Hello everyone! I am new to cake decorating and have not done many cakes. I love learning new techniques and just seeing what is possible with cake on this site. I am, however, not getting any comments or feedback on my cakes so far, particularly the last one. I know they are simple and not really too spectacular, but I would love some feedback so I can learn and improve! If you all have a minute, could you look at my cakes and let me know what you think? I also would love some constructive criticism (emphasis on "constructive"!). Thank you so much!!

Welcome to cake central! I'm sorry you are frustrated with no comments on you cakes. There are so many pictures put on this site that the new uploads stay on the front page for a very short time. Please don't think that no comments means that your cakes aren't good.

I just looked at your photos. I think you are doing VERY well. You have a good eye for design which will only get better with practice. One thing I noticed on several of your photos is a bulge between the layers of cake. This problem is easy to fix with a dam of thicker frosting piped around the edge to hold your filling in.

Don't be frustrated. I think you are doing great!

I think you are doing a great job so far!!!!

Try getting a bench scraper or a 6" putty knife/scraper and use that to smooth the sides and tops of your cakes. That REALLY helps get a perfectly straight side on the cake, and clean edge when you are working with buttercream. I thought you were doing a pretty good job just with the spatula, so if you use the straight edge of the 6" scraper you will really take it up a notch.

Keep up the great work!

You are doing Very well. Just keep practicing. I learn something from every cake that I make.

Thank you so much for the comments! Should I use a warm metal scraper to smooth it? Or does it matter? That is a great tip.

I think you are doing a great job. Do you level your cakes before decorating? The only thing I notice is a slight hump on the top of some of your cakes but I think they are all beautiful. To level the tops on mine I leave them in the pan and take a knife and score around the top of the pan. Then I take a piece of dental floss and pull it tight and run it through. Works great every time.

Thanks, Sweettreat, for the tip. I have had a problem leveling. For the last cake, I even got out a level and thought I had it, but when I finished, it still seemed humped a little bit. I will try the floss trick and see if that helps. Thanks!

I like using a warm metal scraper. I think it really helps. Then follow up with the Viva paper towel method.

I think you are doing very weel so far. I have started using an icing bag with a coupler with no slit in it to ice the tops of my cakes. It helps with the tops being more level even though it is quite a bit of icing. Then I use a bench scraper to get the sides straight. Keep up the good work.

Thank you so much! It really means a lot that you all took the time to help me out. I have two cakes to do this week for a friend and will use all of these suggestions, so hopefully the cakes will turn out nice and smooth, with no humps, lumps, or bumps! Thanks for the tip about the coupler to ice the top - I will definitely try that one.