Do you teach stuff like lace work / 3d piping? Also do you teach People who you just think are awful at it?
I loooove royal icing the best and absolutely love the Lambeth method, oriental stringwork etc 💕 but no, I haven’t taught it, not enough people want to learn it, so the classes won’t sell, so my boss won’t go for it. I’ve designed a modern Lambeth method class but alas not taught it.
I’ve taught some people who do really struggle, sometimes they just don’t have the right technique and that can be taught, but a lot of the time it’s because they just haven’t listened or have missed a step. There’s a certain kind of personality that will just chat through demos, be on their phone, have a laugh, then stress when they don’t get 😒 that can really hold up a class just because someone hasn’t been paying attention!
Do you get CFs asking for cut price wedding cakes as a favour?
Not really, I either charge what I should and take barely any orders because of it 😄 or do free cakes for friends. Hence I don’t take commissions anymore as people just aren’t willing to pay enough to make my house being taken over and my evenings eaten up worthwhile. There’s a lot of competition too here as it’s the classic Mum Job and they don’t charge a living rate and also there’s a cake shop in town which makes cakes for pittance so not really worth it round here!
Is it possible to teach someone who has an interest in cake decorating but absolutely no artistic flare whatsoever?
I’d say so! Most things eg models, piping, can be broken down into specific shapes and most people are able to copy them one by one and end up with something reasonable!
I'd really like to practice piping but would rather not make (and waste) lots of butter cream icing. Can you suggest anything that has a similar consistency but that
a) won't make me fat
b) won't dissolve my Kid's teeth (ds2 is lunge a hoover when he sees sugar!!)
and C) cost a huge amount.
Hmm tricky one!! I can’t honestly think of anything. For practise I do use buttercream (I find it easy to not eat lone BC), and either use dummy cakes (they can go in the dishwasher so just use and reuse), or pipe onto the side of a bowl, glass etc to practise side piping or onto table/cellophane etc if piping from above?? That way you don’t have to make a cake and freeze it for reuse (done that one!) or eat it.
Also, was trying to ice buns for a cake sale at the weekend but it was so hot, the icing wouldn't hold it's shape and it was a race to get it into the fridge. Can you suggest something to prevent the icing melting? I usually use a little milk with icing sugar and butter.
Originally I thought you meant iced buns/iced fingers, but I think you mean cupcake-type-things? You can use royal icing sugar instead of normal icing sugar and that will keep buttercream a bit stiffer in this heat! It has egg powder in which keeps things sturdier.
Hope that helps!