As far as knowing about the tips...I think I've heard them say on the show that Duff is the only one who's been to pastry school. I get the impression that most of the decorators are artists turned cakers and since they do all fondant, maybe it's not all that surprising.
As far as the flaws... most cakes do have small flaws of some type. I think it would be unfair to discount Charm City's tremendous talent because their cakes aren't perfect. It's also good to keep in mind that we (as cakers) see lots of flaws that cake muggles would never notice. I pretty much count on that whenever I do a cake.
And for their prices....well, I would never pay that much for a cake, but it's clear that they have a solid demand for their product, so more power to 'em! If someone was willing to pay $2000 for my cake (yeah right!
), I'd take it!All that said, I am so sorry that the cake was disappointing IRL and just like everyone else I'm dying to see the pic. I appreciate Lu's honest opinion, I just hope this thread isn't on its way to being a Charm City bashing.
I dont think anyone here is bashing anyone or about to. I just we all think its surprising that people pay that kind of money on cake. And if they do, then lucky them for having the kind of money to do that! I sure wish I did! I would also love to have people that would be willing to pay that amount for a cake of mine.
I love Duff and the show and yes, the artists on there are amazing. I dont think they really have the time to put the details into some of them just because they are on demand and their time is limited. Not that they couldnt.
Someone pointed out that Duff is the only culinary student. I believe the baker is also, but the rest are graduates and interns from UMD. Most of them dont consider what their doing as their "dream" job, and probably dont have their hearts into it like someone that actually chose the profession for the love of it.
No, I agree, no one is doing any bashing yet. It just seemed to be starting down that road...I've seen too many threads go in that direction.
Good point about the 'dream job'. Just like any other profession, if you are putting all of your heart and soul into it, things come out differently than if you're just doing your job.
RE: Ace of Cakes, whether it's for the camera or they really do all feel this way, they all seem HAPPY working in the bakery! If that's genuine then I think it's great. And it does give me some comfort knowing that the talented $2K cake creators have little flaws and imperfections like I do! 
The only show I thought they really fell short on great decorating and technique were all those little square mini-cakes they did (some order Duff took and ended up regretting). They were all done in oranges, reds, yellows, and some of them were pretty bad. But like I said - it just reiterates that even the best aren't always perfect.
Now...the funniest thing I ever heard Duff say was that he didn't know you could buy colored fondant! WHAT???? Some other cake decorator he coordinated a cake (gumball machine) with told him she bought her fondant already colored and he just about broke his jawbone when his mouth flew open. Too funny!
I wasnt doing any bashing, i love the show and always watch it - i also said how great a lot of their cakes are like the topsey turveys and the carved animal cakes it just when i see their wedding cakes, etc i do notice flaws and like most customers if i was to pay like £3,000 for a wedding cake then i would expect perfection. im just always suprised that they get away with all the little flaws and sometimes the lack of precise detail when they are charging so much. but saying that they are excellent at building cakes that i wouldnt even try in my dreams, they are more like architecture and that does take skill... they are always pushing themselves to try new stuff and that does earn my respect and to be honest the flaws make me feel better about my own flaws!
Im not doubting anyone on the show;s ability, they are artists and i hope to be even half as good someday, its just that if the cake didn taste nice then that is another matter... taste and texture are really important and for a cake that is so expensive you are expecting it to be on the next level.
I'm not bashing, I love the show and all of the personalities we get to see. The artists are very talented, and I've learned lots of little things just by watching. I would love for Mary Alice to be my BFF, and Geoff reminds me of my son who also has that dry wit. I am just amazed, however, that these people work on these cakes with nothing covering their hair!...and they work up really close to those cakes.
im dying to see the pic of this! to be honest i think the cakes are crazy overprice - the minium order price is ridiculous if you think about say a single tier birthday cake.
I don't know why it's suddenly a crime to make a great living in this country. If we want to price our goods low--go ahead but don't knock wonderful success for crying out loud.
I love and applaud Duff's great success and for helping put designer cakes more on the map.
Remember that any product is "worth" what others are willing to pay for it. Supply and demand...that's what determines prices. I say way to go Duff, he's got the demand and can charge whatever he wants. Quality doesn't necessarily determine prices of anything...perception of the product and the perceived value of the "designer name" are the driving factors. It's the American way 
And by the way I'm not saying that Duff doesn't produce a quality product, I'm sure that he does. I love the guy and what he's done for the rest of the caker's of the world.
I wasn't clear and I hope I didn't offend... I don't think anyone was bashing them, I just didn't want to see the thread set up to go in that direction. I love a respectful critique as much as the next guy, but as we all know, it doesn't take long for things to go downhill. Crap, I didn't mean to make it worse... 
I'm with you on the taste issue...bottom line is a cake has to taste good. I remember a thread from, oh, maybe a year or so ago, discussing Duff's cakes' taste and back then the consensus was that they were delish. So I'm disappointed that this one wasn't tasty...maybe someone at the bakery had an off day. (wouldn't fly with me if I'd paid that $$$, but different strokes for different folks, I guess.)
We all really need to at least see the cake now, i hope she is able to upload soon.
I STILL say that Mary, who does the fondant work, needs more camera time! This lady is an ARTIST! Duff, pay attention ... you can learn a lot from her!
Which one? There are a few Mary's on the show. I don't like the whiny one.
*waits patiently for pic*
I certainly agree with most of you about all the workers being happy but don't forget people, they are on television. I love the show and don't miss an episode but if your going to be on TV and you are going to charge at least $1000.00 per cake then yes your cakes should be perfect. Take the extra time and make them perfect. I personally have heard so many people say that some of their cakes are just sloppy. Did anyone see the episode when they made the big Hershey bar of chocolate? They were scraping all the buttercream off the side of the cake as they pulled it through the doorway???? Now, I ask does national TV need to see that. That just made me say yuck. I love Duff but his cakes are way over-rated!
I don't know why it's suddenly a crime to make a great living in this country. If we want to price our goods low--go ahead but don't knock wonderful success for crying out loud.
I love and applaud Duff's great success and for helping put designer cakes more on the map.
k8, I cannot agree more!
When Albert Finney played Ebenezer Scrooge in the 1970's musical "Scrooge", one of my favorite lines was:
This is the evenhanded dealing of the world! he said. "There is nothing on which it is so hard as poverty, and there is nothing it professes to condemn with such severity as the pursuit of wealth!...
So before everyone thinks I'm a Scrooge, really read that line. We all strive to be better than "poverty", but we condemn the person who has been successful and is NOT living in "poverty".
Laugh all the way to the bank, Duff! Someday I want to be right behind you!
I don't like when Anna (I believe) works on cakes with chipped nail polish...it just looks unsanitary to me, and she does it alot.
A pet peeve of mine is when they don't tie their hair back. I worked in restaurants in NY growing up, and no nailpolish and hair out of your face was the order of the day. I even wear a baseball cap when I'm working on a cake. If I go to a sandwich shop, I ask the worker to put gloves on, and most of the time, they grumble.
Which one? There are a few Mary's on the show.
Dark hair, dark glasses, does the casino cakes.
Bearing in mind that for 30 years I was a BC only gal and wanted NOTHING to do with fondant, if I had to give only ONE credit for pushing me into the fondant world, it would be watching Mary do her work.
I don't want to be like Duff as much as I want to be as talented as Mary!
Oh man.... I really want to see it.
Lu... if you want to send it to me I'll shrink it and send it back to you saved as a jpeg so you can post it.
I keep taking 'breaks' from my housework to check this thread for pictures! 
I keep taking 'breaks' from my housework to check this thread for pictures!
I 3rd that!
While waiting for the pic's......I watch Ace of cakes every week, love the show.....ok I do have to put in my comment that bugged me about the show. When they did the dog bone one. They had their pets in the bakery!!! A bird, a dog, while they where working? How can this be 
. If the HD walked into my shop and saw a dog laying there what would be said? Ok that's it, thats the only one that I had a hard time with.
I don't think it's great that he charges so much. It helps bring awareness to how difficult cake decorating can be, and raises prices in the industry. It's the big chain stores that charge $10 bucks for a cake are the ones who hurt the small bakeries.
Check out Dean & Deluca....purse cake that serves 6-9....$180 + $40 overnight shipping charge....Now I'd be Pi***d if they were charging less than $100 for it.
http://www.deandeluca.com/bakery-shop/cakes/sweet-couture.aspx
I personally don't care for the Charm City guys either way. But I definitely think their cakes are way overrated. Yes, they add lights and motors and stuff like that but I have seen way better decorated cakes here in CC.
I think Duff and friends are adequate cake decorators and bakers who got lucky by getting a TV deal. And good for them.
But whenever I see the show, the cakes don't look tasty and/or sanitary. That is just my humble opinion.
Oops - sorry all - didn't mean to yell with those big giant letters!
Just have to put in my two cents, hope you don't mind. I think the reason that they're so successful isn't entirely due to luck. Yes they are pretty talented, but so are so many people on CC. I think the difference is that they had the confidence in their work that allowed them to price their cakes as they do, and they're obviously successful at it (whether or not their cake are better). My dad always says to me, and this was not cake related but I think it applies, if you price your products too low this reflects what you think your items are worth to the customer, and often times customers will perceive your items to be of lesser quality. If you price them higher then they think it's worth more. You know what, he was right and it worked in my non-cake related business. I think the same applies here. It's just like those high-end designer purses. Sure you can pick up a purse for $60.00 that looks nice, but don't tell me you wouldn't rather have that $2,000.00 purse to show off if you could. It functions the same way but you want it more because of it's perceived value and the prestige of owning it, not really because the leather's better or the hardware will hold up longer (cuz sometimes it doesn't!).
All the power to them for pulling it off I say!
[quote="k8memphis]
I love and applaud Duff's great success and for helping put designer cakes more on the map.
Speaking of putting designer cakes on the map - don't forget Buddy Valastro's new show "" airs tonight! 9PM (CST) on TLC! [/quote]
OH YEAH!!!! THAT'S what I'm talking about!!!! Can't wait! I think Buddy is going to kick the cake conversation up to a whole new level!
OH YEAH!!!! THAT'S what I'm talking about!!!! Can't wait! I think Buddy is going to kick the cake conversation up to a whole new level!
Agree! I believe some of his family works at the bakery, too, and you know family dynamics are always good for some drama! LOL! I just hope we get to see him building the cakes, making the flowers he's known for, etc. That's one thing I liked about the Cake Atelier on the Amazing Wedding Cakes show - they actually showed you how they made their moth orchids, the sweet peas, etc.
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