Cakes!

I bake cakes. I like edible art. I like TV. I like design and sculpture. All of that pretty much comes together in cake decorating. I used to watch Ace of Cakes and think about how cool a job that must be, to show up in jeans every day, hang out with your friends while making art (kind of like we used to do in the painting studio or computer labs while in college). So one day I was in Michael's (the arts & crafts store) with a friend, and we saw a sign that said Wilton cake decorating classes were starting next week for only $10!!! My friend talked me into signing up. I spent way more than $10 buying supplies to actually decorate with, but I loved the class! The instructor taught us the basics of icing with buttercream, piping, mixing colors, sculpting with gumpaste, covering cakes with fondant, structural support, and even cake painting (that's not all in the first course, but you can still learn it all). My family and co-workers were happy because they kept getting fed! All of a sudden, I was getting requests for cakes for going away parties, showers, engagements, birthdays, etc. I love it! Every time I make a cake it gives me the chance to explore new colors, construction methods, and different piping techniques.

Here are some of my first cakes:


I'll post more stories about cakes eventually... but this is how it all got started.