[breharb25]

I actually just began trying my hand at cake decorating not too long ago. My husband, who was raised by his grandmother, actually grew up helping his grandmother decorate cakes for their church functions, weddings, and birthdays. He was pretty excited when I showed an interest in it because it was something that he could share with me and teach me about. Its alot of fun because we wait until our son goes to sleep at night and then we practice at making all the cool flowers and designs. We dont go so far as to bake a cake or anything, we just use either a pie plate turned upside down or a cutting board and we decorate it just like a cake. Some day I hope to get good enough to start doing wedding cakes and maybe even enter a few contests. I know its probably a strange hobby, but its a lot of fun if you have an artistic side. Has anyone else tried cake decorating?

[babydawn]

I used to love cake decorating in high school, and then right after graduation, I lent all of my stuff to a church organization for them to teach the young women, and I haven't seen them since (an honest mistake I am sure). So I haven't really done much since then. I have been really wanting to get back into it though. I could never figure out how to make the flowers, no matter how many instructions I read, do you have any tips for me?

[tnmommie]

I was raised watching my grandmother do this. I would love to learn how and I have a plus she still has all her pans! I thought this winter would be a good time to learn after football season is over and things have settled down!

[breharb25]

As far as making the flowers goes, it does take a lot of patients. You really have to have the right consistency of icing which makes a whole world of difference. For making flowers on a flower nail the icing should be very very stiff so as to hold the form of the petals. Royal icing should be used for this as its the thickest of the icings. I found that Wilton.com is an excellent resource for learning how to hold the icing bag properly and they also give instructions on an array of different flowers and decorations. You can also purchase a new set of tips and bags fairly cheap on this site and they have several different projects to try. Hope this helps!!!

[sfharper]

I never learned the decorating techniques although I finally got some of the equipment. As a teenager, I often made cut out cakes with my friends for people's birthdays. Have you done them? Those ones where you turn a couple round cakes into an elephants or something?

[shazbo]

i cake make cakes but never had the nerve to have a go at decorating what a talent if you can do it

[writerchick]

Something that's fun and easy to make a really "wow" cake without sophisticated cake decorating skills is to mold marzipan, or almond paste, into different shapes and flowers. You can make it or buy it ready-made. Mix in some paste food coloring and you can get some vivid colors, too.

[kywrite]

My mother used to run a deli, and she brought part of her cake-making home with her. I still remember opening the big freezer to see it filled with icing roses of every color, all on wax paper.

If you want to thrill the kids, get a really simple cake decorating kit -- one of the plastic all-in-one squeezable colored icing things -- bake a big chocolate-chip cookie in a 10" cake pan, and then let them decorate it. It's almost as fun as making biscuit skeletons for Halloween!

Jamie

[oweirdo]

I love to make cakes. My mom taught me, she taught her self as a young married women to try to make a few extra $$$. I made a wedding cake a few weeks ago, and make all my kids birthdya cakes. I am making a John Deere green cake in about 2 weeks. I also make swiwsuit cakes for guys bd parties.

As for the roses, I use a toothpick with a small piece of gum drop on the end. I use the s-curved tip, and a thick homemade icing. Made with Crisco ( and only crisco) and powered sugar, with a tiny bit of water. it takes lots of pratice, my Mom says get an oat meal round box, or a ceral box, wrap it with wax paper, and pratice. then scrape it off into a bowl and try again, Or you can buy a pratice board from wilton