Cake Decorating... The Learning Curve

The Learning Curve

When I am in the process of learning something new, I dive right into it until my brain is about to explode. Then I keep going. I love the challenge of learning new things and experimenting to become better. Finding new information wherever I can get my hands on it! Jumping into a bakery department was a good move for that.

While learning recipes, formulas, procedures and other technical things that go along with it, I was learning how to read instructions for cake decorating. Photos with the finished product and the order of layering, right off a recipe card! Then I took that a step further and found  #YouTube  videos and all the great things that you can do with icing!  Starting with the basics is very important, practice, practice, practice!

My whole time as a cake decorator has been a giant learning curve. Learning a technique, practicing it and then adding to what I've just learned. For example: I have made thousands of butter cream roses on a rose nail but I haven't been able to make a butter cream rose on a stick! I am still determined to get it, and that definitely takes practice.

Cake decorating is so much fun. There is always something new to learn and try. It's fun when you see the look of awe, satisfaction, and surprise comes across someone's face when they see a stunning finished product. To hear the kids squeal with delight when they see something that they "must have" for their next birthday! It's a special privilege to be a part of a total stranger's moment, of their memory.

There really is no limit on the potential of what can become when you decorate a cake. I'm realizing as I write this, the learning curve doesn't stop. There is always that next personal challenge and creative inspiration from family and friends.  I have fun with it, and love the challenges. It is a delicious way to be creative! I love #CakeDecorating

Chox =)

How My Sweet Art Found Me =)

Good Day to you and Welcome to the Cake Decorating Blog =)

I started this adventure a few years ago when I had the opportunity to transfer departments  where I was working. No, I didn't go to school or take any courses on decorating. Having very little previous cake decorating experience, I dove into books and videos on decorating.

I had my typical "throw the book at you" training for receipes  and store standards. Then started to hone in on my techniques. This is not a natural talent. This is something that I want to learn about and improve on.  To be quite honest, I can't really draw on paper but I can make beautiful things out of icing. When I was little, I never thought of being a cake decorator when I grew up. It is just something that happened. I love it! There is always something more to learn and design, it's very hard to get bored doing this.

I would also like to say that I have found that icing is not easy to make at home. Everybody that I have talked to about icing recipes said that it was easy, just throw the ingredients togther and whip it up! I tried, and tried and tried some more to make the "perfect" decorators icing. I found the perfect recipe so far and have been using that with success for my decorating. Up until last year, I had never made icing at home to decorate a cake with. I've made it at work hundreds of times, but  never at home.

I started seriousily decorating cakes at home last year. My kids are getting older and asking for  designs and styles that I couldn't make at work.  I'm usually up for a challenge and hey, it makes the kids happy. I don't make them for sale, just for family and friends that ask. I started to video what I do last year so that I could share what I learn with everyone. It was very daunting at first because there are so many different styles, techniques and opinions about cake decorating.

Taking what I have learned and bringing it into a home setting are such drastic different things. Tools are not at my fingertips. I don't have many of the speciality tools, just learning how to make a good decorator's icing, no airbrush machine, no storage and I don't have the special tips at my fingertips either. I am not letting that deter me though!!! I have picked up a few decorating tips, icing coloring and basic tools at walmart and the rest will come later.

My kitchen is tiny! My appliances are not in any condition to talk about but I don't let that get in my way, and you shouldn't either =) This is more about being able to share. Breaking it down and making it easy! My family has been so supportive  with this but I guess that they enjoy the end results! I'm really glad that I gave this a try! As I get more comfortable with the videos, I'm sure it will smooth out a bit! LOL
I'll be following up this blog as I do more videos =) I really appreciate you checking this out and I hope you check out some of my Cake Decorating video! I love #CakeDecorating and it is quite the adventure to do it in my kitchen =)
Chox =)