Elise - one thing I did when starting out is getting together with a few girls from my first cake decorating group to practice skills and talk about caking etc outside of class - it helps with the obsession!

The other thing I highly recommend is joining yor local branch of either the Guild or the Cake Decorators Association. You get to attend meetings and learn from experienced cakes, who often demonstrate techniques etc!

I am trying to think of ways for you to absorb yourself in the craft without spending tonnes of money!

(((hugs)))

Good luck with your Ganache Elise.

Aw thanks! I actually havn't done any cake classes before so i don't really have a group but one of my friends sort like decorating.

I was thinking about classes but to me there is too much pressure with them watching you and how you do things and i would stuff it it royally cose of that lol

....plus if they were wilton i don't really wanna do the clown cake LOL

I really don't mind the gumpaste stuff i am doing at the moment, keeps me very happy except i need to make my own gumpaste cose it is getting pretty expensive to keep buying it!! Although the one at my local decorating store has the BEST vanilla tasting gumpaste! lol

GANACHE HERE I COME!!

I buy a great brand of GP too...but I hear ya on the cost! I have a few good recipes that I am keent o try so I'll let you know how it pans out

I have never done a Wilton course...all the buttercream stuff I have worked out for myself. I do have the course books...and there's really nothing in there you probably couldn't work out yourself. Besides which - there aren't too many bakeries in Oz doing purely American-style cakes! If you know how to handle a piping bag and a big LOYAL brand star tube, you're set!

BTW I hate clowns too

Have fun ganaching!

Just thought i would update:

Chocolate cake+ Dark Chocolate Ganache + Custard Filling= RICH! but still yummy lol

I donate most of my cakes to the women's & children's shelter,church & diversity events that my district have since I'm new @ this.Oh I forgot also for family & friends too,since I'm diabetic,my husband don't eat alot of sweet & my kids don't need anymore sweets.

Elise, how did it turn out?

Oh and yes! We used to have a coffee shop/restaurant (back in the days) and we make our signature chocolate cake filled with custard and frosted with ganache. Although it wasn't decorated, it was definitely YUMMY!

Well i used a low fat cake recipe to not make it so chocolaty (not that low fat cake would do anything when you have melted chocolate on it LOL) but yeh it was still soooooooo rich because we used really good quality dark chocolate.

I could only eat one slice (and they were smallish slices) and my mum said to me 'My gosh this is rich you really only need one slice don't you' and then i asked what slice she was on and she said number 3 lol. But then she ended up feeling a bit sick afterwards wishing she only should of had one lol It sort of tasted more towards a mud cake but everyone still said it tasted good.

I think next time i am gonna go for a vanilla cake with the ganache and try and make my custard have a stronger vanilla taste

I agree, I can only eat a slice.. actually I can't even finish a slice. I mean it's not that it is bad, it's just too rich.

Let me know how the vanilla one turns out.

so this is a really delayed message sorry lol But forgot to say thanks to everyone for all the great ideas and suggestions you posted on this topic cose i don't think i said thanks properly before