My granddaughter emailed and asked if I would be interested in helping her girl scout troop with the cake decorating badge. I am a hobby baker and need some help!!! Has anyone ever been involved in this before?? Any advice??? I live about an hour and 15 minutes away, so I can't just "pop" over and ask questions. Help!!
I'm not personally familiar with that one, but I would ask for a copy of the requirements for the badge or try to find them online and go from there. I would just try to make sure you cover what's required and if there's any extra time go over some extras they would think are fun. They may have to actually decorate something. If that's the case, you'll want to make sure the leaders and/or girls are prepared with a small cake and some frosting. Sorry I can't give any specifics, but I hope this helps.
If you go to the Wilton website, they have a sample "lesson plan" you can use. It is very detailed. Let me know if you have trouble finding it, I will send you the link.
There is a "wilton cake decorating" badge that my niece's girl scout troop got. It's very pretty. I found it on the wilton website under "icing fun." you buy the whole kit through them - I think it's like $5 per child and includes the badge, a decorating bag and a few tips. I made 5 cupcakes for each girl and we asked my cake decorating instructor from Michaels to come in and teach it, but the lesson plan was pretty simple (you can look at it online too)
Here is a copy of the badge that Linda Snow put together. Since it is a fun patch you could rearrange things as needed.
Sorry< I can never get the attachments to work.
âCake Artistâ Patch requirements for Junior and STUDIO 2B Girl Scouts
Have fun with this program and use your creativity to be a Cake Artist! You have a variety of activities below from which to choose. Set goals of what you hope to accomplish (we recommend following through with 5 activities) and when you have attained your goal, you are eligible to purchase a âCake Artistâ patch at the Girl Scout Council Shop.
1. What is the roll of each ingredient that goes into making cake and icing. Letâs say you want to reduce fat, what can be substituted for the oil? If you donât eat eggs, what can substitute for an egg? 2. Cakes are used around the world to celebrate or recognize a special event. Research three unique cake traditions from various cultures (even a culture different than yours in the United States.) 3. Take a trip to a bakery. Find out what equipment they use to make and decorate a cake, how many cakes they make and decorate per day, how long it takes to decorate a cake, what experience the bakers have and how much a cake costs at the bakery. 4. Collect pictures of 5 different ideas of cakes you would like to decorate in the future. Magazines, the internet, books, workshops, and groceries or bakeries are great places to look for ideas. 5. Decorate cupcakes with a seasonal theme and take them to a nursing home, hospital, or family event where your creations will be a special treat. Feel free to use marshmallows, candy and any other sweets to help decorate. 6. Learn to make different designs using various decorating tips. Can you make stars, zig zags, balls, and flowers? Can you write with a thin line? 7. Various equipment can be used to make and decorate a cake. Learn the rules of food safety and experience using each of the following items: blender, mixer, pot holders, oven, nut chopper, and microwave. 8. Participate in a class or workshop to learn cake decorating ideas. 9. Talk to members of your family and find out if there is a special cake that the family likes to enjoy together. Are there any traditions that revolve around cakes? Make this cake with someone in your family. 10. Be creative. Come up with your own design and take pictures of any cake or cupcake that you make and submit the photo to a cake decorating magazine. Write the magazine a letter, include a picture of your cake, and tell them about yourself and how you made the project.
This patch is created by the Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana, Lida Snow and Kristin Dolwick (staff)
Well - I wish I had a link to the 2 requirements you are looking at so I could help you a little more in depth. I led my daughters troop for 7 years and I can guarantee you that the girls love it love it love it when someone different comes in to help them earn a badge.
Not knowing the requirements - this is what I would do.
1. Make sure everyone had an apron to wear or an old shirt to put on.
2. Have a 6" round cake for each troop member to ice and decorate. Put the cakes on 8" cardboard rounds so that they can take them home with them.
3. I would take colored icing in disposable bags with me - probably 3 each of the basic colors - blue, pink, yellow, green, orange, purple . . . actually depends on how many girls are in this troop.
4. You need to have your own cake to decorate to show them what to do.
5. You don't have to teach them to ice the cake it could already be iced ahead of time.. .. . this just depends upon how much time you have at the meeting --- -which is usually not much.
6. I would probably make up some royal icing drop flowers in the various colors also for the girls to use.
7. I would only take the basic round, star, drop flower, leaf and possibly the grass tips along to use. There is no need in getting into too many different tips and designs.
8. Take plenty of papertowels, bamboo sticks (to help them remove the booboos), extra icing to patch with, etc
9. Copy or print out pictures of possible cake designs that they can follow and look off of.
10. Take your portfolio with you and lay your pictures out ahead of the meeting so that they can see what you do.
11. Tell them the joys of cake decorating - they don't want to hear about the messes to clean up, the bridezillas, etc . . . they just want to hear about the fun stuff!!
12. Have fun, don't be nervous and be happy with the girls. Take your camera and have the troop leaders take photos of the project and the end results.
Have fun and post those photos here for us to see!!
Suze
O thank you all!!!! I am getting really excited now!! I will look on the Wilton site and see if I can find the kit. That would really be helpful since I do not have enough tips of my own for several to share. (I do have a nice collection, just not multiples). Unfortunately, I was never a scout (none in my area - long time ago..) and I am not familiar with the workings of a troop. Do the girls buy the things or do I provide them? Would you do cupcakes or small cakes? Do you do a badge in one night, or multiple nights? I really want to do this right. I am one of 5 grandmothers to my darling (yes I am a step) and I am sooo excited that she asked me - I just about cried! Thank you all again for the information. I love you all!! 
For DD's troop back in the day, I made two mini bundt cakes each girl and we glued them together with frosting to make a pumpkin shape. They then used the star tip to cover each pumpkin in orange stars, then we used a leaf tip to make the leaves and a round tip for brown vines. A thick pretzel piece makes a great stem!
Wish I could take the credit, but I adapted it from the large bundt cake idea. The girls LOVED their pumpkin creations!
If you have the mini wonder mold pan to make dolls you could bake them each one of those to decorate. The little doll inserts aren't real expensive. They could each make their own doll that way. I would think a cupcake would not be much to decorate and a 6" cake would be a little too much. Just a suggestion.
Diane
Diane, that is a great idea! I have in fact had 2 "doll cake" parties for little girls of my friends. Fantastic idea. I do have the mini wonder pan. It is always a struggle to explain how to decorate them to the girls if they have never seen a doll cake. I would need to find some simple illustrations. Some of the doll cakes on CC are so beautiful. I usually get the girls to draw on a piece of paper their design for the dress - so they will have something to go by. Thank you so much for reading the post and taking the time to give such a creative idea.
I am a Brownie troop leader myself, and I have to say that this is a great idea! The troop should pay for supplies out of their funds, but if you are in a position to donate the materials, I know the leaders and girls would appreciate it. These last few months before the cookie sale can get kind of tight for some troops. I love the doll cake idea, how proud will they be when they take that home to show it off! My only other suggestion would be to make sure that there are things to do for the girls that finish early. About 20 seconds after my girls finish anything they are asking what we'll be doing next. Younger girls could color in a blank cake printout (like a coloring book page) and "decorate" it with crayons, while older girls might be interested in some Wilton yearbooks or other decorating books. I know my daughter loves to look through those. I hope this goes well for you, good luck!
Heather
Havingfun, if you will go to the galleries and type in "doll cake" on the search you will find endless pictures you can print for ideas. I just sent the link to this thread to my daughter who is a Girl Scout leader. She also decorates cakes so she might have some ideas.
Diane
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