Check out ‘Ace of Cakes’ on thestreet.com as he shares some excellent advice for cake decorating beginners and pros alike.
On his must-have list: a cake wheel, serrated knife (for carving), filet knife (for “getting underneath things”), spatulas (for spreading icing), food coloring (from a baking or candy supply company, not the cheap stuff in the supermarket) and cake pans galore.
There are some incredibly valuable tips for aspiring cake decorators who love using fondant:
…Have shortening on hand — preferably “a very neutral vegetable oil that’s been hydrogenated,” like Crisco — so you can loosen up fondant that’s too firm. (Conversely, if it’s too loose, Goldman suggests using corn starch to firm it up.)
“Good art is borrowed, great art is stolen…”
Goldman has no problem with beginners — or even advanced — cake makers patterning their designs after icons or famous works or art. (Or for that matter, cakes made by other cake designers, including Goldman himself.)
Practice, Practice Practice
Goldman notes that his formal training in cake design consisted of two weeks worth of lessons in culinary school. The rest all came from trial and error.
Read the complete article here:
TheStreet.com : Six Pastry Tips From ‘Ace of Cakes’ Duff Goldman | The Good Life
Tags: aceofcakes
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for letting me know I am not alone. I have learned almost entirely on my own..trial and error. Cake design, like art, is hard to be original. Thanks again
AWESOME! YOU GUYS ROCK! I WOULD REALLLY LIKE TO GET INTO TRYING TO DO THESE TYPE OF CAKES. RIGHT NOW I ONLY DO BASIC WEDDING AND BIRTHDAY CAKES, BUT I WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO LEARN WHAT YOU DO. MY GOAL IS TO OPEN A BAKERY IN OUR AREA. LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. THANKS, DIANE
Hi and thanks for all the laughs and inspiration of your crews hard work in making and decorating those marvellous cakes, great ideas, and great TV programme, never miss a programme. Keep up the good work and many thanks to your HARD WORKING CREW. Regards Ray