Hi,
Ive just started out with the cake decorating stuff, and seeings as all of you wonderfully crafty people started exactly where I am somewhere in your past, I thought, Who the better to ask?
Im after all the things, little or big, that you think are an absolute necessity.
AND: For anyone in Australia, can you tell me who to talk to to find out about Wilton or other decorating courses?
Thanks, KNC
I taught my self using Books, websites, Youtube tutorials, they are great little sources of information, people like Aine2 and tonedna have some fantastic tutorials which are gold! Also, Practice!!! The only way to get better is to practice, and have fun with it, Because the more you enjoy it, the easier it will be for you!
Where abouts in Australia are you? I did a course at a community college which was great for some basics and they are relatively cheap too. Planet Cake courses are great but very expensive - they are in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, not sure where else as they are expanding all the time. Cake Decorating Central at Castle Hill have courses - haven't been on one but I do rate them for their online store and customer service so they would be worth trying I think. I know there are more out there in other areas and hopefully the other Aussies on here will see this!
from what i can see on the website, and go off what i have hear a while ago, i think there are only one or two places that offer wilton courses here in aus. Ive heard the classes through cupids at newcastle are good, havnt been myself, hoping to when i have the time! =) where abouts are you?
otherwise i suggest spending time here asking questions and reading posts/tutes, also youtube is good, otherwise you can get the course books for wilton from ebay pretty cheaply. =)
Im in the southwest of W.A
Ive found a place in a suburb in Perth that hosts Wilton courses for about $200 including the mandatory kit. I hope to be taking one in July
Thanks.
Well,
Im using mostly Wilton products now, and even though Ive not done alot of cakes Ive never heard of Planet Cakes until this week. There is a Wiltons supplier just up the road from my house. AND considering they teach how to make flowers and stuff, Ill still LEARN, and isnt that the point? Besides,m considering its my money, I think im allowed to "waste" it on things I enjoy doing or that I like. And I LIKE Wiltons.
Well,
Im using mostly Wilton products now, and even though Ive not done alot of cakes Ive never heard of Planet Cakes until this week. There is a Wiltons supplier just up the road from my house. AND considering they teach how to make flowers and stuff, Ill still LEARN, and isnt that the point? Besides,m considering its my money, I think im allowed to "waste" it on things I enjoy doing or that I like. And I LIKE Wiltons.
Wiltons does a step by step on teir website if you did want to save your money. I did do the first class that teaches how to do the wilton flower but then decided to save my money and look at their website.
I have also taught myself most of the stuff I know and have learned it all from online. GOOD LUCK
What rock have you been hiding under?
That's not nice, and unnecessary. This site is for helping & encouraging fellow decorators.
It sounds like she has just started out and wants to learn the basic techniques, which Wilton is fine for.
To answer you initial question
Necessary for me is:
Smoother
Vinyl to roll my fondant out on
Flower cutters of different models and sizes
Border cutters and molds ( covers any imperfections...)
Good quality fondant that tastes good
Powdered sugar
A straight and level cake
A turntable for crumbcoating and fondant covering
Letter cutters
Piping tubes and bags
Well,
Im using mostly Wilton products now, and even though Ive not done alot of cakes Ive never heard of Planet Cakes until this week. There is a Wiltons supplier just up the road from my house. AND considering they teach how to make flowers and stuff, Ill still LEARN, and isnt that the point? Besides,m considering its my money, I think im allowed to "waste" it on things I enjoy doing or that I like. And I LIKE Wiltons.
Hey Kermitncupcake,
Ignore the rude and unnecessary comments. I also like Wilton products. I`m actually taking Course 3 right now. You DO learn alot through the courses, not necessarily "old fashioned" at all. I`ve learned alot about buttercream, fondant (yes course 3 does fondant, and there is a separate fondant and gumpaste course).
You can find the course books on Ebay, but as far as I am aware, the courses will be changing soon, so the books you find on Ebay will be the *older version*
Do whatever courses YOU want to. Sometimes learning in class is easier than trying to figure it out from a book or other source on your own.
Keep in mind that I am new to the world of cake decorating, but here are some useful things I have.
Extracts or Flavorings, used to flavor buttercream, icing of your choice, fondant, even the cake batter itself.
Extra tips- Find the tips you use most often, write them down. Then next time you get a chance grab another of those tips from the store, so in case you need for example a Number 1 tip in black and 1 in red, you don`t have to switch tips or bags.
Extra Couplers: Buy a few extra couplers as well, otherwise you have to wash them before putting them in another bag.
Decorating or Icing Bags: I prefer the plastic Wilton ones, but you can buy featherweight bags in various sizes, or make your own bags using parchment paper (many stores sell the triangles, there should be directions online on how to fold them).
Decorating Brushes: Buy any brand, just make sure the bristles are fairly good so they don`t fall into your icing or project.
Dowel rods: Can be used to support the cakes itself. I use mine to roll tiny pieces of fondant and also to curl the fondant around for decorations.
Tip Bag: Get one of these to use in the dishwasher. It keeps your tips inside so they don`t disappear into your dishes.
Spatulas: I have one straight one, two angled and one tapered.
Flower Stamens: These are used to make the centers of your flowers. They come in various sizes, colors and shapes. They are *not* edible though.
Colors: Keep an eye on the icing colors you think you use most often. This is a good way to track which colors you will need to buy more of. I have only experimented with Wilton colors, but again it`s all personal.
Piping Gel: Used to create transfers, to write messages etc. In Course 3 we used this to adhere the fondant to our cakes. In Course 1, we used this to make a pattern on parchment paper, then transferred it unto the cake giving us lines to follow.
I too took the Wilton Classes (I am almost finished with Course 3) and while it may not be my personal style, I feel that it was worthwhile. I'm assuming the classes in Australia are a similar format and it is an inexpensive way to learn some basics. I'm just a hobby baker, so I can't justify a more expensive course. I have also learned ALOT from stalking the forums on here
I don't do any buttercream work, so my contributions relate to working with fondant. To add onto egensinnig's post:
- A good stand up mixer. I love my kitchenaid. It helps to have another hand held mixer and/or extra bowls for your standing mixer, but it's not a necessity
- Rubber spatulas for scraping the bowl
- A really good serrated knife (for carving, torting and leveling)
- A bench scraper ( I prefer the metal ones) for smoothing the buttercream. I am more successful with this than with a regular spatula
- Spatulas (start with one small one and one big one and then buy any additional ones as you figure out what works best for you)
- Large rolling pin
- A pin (for popping out air bubbles in your fondant)
- Small rolling pin (for fondant accents/gumpaste work)
- Various tips if you're going to be working with buttercream/royal icing (round, star and leaf)
- Couplers
That's all I can think of for now.
This is a really great website as well:
http://www.cakejournal.com/archives/basic-cake-decorating-kit
Lots of tutorials with step by step pictures.
Welcome to CC, you will love it here...........
Oh my gosh...there are so many things that are important for getting started....I think most of they have been covered in these posts.....I'm still getting new stuff and as my skills get better, the more equipment and upgraded equipment I get...
Classes.......Any classes you take, Wilton or otherwise you can always learn something new. One of my best classes has been off of this site..... there are so many talanted people here and their williness to help you is amazing. Also U-tube has a lot of tutiorals.
Hope you have as much fun decorating as we all do.....post lots of pictures......happy decorating...
malakainrop
mean comments are counterproductive and unnecessary.
kermitncupcake.....welcome to CC you'll kind so mean helpful people here with many years of knowledge, tips and tricks, most everyone is always more than willing to help and assist, others well...... just ignore them.
I have been playing in the kitchen for a couple of years. and I did take the first 2 Wilton courses. Alot of things I already knew but there was always something to be learnt either from the instructor or the other students.
Enjoy your time on CC, look around ask ??????s and have fun.
I will tell you one thing.... I have learned more about cake baking/decorating from Cake Central, You TUbe, Blogs, Tutorials online that in any wilton course... even the basics like torting, crumb coating, icing, fondanting, etc....
I would just do a folder in your PC with subfolders for every category:
eg
Folder: Baking SubFolder: Recipes, Folding Egg Whites, etc
Folder: Preping the cake SubFolder: TOrting, Filling, Crumb Coating, fridging
FOlder: FOndant SubFolder: Covering a square cake, covering a round cake, flowers, modeling, etc...
In our How Do I forum... there is a sticky post with tons (I mean TONSSS) on tutorials... start there....
Good Luck and Enjoy your Cakin' Quest!
One thing I wish someone had told me at the beginning is this - there are SO MANY tools and gadgets and toys out there for cakes. And you will feel like you will die if you don't have every single one of them. But it is sooooo easy to spend a ton of money buying stuff you believe you will use and never actually use it. PLEASE do yourself a favor and only buy something because you absolutely know you need it, not because it would be nice to have or you think maybe you'll use it at some point. It'll save you money and space and guilt!
MyDiwa: I agree 100% I have tons of things that I have never used nor wil I ever (i think)
Now before I order/buy a sugar tool
I check on Home Depot and if they don't have what I "CAN" use for the task... then I buy it lol
I look for alternatives al the time...
thigs like scrapers... flower dryers... rolling pins... ( I use my PVC Pipe to roll fondant... my 20$ fondant roller is sitting right next to it (to the left lol) all my scrapers were easily replaced by my Hardware store scraper....
I will get tempted... but resist...
Fondant Roller = 20$
PVC Pipe = 3$
hUGE sAvInGs!!!
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%