. That's a LOT of cakes. Was it fun?

Yes it was totally fun. The first wedding cake I did I was a nervous wreck though. The night before I had nightmares or the cake getting destroyed and having to start all over. I think that night I decorated that cake 10 times in my dreams....everytime someone would drop it..or something would drop on it ...or while delivering it would be in a crash...I did not sleep very much that night!! And the day I actually decorated it I was shaking so much the heavy decorators table was shaking!!

I especially loved doing the basket weave cakes.

 

[theprincess]

My DD and I signed up for a class in August she is 11 and wants to take the class and I thought it would be a fun mother daughter thing to do. I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[Mickeyluver37]

My DD and I signed up for a class in August she is 11 and wants to take the class and I thought it would be a fun mother daughter thing to do. I'll let you know how it turns out.

I took it with my mom when I was in 4th grade. We had two cakes in our house every week during that time period! I still remember most of the techniques. I used to make cakes all the time as a teen and then when I was a SAHM, but I haven't made one since I went back to work. I agree about the pp who mentioned the clean up. I've always made a huge mess- and the more colors you need, the bigger mess it is!

 

[lovetoscrap]

I posted this here before, but this is actually the first cake I have made myself in quite a while (like several years). It isn't the greatest cause I was in a bit of a hurry and my skills were a bit rusty, but DD loved it so that was all that mattered. The Barbie is supposed to be the one from the 12 Dancing Princesses. And I have always hated writing on cakes!

 

[laurie31]

I like to decorate cakes too

This was DD's birthday cake a couple of years ago:

Her last birthday, she was into monkeys - lol