I agree to some extent with everyone saying that cakes need to be mostly edible... absolutely! I even argued with an event planner I work closely with who told me to make a dummy cake for display and then the edible cake would just be a sheet that would go into the kitchen of the venue til cutting. I said no way! Her response was that she often got that from some well-known cake artists, some of which have been on the FN challenges. I disagree with that. The art of it is the fact that it is made of edible material.
With that said, however, I do think that structure is necessary. Don't we all use dowels for tiers and pipes for topsy-turvy cakes? As for plastic pieces, not everyone can afford a cake with tons of sculpting and modeling on it. Using other materials can help with cost. I know I have suggested these store-bought pieces to customers when their budget just can't allow for all the detail they would like. At the end, the fact that it is store-bought is reflected and does not compare to something edible and hand-made.
I do have a major problem though with the CriCut Cake... talk about cheating! There is nothing that machine makes that can't be made by hand. Not artistic? Then why are you taking on an artistic endeavor like cake decorating? I have not bought nor used that machine and I never will.

Well doggone it! Why didn't ICES award that last year when I brought my Lambeth cake to the convention, and my cake with lace extensions? It's so funny you say piping is dying, I can't get enough people to have a class in Lambeth so I don't even offer it anymore. We'll see if my oriental stringwork class is a go next week or not. The reason the art is dying is not because no one will teach it (oriental stringwork is offered a TON of places), it's because the students don't want to put the time in and do it.

As for the cake sculptures, our show does not require a sculpture to be made from cake, but it MUST be possible to replicate it from real cake, and the judges know if it can or can't. I have seen them disqualify a cake because it was done in styro and could not be reproduced in real cake.

Oh man, the Cricut is a double edged sword. I see some of the stuff it can do and think... imagine how fast you could get a beautiful cake done!? But I do agree that it's taking some of the skill out of it. Which is of course what it was intended to do. With the popularizing of cake decorating, more people who don't have the time to learn the hard stuff want to do it. Of course, if they want to invest hundreds of dollars in a machine to do so, more power to 'em. Keeps 'em from calling me and wasting my time. But, on that same note, they still have to figure out how to construct a cake, ice it, perhaps fondant it. To me, that's the 'hard' stuff. Everything after that, that's the gravy. That's the good stuff!! The part that makes you giggle and feel all warm!! Hehe.

I have such great respect for the old school decorators, and that is not an age reference. Some of them are quite a bit younger than me. And so many stay on the cutting edge with new styles and techniques, but are continually pulling yesterday's skills into here and now. Combining the amazing intricate skills with the up-to-the-minute look that most brides want. I'm telling you, I am astounded by some of the piping I see. The intricate stringwork that is made of royal, dried, and then delicately applied to the cake in 3D... blows my mind. I would NEVER want to travel with one of those babies in my van. I would be in tears every time the wind picked up.

I also want to remind anyone who needs to hear it... there is no right or wrong in cake decorating. There is only how you choose to do it. And if you and whomever you may be making a cake for are happy with it... then you are doing it 'right'. If it's a damn train wreck... well, rest assured someone will send it to Jen over at Cake Wrecks, and you can get your 15 minutes that way. No shame in your game. Sometimes the wrecks are as much fun as the awesome ones! One of my favorite cakes that I've ever done... a gal wanted a cake for her husbands birthday, and somehow I managed to get the name wrong. Put the name on it of the guy her hubby accused her of cheating with!! I swear I had no idea... it was some sort of crazy Karmic accident. Her face was priceless. I was able to fix it in a way that only the two of us would know, but it was worth it. I couldn't believe she confided that to me instead of just saying the name was wrong. Holy cow!

I would love to take a Lambeth class, FYI for anyone on the east coast willing to teach it.

Nah, that's just gas. I make you chuckle uncomfortably. Oh wait, maybe THATS the gas...

Ya'll are funny! Melvira is right, there is no right or wrong to cake decorating, it's what makes you happy!!! If you are good at "old fashion" piping and enjoy doing it, great that's the right way for you! If you are good at using the Cricut then that's the right way for you! Just be happy and do what you and the person getting the cake likes!!!

I'm an artist first, cake decorator second. It doesn't bother me that people put plastic on cakes or use other materials. It's all art that is in the eyes of the maker. As long as the cake, where ever it may be, tastes good, that's all that matters. I will never forget the episode of the Cake boss where he made a toilet, and it flushed!!

[quote="warchild"]

I personally would LOVE to take a hands-on course on decorative piping because my skills suck...and I can watch tutorials all day but unless I've got someone over my shoulder pointing out what I'm doing wrong, I'm not going to get much better. I adore elegant string work and filigree. I have a talent to draw but put a piping bag in my hand and I turn into Jackson Pollack. Not that I haven't improved and I did take a Wilton buttercream class...but to learn from a master would be awesome! No one offers such classes here in Tulsa--and I can't really afford to travel across the country.

And by the way to address the OP's first post, I agree that 'cake' is being used loosely by many in the industry. And it's because that so many are turning the art of baking and decorating into an entertainment franchise! Please! Fake drama on cake shows...will they be able to make a 40 foot castle cake (an order they supposedly received the day before) fit through the door and arrive in time? Customers want what customers want and they only want the really wild stuff because they saw it on TV...not that they want to pay for it mind you. Hey, as long as they know they're paying for structure and not cake, what the hell? Give 'em the RKT, wood and PVC pipes!

I initially felt exactly the same way. But as I looked into building this cake, I had to take 2 things into consideration 1. the 3 D standing dinosaur would be nearly impossible to make without an armature to support it, and 2., with only 15 people attending the party, we didn't need enough cake to feel 60 people. *sigh*. ...

Additionally, I wanted to make the RKT head so it could be edible, but I did not think that adding the fondant to the head and OPEN jaws - the soft edible RKTs would likely buckle under the weight of the fondant. So. I am going with hardened RKT. I have no clue if this cake will even survive. it's for my daughter's 3rd Birthday, for family only. My first attempt at ANYTHING like this..

As time goes on, and i gain more experience, and learn to not make my cake at 4 x scale ( which took my 6 " plastic dinasaur model, to 2 FEET of cake and strcture) - and yes - no way could 15 people eat 2 feet of cake... LOL

the entire belly of the thing will be cake. the head, tail and legs won't.

Oh well.. I can't imagine making an open mouthed dinasaur - 3D - that would be 100% edible... I'd love to see how!

but as i said - up until i started this project I was in complete agreement.