Mad Skills for Cake Decorating

[Zyni]

I really need to stay away from Pinterest or anything else that has so many ideas for different types of cakes to make and decorate. Not only because the more I see the harder it is to decide what I want to make,nor because I could (but shouldn't) lose track of time just looking, but also because I'm becoming a bit envious of the mad skills some of these people have! I really do admire them for their skill and creativity, but wow! I feel like many of my ideas and attempts really pale in comparison now. I might need to take a cake decorating class or something.

Are you super skilled at decorating cakes?

 

[Trellum]

I know how you feel, I love pinterest, I love looking for manicure ideas over there. But it indeed is an easy way to lose track of time, so many wonderful things over there... so many nice cake recipes. I've actually found some really good recipes over there, but to be honest I never focus on the decoration aspect, for me it's more about the textures and the taste... you know, how good the cake actually is. I found a caramel cake just the other day

 

[Winterybella]

Zyni, this has to be a rhetorical question in my case. Still, I will say for those who do not know already that I want to "perfect the cake, before I decorate." That aside, I have to agree, these sites leave you breathless when it comes to the expertise of the person behind the work put out. I am not selling myself short, but I know it's a long time before I can come near to a lot of what I see. In the meantime I am happy to just admire them and root for all of you here who want to step up to the cake or should I say step up to the "bake".

 

[Zyni]

Zyni, this has to be a rhetorical question in my case. Still, I will say for those who do not know already that I want to "perfect the cake, before I decorate." That aside, I have to agree, these sites leave you breathless when it comes to the expertise of the person behind the work put out. I am not selling myself short, but I know it's a long time before I can come near to a lot of what I see. In the meantime I am happy to just admire them and root for all of you here who want to step up to the cake or should I say step up to the "bake".

Well, look who showed up when Pinterest was mentioned.

How are you, @Winterybella?

Good point, Trellum. I do want my baked goods to be delicious first, and they usually are, but beautiful and delicious would be really cool. I swear, some of my best tasting cakes have looked the worst!

 

[Winterybella]

Well, look who showed up when Pinterest was mentioned.

How are you, @Winterybella?

Good point, Trellum. I do want my baked goods to be delicious first, and they usually are, but beautiful and delicious would be really cool. I swear, some of my best tasting cakes have looked the worst!

I am smiling for the cameras even when I am feeling down Zyni. Smiling is what I do best and baking is a close second. Believe that and you'll believe anything. Cooking is a close second. I am still trying to develop those mad skills when it comes to baking. I stopped typing as I often do and Googled " mad baking skills". I will hold back what I found. The mad skills recipes are endless. Pinterest does not spare you when it comes to coming up with unending recipes take control of the senses.

 

[Zyni]

Well, I hope you're not feeling too down. Be well, friend.

Ugh! You are a rascal. I should have known you'd google mad skills and find mountains of stuff, haha. Thank you for not drowning me in stuff that I could never pull off!

I do admire people who make such gorgeous things. I seriously need to take a class.

 

[Winterybella]

I was planning to be a real rascal indeed so I go and google " mad skills in baking" and then decide to click on "Mad skills for cake decorating" thinking I am going to drown Zyni in decorations and guess where the link takes me.....RIGHT BACK HERE!!!! I was so slow at first I thought it was a computer glitch and then I do it a second time to end up right back here again. I'm going to quit for the day and probably look to improve on my own skills. You have been spared yet another day Zyni.

 

[Zyni]

You are too funny. I will have to carefully choose my words from here on out so your plans for mischief cannot be fulfilled. Muhahaha.

Now, I need to go look up some simple decorating techniques that I can actually do, to make myself feel better.

 

[Winterybella]

You are too funny. I will have to carefully choose my words from here on out so your plans for mischief cannot be fulfilled. Muhahaha.

Now, I need to go look up some simple decorating techniques that I can actually do, to make myself feel better.

Seriously though, I will not allow you to start a thread about " mad skills" and then go off looking for "simple decorating techniques'. It is not going to happen on my watch. Besides I have great confidence in your ability. That said, I found a little something that you should probably attempt. Should you encounter any kind of problems, just "call me" and at the very least I can provide a "listening ear". I am a "phone call" away.


http://www.sagmart.com/newsdetails/iPhone-and-Camera-Cake

 

[Zyni]

LOL! I was admiring other people's mad skills though! I don't have any.

I think that cake you posted is cheating. I'm pretty sure that stuff is done with a printer on rice paper or something. Well, darn. Why did I tell? I should have just cheated one and posted a picture. I'm pretty sure I can manage using a printer!

 

[Winterybella]

LOL! I was admiring other people's mad skills though! I don't have any.

I think that cake you posted is cheating. I'm pretty sure that stuff is done with a printer on rice paper or something. Well, darn. Why did I tell? I should have just cheated one and posted a picture. I'm pretty sure I can manage using a printer!

I was only playing with you. I was listening for your call. The one I pulled just came up when I was doing a "mad" search to get you something to think about and maybe that one might be a cheat of sorts. Either way I still have confidence in you. You at least know about a printer and rice paper. What do I know? I print my documents and eat my rice.

Seriously, I want you to pull something off and bring it to the forum. Right now I am about to go bake my son a simple chocolate cake and I am scared. Does this cake look more legit? I think it does.

http://www.celebrate-with-cake.com/2012/07/iphone-cake.html

 

[Zyni]

Haha. It's all good. I look forward to seeing what you will spring on me next.

Why are you scared of simple chocolate cake. Pft. No worries! You got this!

Yep, that cake looks much more like a cake. Maybe with some.. whatchacallit... fondant.

 

[Winterybella]

http://foodess.com/1982-moist-chocolate-cake.html

This is the recipe I tried. When I tested it with the "knife" ( couldn't be bothered with the toothpicks) it came out nice and clean in one area and soggy somewhere on the top. From there I knew I had problems. It was a sort of surprise for my son who's a year older today. Lords know I wanted to test it before he came home but I just couldn't further ruin what I suspected was a recipe gone wrong. Anyway, he comes in, sees hts cake with some sprinkles with his initial, ( my mad skills) smiles, and takes a small slice. He gives me a passing grade but sadly I can't take it as it's a little soggy in some areas at the top.

Tomorrow I have to work on slicing it well, taking out the problem areas, and getting it quickly out of the house. Meantime, my poorly decorated cake has to compete with these

I wish I knew how to make the pictures pop like they do on Pinterest. I say I have to find out from these girls providing the gifts of cakes who's producing them here and get some lesson. If I show you my chocolate you would die with laughter. By the way, Betty Crocker was my best baking friend before I joined the forum....just so you know .....so nothing in baking is simple for me.

 

[Tina Nord]

Pinterest and I have a love hate relationship. I love going on that site and looking at all the marvelous ways in which people have found to decorate cakes and cupcakes, but I hate the fact that I am not skilled to decorate that elaborately. Cake decorating is one of those skills I have yet to perfect.

 

[Zyni]

Whoa! @Winterybella there are WAY too many frowny faces in that post! We'll have none of that.

I'm sure your cake tasted good, and I'm sure your son was pleased that you made it for him. That's what really counts. Don't even fret over trying to compete with some of these people... I feel ya... but seriously, they have mad skills. That takes time, practice, and LOTS of mistakes to achieve. I'm still on the mistakes part, lol.

I wouldn't die of laughter at your cake. It would probably remind me of some of mine that were much worse. Have you seen my thread about trying to paste a crumbling cake back together with frosting? A couple of those disasters should have been on Funniest Videos.

I still use cake mix sometimes, not gonna lie. You can always doctor it up (and hide the dang box, haha).

 

[Winterybella]

Whoa! @Winterybella there are WAY too many frowny faces in that post! We'll have none of that.

I'm sure your cake tasted good, and I'm sure your son was pleased that you made it for him. That's what really counts. Don't even fret over trying to compete with some of these people... I feel ya... but seriously, they have mad skills. That takes time, practice, and LOTS of mistakes to achieve. I'm still on the mistakes part, lol.

I wouldn't die of laughter at your cake. It would probably remind me of some of mine that were much worse. Have you seen my thread about trying to paste a crumbling cake back together with frosting? A couple of those disasters should have been on Funniest Videos.

I still use cake mix sometimes, not gonna lie. You can always doctor it up (and hide the dang box, haha).

I have you covered. I KNEW you would comment about those frowns but I have to tell you I was disappointed some. The up side is that it drew a smile from my son after a long hard day at work and in the end we were both laughing. I know his fancy Arsensal cakes really meant the world to him but that's okay. The ladies keep trying to out do themselves every year where those are concerned. I want to find that thread about trying to paste a crumbling cake.

No more baking for me this weekend. We have enough cakes here for one week. My poor son does not want to cut up his Arsenal cake. Last year he had cupcakes and kept them just to look at until they went bad I think. Decorations!!!!!!

 

[Zyni]

I hear ya. I get disappointed when things like that happen as well. I'm glad you were able to laugh later.

Yep, the worst part about making cake is having cake around for the next week! Be strong!

 

[Winterybella]

I got it out eventually and at least one person searched me out to tell me it was fine. Because he has some mental issues some would want me to believe he'll say everything is good but that has not been my experience. When he tells me something is good, I believe him and once or twice he has said he preferred one thing over the other. I think I will off baking for a few days and let my son get through eating his " jerseys, guns and balls" from his decorated cake.

 

[cupcakechef]

I would say that my cake decorating/cupcake decorating skills are just okay. I too get a bit addicted to pinterest and I end up comparing my own skills to super master cake decorators -- and I end up feeling a little defeated by what they can do compared to what I can do! I do find Pinterest is a wonderful source for ideas and inspiration though...generally speaking if I need an idea for a cake or cupcakes I go there as my first point of reference to get some sort of framework for what I plan to do. Sometimes they turn out well...sometimes it ends up being a bit of a "Pinterest fail", but it's all a bit of fun! Plus I just enjoy learning and trying to improve my skills so that's a good thing too!

 

[Winterybella]

I would say that my cake decorating/cupcake decorating skills are just okay. I too get a bit addicted to pinterest and I end up comparing my own skills to super master cake decorators -- and I end up feeling a little defeated by what they can do compared to what I can do! I do find Pinterest is a wonderful source for ideas and inspiration though...generally speaking if I need an idea for a cake or cupcakes I go there as my first point of reference to get some sort of framework for what I plan to do. Sometimes they turn out well...sometimes it ends up being a bit of a "Pinterest fail", but it's all a bit of fun! Plus I just enjoy learning and trying to improve my skills so that's a good thing too!

Sounds good to me. One thing I will say about Pinterest is that the pictures always look perfect. I am still trying to get a handle on taking a perfect picture. I call it the picture perfect platform. You see some of the most over the top designs there. It's satisfying just to look at them sometimes.