I did not realize how many responses this post generated :) I love everyone's take on this subject. Cupcakes are quite easy to decorate and I think it is correct to say that this is what sparked the craze. However, developing my recipes and the hundreds of little fondant and gumpaste details I have had to make for each little cupcake...I wouldn't say it was always the easiest. I think in general though cupcakes are easy for people to master. Cake pops were fun, but I find them to be too sweet. I've seen "naked cakes" recently trending, but I really don't care for them too much. Most trends are old ideas made new and I love looking through all the older cake books; comparing the old ideas and techniques to todays modern versions. I think everyone has made some great points :)
I'm not a huge fan of macaroons, but they're very popular at the moment. Even McDonalds is selling them at their McCafe! I think the next big trend will be the push pop cakes. :)
AIn terms of very traditional styles being made modern, check this guy out from Liverpool, UK, http://www.davidcakes.co.uk/glamorous_luxury_bespoke_society_wedding_celebrity_cake_maker.html He does stuff with royal that is extremely extravagant. To me, some of it, though admirable, does seem over the top and dated, but if extravagance is a measure of wealth, this guy is coining it in. I'm not denigrating his skill, he is clearly an artist, it's just not to my taste. I'd love to know how much one of these is charged out as!
A"Extravagance=wealth" statement. Contradiction in terms. Sorry. Hope you understand what I mean from the context x x x
AI know! Ever so slightly insane! I wondered whether the cakes might bit rock solid to try and cut into? Surely not though? Would defeat the object eh?
Is that English overpiping? His skills are amazing! I love the dropdown netting effect that he did with piping!
I see pink being a trend due to Downton Abbey and Gatsby both eras served pale pink with style. Overpiping is trying to become a trend but I'm not sure if brides are buying it.
I did see the Very Wang gowns. So pretty. I actually had picked my first wedding dress 8 years ago that was pink with hand painted roses the size of your hand. If you could imagine it it was gorgeous. Couldn't get it in time.
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In terms of very traditional styles being made modern, check this guy out from Liverpool, UK, http://www.davidcakes.co.uk/glamorous_luxury_bespoke_society_wedding_celebrity_cake_maker.html
He does stuff with royal that is extremely extravagant. To me, some of it, though admirable, does seem over the top and dated, but if extravagance is a measure of wealth, this guy is coining it in. I'm not denigrating his skill, he is clearly an artist, it's just not to my taste. I'd love to know how much one of these is charged out as!
Next biggest trend? what this guy is doing is right out of my 30 year old Wilton decorating books.
Old school piping.
maybe the Ultra Mega Rich are going back to time consuming hand piped vintage old school decorations 'cause Fondant/Gumpaste is now common place. Who knows.
AI would love I see old school piping come back. It could help weed out some 'decorators' who only know how to push fondant into molds and claim it's a masterpiece. No offense, but I don't call that real-honest-to-goodness decorating. I'm no expert piper, but I'm always trying new techniques so I can do something no one else in my area does.
AHe has some beautiful cakes. Wow. I could def see this as a comeback (the piping). Anything old fashioned, but not exactly the same.
As just a mom here n there baker - anything involving skill will always hold value! And decorated cookies - the dress ones I saw recently - love love love. And those gorgeous hand painted flowered teacup cupcakes! Just lovely! And petit fors. Sorry my Vintage craving is showing. But then again if I saw it everywhere I might be turned off.
APetits Fours! love them! I made these today:
[IMG ALT="Two thin layers of soft, moist vanilla cake, filled with rich and creamy vanilla French buttercream, and glazed with white chocolate poured fondant."]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3121822/width/200/height/400[/IMG]
AI love her website!
Her tutorials are super easy.
AI so agree with you!
If I can get it at Michaels or Hobby Lobby, I don't want it!
You know the chevon, animal prints, cutesy stuff you see all over Etsy.
I love all that white on white or same color on same color piping/designs. I'm just saying this from a hobby perspective but the end results are so beautiful to me - I think that's going to be the overall design of my own birthday cake coming up! Plus I love buttercream more than fondant so I'm all for a buttercream trend!
Theresa
It's sad that buttercream is even bieng discussed as a trend...I'm with IAmPamCakes on the subject of people needing to learn how to pipe a straight line, I hadn't realized until recently how rare piping skills are these days. I've done a ton of piped lace cakes recently, and I'm always surprised at the number of comments that I get when I post a photo. I finally figured out that it's because people don't learn how to pipe icing anymore, so it looks like an exotic skill.
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It's sad that buttercream is even bieng discussed as a trend...I'm with IAmPamCakes on the subject of people needing to learn how to pipe a straight line, I hadn't realized until recently how rare piping skills are these days. I've done a ton of piped lace cakes recently, and I'm always surprised at the number of comments that I get when I post a photo. I finally figured out that it's because people don't learn how to pipe icing anymore, so it looks like an exotic skill.
Amen :nodding: I would never put myself in the same league as the link mentioned upthread, but I consider myself stronger with piping than fondant. I've seldom done fondant at work, so 99.9% of my experience is with buttercream.
AAs someone who learned to decorate before fondant was the rage (I did my first cake in 1991) I am totally jealous that decorators have it so easy - fondant, molds, onlays, craftsy, etc.
I do think buttercream is like a dying art though. And when people do think of buttercream, they think of the simply grocery store style cakes.
AWell I did get into a fight with someone on here recently who said that decorators who use fondant are lazy and I stand by my defense of fondant - at least those that do a good job of it. Judging by how many wrecks we see on here that are fondant covered, getting it right is definitely a skill just as good piping is.
AWell, I never said anything about lazy - but it is much faster and easier having so many tools and resources that weren't available when I started decorating. Nothing wrong with using the newest and latest to make beautiful cakes - but there's also no harm in admitting that without these tools and resources 20 years ago, decorators had to be more "resourceful" and had a harder time perfecting the craft.
i think being able to pipe well enough to pipe a rose carries such an important feeling for a caker--an empowerment--i don't think i could feel fully authorized on the inside without the ability to pipe a rose--
i do not at all think 'fondant only' peeps are less in any way than any other caker--i just think most everyone on the planet wants to pipe something--even deviled eggs or mashed potatoes--
piping be fun--tons of fun
AIt wasn't anyone on this thread, it was over in cookies. I told her it was insulting and she said I was paranoid. #okthen
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As someone who learned to decorate before fondant was the rage (I did my first cake in 1991) I am totally jealous that decorators have it so easy - fondant, molds, onlays, craftsy, etc.
I do think buttercream is like a dying art though. And when people do think of buttercream, they think of the simply grocery store style cakes.
I absolutely agree.
I'm not in any way putting down people who primarily use fondant because there's an art to using it well. OTOH I think it takes a lot of finesse to be able to pipe well.
One reason why "grocery style" cakes are as simple as they are is because nowadays they cut out a lot of the piping techniques you and I learned back in the day.
AFondant or Buttercream - it is very evident the pros vs. the rest of us!
I've seen the cake push pop start a bit of a stir, but I find it to be wasteful in the packaging department. I see cake pops becoming more popular. I'm surprised the square shaped cupcakes didn't get very far. I really like those.
In Australia we have used fondant for forever. We did not use buttercream (that was American) and royal Icing (that was English) for covering our cakes. We did pipe with royal icing, however, and if you look back in the old books you will see that us fondant Aussies created the most magnificent delicate looking masterpieces (well maybe not me personally but I do have some passable attempts). I personally think that they left the American Style piped buttercream cakes of the same era for dead. Unfortunately, you very rarely see Extension Work (dubbed Australian String Work by Americans) with Lace edging anymore because it is extremely time consuming and I dare say very few people would be prepared to pay for it, whereas 35 years ago that was what everyone had.
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Original message sent by cazza1
In Australia we have used fondant for forever. We did not use buttercream (that was American) and royal Icing (that was English) for covering our cakes. We did pipe with royal icing, however, and if you look back in the old books you will see that us fondant Aussies created the most magnificent delicate looking masterpieces (well maybe not me personally but I do have some passable attempts). I personally think that they left the American Style piped buttercream cakes of the same era for dead. Unfortunately, you very rarely see Extension Work (dubbed Australian String Work by Americans) with Lace edging anymore because it is extremely time consuming and I dare say very few people would be prepared to pay for it, whereas 35 years ago that was what everyone had.
That's true, but I'd be willing to bet that the majority of people who call themselves decorators today probably can't pipe worth a flip whether it's buttercream or royal. I'm not referring to what the cake is covered in, I'm just talking about people not knowing how to pipe a straight line. It's pretty amazing to me, because I just think that should be a basic skill. Just like knowing how to ice a cake smooth, or how to cover a cake in fondant.
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In Australia we have used fondant for forever. We did not use buttercream (that was American) and royal Icing (that was English) for covering our cakes. We did pipe with royal icing, however, and if you look back in the old books you will see that us fondant Aussies created the most magnificent delicate looking masterpieces (well maybe not me personally but I do have some passable attempts). I personally think that they left the American Style piped buttercream cakes of the same era for dead. Unfortunately, you very rarely see Extension Work (dubbed Australian String Work by Americans) with Lace edging anymore because it is extremely time consuming and I dare say very few people would be prepared to pay for it, whereas 35 years ago that was what everyone had.
I've got books in my cookbook collection which show Aussie String Work step by step. I can understand why most cakers wouldn't want to attempt it. Personally, I think one would have to possess nerves of steel. I don't have nerves of steel, so I've never tried doing it.
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