I'm A Newbie---Where Do I Begin, Find The Best Information?
Decorating By christine1103 Updated 8 Jan 2007 , 6:36am by Zmama
I am preparing to make birthday cakes for my twin daughters first birthdays at the end of this month. I am committed to making each of them their own "smash cake" and would love to be able to also make a cake for the party. If the party cake doesn't work out I'll just make a cool simple sheet cake.
I've been lurking on this site for a few days, have saved a bunch of "favorite" cakes, picked up a lot of tips and ideas but I feel like I ahven't found the basics yet. Do you reccomend a book, an additional website, or a particular string of posts here that can give me some basic information about-- tiered cakes (what pans should I use, how much cake mix for deeper pans), cake decorating (the difference between fondant and RBC, gumpaste or fondant...), how far in advance can I make the cake and decorate it? I'm looking for some of that knowledge that you already have but don't event hink twice about now that your expereinced...
I appreciate any info or resources you can pass along.
Thanks so much!
Welcome,
If you are just starting out - do you have a Michaels Craft store near. Wilton offers classes their or maybe another craft will have these classes. This way you learn some basics.
I start with wilton class to learn and to see if I really want to do this. They offer three courses. Then I just started learning stuff on my own.
Where do you live?
Hi Christine and welcome,
Leana's suggestion of Wilton courses is a good one. I just finished course 3 and learned a lot from all the classes. You can also go to the Wilton website, they have a section that has techniques on doing things like flowers and piping figures. May be a good place to start.
Bradymom
Same here, I started with the Wilton classes and everything else is thanks to CC!! This site is awesome, be ready to become addicted to it! And for all those little Q's you have, do a SEARCH and you will find all the posts/threads related to that topic. If you can't find any info, I'll be more than happy to help you, you can PM me and I'll try to help the best I can. Welcome!!!!!
Welcome aboard.
Well I didn't have a Michaels to go too, but everything I need I can find right here.
Everyone is so talented and so very helpful that I can figure most of it out, and if you need anything PM people, they will be sure to help.
christine1103, welcome to CakeCentral 
I have to agree with the others here that taking a basic cake decorating course at a local arts/craft store if available in your area is a great place to start... even after your twin daughter's birthdays, there will be many more of those to come so you'll get lots of practice!! best of luck and let us know how it turns out for you .. as always, we're here to help you any way that we can
Welcome to CC! I thought it might be helpful to you to understand some of the strange CC terminology. This link will help you understand what we are talking about....
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-2926.html
welcome again and if there is ever anything I can do to help --Just yell
I agree with everyone else...see if you can take a Wilton course, and hang out with us here. 
And, most importantly, PRACTICE! Practice, practice, practice! There is no amount of reading that will prepare you for those little things that happen when you've got a real cake in front of you. At least that's the way it is for me.
Best of luck and welcome!
Wilton Class Buttercream - yields 3 cups STIFF icing.
cream together:
1 cup Crisco
1 teaspoon flavoring
2 Tablespoons milk or water.
Add:
1 pound (about 4 cups)powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon meringue powder
a pinch of salt ( optional).
Mix on medium speed until thoroughly mixed together.
-
To make THIN consistancy for icing cake, add 2 teaspoons of additional liquid for each cup of icing.
-
To make MEDIUM consistancy for borders or drop flowers, add 1 teaspoon for each cup of icing.
This easily makes enough to frost that 9x13 sheet cake.
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Frost your cake. Let it crust (dry) for about half an hour, and use the 'Viva method' - Take a Viva paper towel and set it on the crusted icing and smooth with your hand, if there are still sticky places wait a little longer. (Viva towels have no raised pattern on them, some people use computer paper.)
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Thank you so much for your encouragement and advice! I'm reading as much as I can and might try to do one cake tomorrow as practice.....I'll let you know how it goes.
Use the pan grease;
equal amounts of flour, oil and crisco. Mixed up and smeared on the pans - slides right out.
If you want a better tasting buttercream, make the recipe with half butter, half crisco. If you use regular vanilla in it it will NOT be white.
My twins birthdays are on the 31st and they will be 1. My sons birthday is on the 4th of Feb and he'll be 2! I am wanting to make some cakes for their parties and had no idea where to start!
I am looking up the classes @ Michaels right now and will start there!
Thanks so much for all the info!
Welcome Christine! You'll love it here and you'll learn a lot. If you can't make the Wilton classes pick up one of their books in the decorating section. They have lots of ideas to choose from and helpful techniques in the back. You can also purchase the Course I, II, III books that will walk you through. You'll use these in class as well. I'm sure you'll do great! Remeber to post your pictures for all of us to see!
Jacqui
Sounds like you need JanH! She's the "Link Queen" - always has the links for the questions we have. At the top here, there is Memberlist, do a member search for her and send off a Private Message (PM) - a notice will show on the left hand bar when you get a response. Welcome!
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