Hubbys Upset With Me Over The Cake Issue How Can I???
Decorating By CherylAnn Updated 9 Nov 2006 , 1:10pm by strawberry0121
My hubby is upset because I spend so much time on this site and havent even tried to sell one cake yet. We have no cake classes in this area and Im trying to teach myself. Can someone help me to make and decorate a cake that will make him understand that I am learning... Im in desperate need. I feel like giving up and crying !!!
CherylAnn, one of the easiest and prettiest things to do (in my opion) is basketetweave. You learn how to do it in the Wilton class, but it really isn't hard at all. Do you have a store close to you that sells the Wilton course books? If so, go get the course 2 book. It shows you how to do it, and I believe it will show your husband that you CAN do this, you just need time!
well i start back decorating with the light green cakes in my photos, i goofed good with the stars & swirls one, but did okay with the bridal shower....everyone was impressed, i didn't do my own flowers (still can't 
) but i used what i knew...tell me what you think you could do & let everyone here help you out.
CherylAnn, one of the easiest and prettiest things to do (in my opion) is basketetweave. You learn how to do it in the Wilton class, but it really isn't hard at all. Do you have a store close to you that sells the Wilton course books? If so, go get the course 2 book. It shows you how to do it, and I believe it will show your husband that you CAN do this, you just need time!
excellent idea, keep talking & maybe i'll get brave enough to try it too
don't give up. Crying is ok. I end up in tears with each cake I make. do you have a Michael's or A.C.Moore or Hobby Lobby near you? they sell the Wilton course books that you can learn from. I took the classes, but I still refer to my books. Also, look for the Wilton yearbook. That's all I can offer you. 
I'm still learning too.
Hubby loves it when I'm on the site, keeps me out of his hair and he doesn't have to worry about getting the "honey do" list done!! 
There are lots of tutorials on this site to help you step by step with different ideas.
I love just trying out first different combos of cakes and having him "taste test" them. Once you start, you'll get the hang of it in no time! 
Basketweave is a great idea. It really is easy once you do it. What can you do and what supplies do you have at your disposal, tips,etc? I've found my DH is most impressed with the cakes I do with the grass tip. LOL the easiest thing and he just ooh's and awes. I think a simple well thought out design gets more bang for your buck, so to speak. If anything make a cake for people at his work, or his friends. Someone is sure to give you lots of praise while he is in earshot, nothing like a little peer pressure to help him jump on board.
Well guys im going to make a cake... cant decorate it tonight as I dont have enough powered sugar but... keep coming with the idea... Im making a sheet cake, thinking perhaps he might want to take it to work tomorrow night. Hes working as a security guard at a local processing plants. Any ideas.....
Is it the two of you, or a big family? If it's just the two (or even 3-4) of you, cut the sheetcake in quarters or smaller, and decorate the smaller cakes. You can try different techniques, icings, fillings, etc without wasting a lot of cake. Leave room for sweet sayings to show him you think of him while doing it. Pack him some for work, so he can show you off. You can freeze the extra cake to decorate later.
Figure a box of DH at $.82, divided by 4, you can make a cake for dessert every night for $.50 including frosting! Would he prefer a candy bar to home-baked cake from his wife??????? 
THANKS FOR THE IDEA AND I DEFINATELY NEED THE PRACTICE, CUTTING THE CAKE INTO QUARTERS SOUNDS GREAT. HOWEVER HUBBY DOESNT LIKE CAKE VERY MUCH AS HE HAS LOW BLOOD SUGAR AND ANY ICING EFFECTS IT... HE PREFERS BROWNIES... BUT OH WELL... I'M HAVING FUN.
GReat ideas Zmama! Also, simple syrup your cakes (and torte!) to keep them moist and make it easy when you go to put fillings in between! Then you can wrap them real good in plastic wrap and freeze. They will hold real well. You will have several cakes to decorate and impress your hubby and friends with! Good luck, and don't give up!
Hey, I love the idea of taking them to hubby's work.
It inspires DIL and I when we take our cakes to church and work. The ooos and ahhhs over our amature ventures really keep us going.
I bet he would really start to feel proud of you when the guys at his job start wowing over the cakes.
PSSSST read my signature!
Here's my idea for cheap practice cakes. Get yourself a couple of 6in pans (Wal-mart-you can get both for under $10). You can divide one cake mix (if you use mixes) between the two pans and get nice high layers and have a more manageable amount of cake to deal with and less cost in ingredients therefore one less thing for the dh's to complain about! If you can find a #18 tip at wal-mart you can use it to make a really pretty border by making a cursive e motion on the bottom border of the cake.
Have fun! Dh can't expect you to sell a cake when you are learning the basics. You don't learn to drive on a Ferrari, start with the civic!
hey hun, i just wanted to say ..keep your head..it will all work out.i have spent many nights crying over this cause i want to learn it all so bad..but one thing i have learned from everyone on here is that it takes tons of practice...i have only been doing this sice aug..i joined this site the day i made my first cake..its the pittiful bear cake in my pics...but i have learned so much from everyone here and i couldnt have done it without them. i have had to start out slow getting a few things here and there..but one of the best things that i did was get the wilton year book...simply for the instructions that it gives on using the different tips, it tells you how do the different decorating styles. it gave me a starting point and from that and cc i have taught myself what i know. because like others there are no classes close enough for me to take. and trust me if i can do this so can you...im not a natural crafty person but i think it comes down to how much you want to do this, and you sound very determined and with that you can do what ever you want. and i know how you feel because my hubby has said to me before that "this cake thing" needed to start paying off for me...and it has...it just took a little time and now he dosent say a word when i go to baking. Just dont get fustrated and give up..your being here and asking for help means something...if you ever want to talk to someone even if its just to vent you can always pm me..i wont mind one bit at all.....sometimes just talking to someone who understands helps a lot...but just remember you can do this...and start with the easy stuff and work your way up..before you know it youll be thumping out cakes with the best of 'em!!
((((((HUGGS))))))
I can sympathize with your frustration, when I started taking the Wilton classes, all I heard from family and friends was "Why are you taking a cake decorating class, you don't bake cakes?". The answer that I gave everyone was, "I don't bake because I don't want to make an ugly cake." Just so happened, I was taking the courses close to mother's day and had learned enough to make my mom a decent looking cake. I haven't heard any more bad comments. Just keep your chin up and if you can get a couple of books and have a color copier, make some copies and laminate them so you can practice on the pictures and just scrape the icing off, then start again. Just don't get discouraged, it's a constant learning process. Be the little engine that could!
Like someone else said they usually don't care how elaborate your decorations are. As long as the cake tastes good. It is all good. Are they into football or NASCAR. I don't know what you have for pans. I made a football cake using the pans that came with course 2. It was so simple not alot of piping. I used choc. BC to cover cake. I added the white on the ends like a football, then the little lace lines on top. Very simple yet good for the guys. Even if the icing causes him problems make a good tasting cake and give him alittle slice without the icicng. My Dh is a pie guy doesn't like frosted cake, really none of us do. But if I leave him an unfrosted hunk of cake it is all good I hope that will help
Duh after I posted I remember you were doing a sheet cake. Just make it as simple as you can. With whatever techniques you can do. I did a birthday cake and did a border with dots in different colors for a teen they all thought it was candy. So what ever you can do will be great. Keep your chin up
this might help u out alot! instead of having to look for wilton books in stores, they do give u free ideas and help on there website!!!
http://www.wilton.com/decorating/basic/index.cfm
i hope this helps! theres TONS of stuff on there!
One easy thing we learned in the first Wilton class was you can ice your cake then press cookie cutters in the icing to leave an imprint then fill it in with stars. So maybe you could do something footballs?
If you don't have cookie cutters you could either draw or print out something then lay it on the cake and trace over it.
Keep it simple. You will be suprised at how well you will do.
Go to the photo galleries and look for cakes from the first Wilton classes and you can find lots of photos of the first cakes people did.
My first cake was a rainbow made out of star tips and then I bought two Care Bears to stick on the end of the rainbows. Very very easy to do.
Does your DH have any hobbies that he spends money on? If so tell him that this is the same thing. If you are still learning you don't need to be selling cakes, just making them to learn and have fun.
I'm lucky with mine, he has several hobbies that aren't cheap so he can't complain. I don't do many orders but when I get one he's always pleased of course but he doesn't complain when most of the money goes for more cake stuff either.
CherylAnn,
Oh dear me, why does your husband think you should sell your cakes?
What does he do when he gets home from work? Maybe you should tell him that he needs to sell it also!
As far as cake art, just go for it. I started creating cakes in February. Every single one of them I have learned something new.
Oh, one more thing, obsession is good, that is how you get too be the best!
PSSSST just like Dolita, read my tag line also!
I know you are making a sheetcake this time, next time maybe you could make a round cake, 2 layers. My idea is make it look like a doughnut. Put a filling and cover the top with a chocolate fudge and maybe nuts or powder sugar. I'm thinking security gards are sort of like policemen, hince the doughnut. For a sheetcake you could make green frosting and decorate it like a football field. For the players you could use some type of candy (gummy bears) and a jelly bean for the football. I figure most guys like sports. Just have fun and use your imagination. There are so many designs from this great group of cc'ers and all the links, that you can find just about anything you can imagine.
God i never done any courses i just pick it up as i go along. I find something i like for a cake and adapt it to my capeabilities as long as you are straight with your customers on what you can and can't do and make it so they let you have free reign with an idea of theirs then just take the plunge. That's all i did.
I only do a couple of cakes a month as it is not my full time job and i don't advertise that much.
What ever you do just have confidence in it and it will all work out in the end.
Good Luck
I guess I am starting a cake business. But I don't feel like I'm good enough. But they have started coming more and more frequently and more and more people are starting to ask for my card (yay!)
However, my DH has to ask each time that I make a cake if this one is for money or a gift. Hahaha! I like to give my cakes as gifts! It gives me the practice, provides someone who is celebrating something with a gift, and it is cheap compared to giving a wrapped present, plus, then I don't have to worry about having cake laying around the house all the time!
He needs to get it over it. At the same token, you need to start practcing! Even if you used canned frosting (which is way cheaper to use for practice cakes than to make homemade) at least get started doing something. Then you will get your practice and he will have something to look to see what you are learning. Good luck! Don't forget to post pictures!
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