Small Steps, Big Progress

After my first taste (and failure) at decorating a cake, I knew that I wanted to keep trying. I knew I could do better, but we were young and didn't have a lot of extra at that time. What could I do? I could watch, learn, take notes, research, and practice with what I had.

My husband did surprise me with one tool pretty quickly - an offset spatula.

I was so excited to get this first (of many) tools. If you read my last post, you know that I was using a butter knife for my first cake. Not something that should be used for decorating cakes. What did this simple (and inexpensive) tool bring to my decorating? A lot! I'll break this down for you.

• Smoother Finishes - The main feature of this spatula is the angle, which allows you to decorate the cake without getting your knuckles in the frosting. It makes it much easier to get the clean, professional-looking sides and tops of a cake.

• Comfort - Because your cake can stay at a natural angle, it's easier on your hand when you are decorating!

• Versatility - While primarily used for frosting, it can also be used to spread fillings, lift cake layers, decorate cookies, and add texture to the frosting on your cake.

While I am sure you can find many other benefits of using an offset spatula online, these are just a few of the reasons I always use them while decorating cakes. I have several now, in different sizes and a few with slightly different shapes. It's not necessary to get started with multiples, but I would highly recommend that you get ONE to get started!

What were some of the first lessons that I learned about decorating cakes?

1. Consistency matters. Whether we are talking about the cake itself, the frosting, or the filling. Consistency matters. Your cake needs to be firm enough to decorate.

   1. I started out using box cakes that were "doctored" to taste more homemade. This is a fine place to start, but you need to make sure that the cake is nice and firm - place it in the freezer for a bit to help with this process. If you are carving or stacking a cake, I would recommend finding a recipe with a firmer texture.

   2. My very first cake, the frosting was too firm to decorate the way I wanted to. While having a firmer frosting does have its place and time, it certainly is not when you are trying to decorate the sides of 2" square pieces of cake. From there, I ended up making frosting that was way too runny! My filling would come gushing out of the sides, and I would simply have a mess (and tears).

   3. The filling can't be too runny either! You are using frosting to keep the filling where you want it. The weight of the cake can push your filling right through the frosting if it is too thick or runny.

2. Properly cool your cake. A cake should sit in the pan for around 10 minutes before you remove it. Some recipes call for longer in the pan, while others you do need to remove right away, so be sure to read your recipe. Once it is removed, you need to allow it to fully cool. You NEVER want to decorate a cake that is still warm. It will simply melt the butter in your frosting, leaving you with a mess. It is even recommended that you put the cake into the freezer for a bit.

3. Crumb coat the cake! This is a thin layer of frosting that you put on the cake to catch all the crumbs. You will let it sit in the fridge or freezer for about 15 minutes before continuing. This will leave you with a nice layer of crumb-free frosting when you are done!

WOW! That's a lot! Maybe you are reading my blog to learn more about my journey, maybe you are reading to learn some tips and tricks to help you get started at home. Either way, I appreciate you taking the time to learn about my journey. You see, I made the mistakes, and I learned from them (and other people) as I went. I had the frustrating days where I wanted to give up. But I didn't... I kept going. And you know what happened??? I sold my first cake.

The first cake I ever sold - A Blue Train Engine ;)

Happy 1st Birthday Brayden indeed!!! Decorated in 2011 (3 years after my journey began), this vaguely familiar-looking train cake was the first cake I ever sold. I baked the front of the train in a cleaned tin can. Would I do some things differently if I were to redo this cake? Absolutely!! Would I have charged more for it knowing what I know now? Definitely! Am I proud of this cake? Beyond a doubt.

While I know I could do better at this cake today... in 2011, this was where my skill was at. And that is okay!! It took me a long time to say that. It's okay not to be the best right away.

What matters is that you keep going, because the small steps you are taking right now will become big progress in your future, real soon.