I was asked by the editor of our local newspaper to write an article for the food day column! It is exciting and scary. I haven't said I would do it yet. What would you put in it?

I am a little nervous. I know a lot about cakes. I don't know hat to foucus on. Any suggestions?

Maybe a general factoid for those shopping. Such as:

the difference between fondant and buttercream and gumpaste, and marzipan.

differences in scratch vs mixes

questions one should ask a baker when ordering

a breakdown of why cakes are priced like they are (labor, ingredients, overhead, etc)

I'm out of ideas. My brain must be in neutral. Good luck to you and I hope I was at least a little helpful.

They want a piece about cake decorating and baking, with a few recipes and photos. I am having a hard time knowing what to write.

Maybe start with how ideas come to you. Then start with what recipe would be most appropriate, ie a dense cake for carving, etc. Then how you would go about decorating it, like would you need fondant, or would buttercream do it? Then loose description of the process (how to dye the icing, roll and cut fondant, how to apply accents, display the finished product). Maybe make a small cake to take pictures of for it, and include the recipe you used.

Would you post your article after it's run, so we can read?

It is amazing to me that I am being asked this. I am new to making cakes, I don't know all that much, but it is a great opportunity. She sent me an e-mail asking me to do it again. I have never charged anyone for a cake. I just love making them.

Congratulations! What an honor. I am sure you will do beautifully... be sure to scan it so we can all oooh & awwww

I absolutely LIVE for the 'Taste' section of our paper on Wednesdays. Perhaps include a little blurb about how involved cake decorating is, to enlighten those lost souls who expect us to bust out a 10 " with fondant roses in 1/2 a day...

just a suggestion

First, off I am green with envy. Second, KISS =keep it simple stupid. Give easy recipes and easily done decorations. Pick something that a 12 year old with no experince can do but looks Wow! Don't be afraid to mention the advanced stuff and certainly include a picture or two of really fancy stuff. If spray colors are avalible at your supermarkets you might want to use those for stencil work. Basicly use stuff they can get at grocery store.

maybe since its a first article...start with how tos and basics. then the more they ask ... go into more advanced stuff. see i am even saying they will ask you again. congrats. hope to read it when you are done.

Whoa! Very cool!

How did this come to be? Exciting!

Since you don't sell cakes, maybe you could get together with someone else who has a bakery there in your lovely hamlet. You could maybe ask what their most popular flavors/designs are, or if they have an original recipe they would like published. (they may be flattered and you can take a little pressure off yourself).

We rented a Lincoln City beach house for a week last summer (as well as on our honeymoon 10 yrs before). It is the best ever. Stayed landlocked in Kansas this summer ---Waaaaaah

Have fun with the challenge! Yet another excuse to eat cake!

Unfortunatly, there are not many professional cake people here. They are mostly in the grocery store. They don't really like to give tips.

The editor saw one of my cakes and asked me about them. Then she asked me to write about it!

I agree that you should keep it simple. You can save the hard stuff for one of the other articles that they are sure to ask you to write!

Good luck and congrats!!!