I am simply a hobbyist, I like to make cakes for friend and family functions and I do sell the occasional cake, usually for friends of friends etc. I am pretty comfortable with my skill level, I keep trying to squeeze classes into my schedule, but haven't yet been able to. But I feel that I lack creativity. I am relying too much on "copying" cakes I see here. I don't actually copy them but I definietly take inspiration from them. I keep trying to take my cake making to the next level. Maybe my New Year's resolution should be to MAKE time for some classes, even if ist simply to get a better handle on basics like piping etc. I just need to learn to think outside the box a bit I guess.

I'm with you on this one!!! I wish I could come up with cake creations, but I'm just at a loss!!! I usually look at several different cakes on here and just fuse everything I like!!


How do you guys come up with these great cakes???

Don't be to hard on yourself for being inspired by everyone at CC. They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery.

Sounds like you're on the right track sweetie! I do the same thing, I emmulate those I like. Of course I cannot possibly imitate them, none of my cakes and cookies ever look like theirs, but I find that if I see a great design I really like, I try it, tweaking it to make it my own. Then I put it in my file and review that from time to time and I've found that cakes I did years ago were actually inspiration for newer and better cake designs that I do now! (Wow, I inspire myself... I love to try new techniques and there are no shortage of things to try! But take a page from my book -- I was getting all wrapped up into buying everything I needed for some technique and doing the same for the next technique before I found that I wasn't taking the time to practice and learn these techniques!!! That's my new year's resolution -- to practice and learn the techniques I geared up for so far before I bring on any new ones. Cheer up, and remember, there's NOTHING new under the sun, no matter how original someone says it is!

I'm the same way cannot create anything I usualy copy a whole cake or take different ideas from many cakes when i have tried to do a cake on my own it usually looks like this

Here here Bobwonderbuns ...... I agree totally ... I am constantly being wowed by new cakes both here on CC & when I trawl through the multitude of cake websites, only to see a very similar cake somewhere else, just slightly different. It doesn't mean that they are any less beautiful/inspriational to me, to you and yours! The cake still takes a great amount of effort and talent to create, and Fishercakes is right .... immitation IS the greatest form of flattery! However, Cordy, I too wish I had some more artistic creativity in me! I just keep hoping it'll come to me some day!

To find new ideas I think of who the cake is going to. For my engagement cake the girl decided to create a tree with a "etched" heart and mine and my husband's initials carved into it.

The other day my mom who sews was suprised by my pin cusion cake. Take a walk in the woods, city streets and or window shopping. I bet you spot an exciting cake idea.

AND I will let y'all in on a little secret. In the cake world there is one big name who wrote a book. In this book he has a particular kind of cake with instructions and hints, etc. Now, another big name in this biz on his website has (low and behold) THE SAME CAKE, only tweaked a tad bit (decoration wise) which he advertises as his own cake. And I guess he's right, he just doesn't say who the inspiration came from. I laughed and laughed when I saw that, because up to that point I thought mr. website was "the man" with his "totally original ideas." ha ha ha ha ha! Then I spoke to him and asked him how to I achieve your level of expertise and he told me to make a batch of whatever I wanted to learn (fondant for example) and then play with it to get to know my medium. Then look at these great cake ideas and tweak them to make them my own. "Then you'll come out as a top designer." I guess! But hey, both these men are world-famous and are considered at the top of their professions, so hey, if it works for them, it can work for us!!

Artists and musicians have been copying from the great masters for centuries. That is how you learn.
Why should cake decorators not do the same?