Interview with Jane who teaches
cake decorating classes.
Students from a Fondant class
Where did your interest in cake decorating begin?
My only interest in cakes now is to teach, I get more enjoyment watching
other people work on their projects, but I still make cakes occasionally.
My interest in decorating cakes started in 1968 when I picked up an American
Wilton Cake Decorating Yearbook from the local bookstore in New Zealand.
I saw the beautiful and elaborate cakes in there and started practising
from their instructions.
How did you go about learning the techniques behind cake decorating?
It took me a few years to decide I needed some real tuition in
this art, nothing was looking like it was in that book, so I booked into
the Wilton School of Cake Decorating in Chicago U.S.A. in 1981. My instructor
was Wesley Wilton, co founder of the school, and I learnt an amazing amount
of techniques.
Is there any common style to most of the cakes you have done?
There was a common style to American cakes in those days, but
now that they have adapted to using a lot of fondant, and materials to
make decorating so much easier, there is a huge variety of cakes.
What have you been working on this week?
I am currently working on preparing for my next class as I am
now a full time instructor with my cake decorating school. I supply all
the materials used by the students, so there is a lot of preparation mixing
icings, making samples, printing information sheets and recipes etc.
Where do you look for inspiration when you are
about to start something new?
The internet is the most resourceful tool for inspiration these
days, with decorators putting their projects on-line via videos and many
cake decorating clubs where everyone has an input asking questions and
getting answers from other members.
Bouquet cakes
What has been the most difficult aspect of
your craft for you to learn?
The most difficult aspect of my cake decorating experience was
to learn how to sculpture and cut out novelty cakes using a chocolate or
plain cake recipe that has been filled with fresh cream or custards, but
after getting a job in a Wilton store in Hong Kong I had no choice but to
learn if I was going to work there!
What do you find most pleasing about cake decorating?
My only aim now is to teach what I have learnt over the years,
it has been a very rewarding journey for me and it has taken me to many
countries as a decorator and instructor.
Why would you suggest cake decorating to someone
looking for a new hobby?
It is an inexpensive and fascinating hobby now, with the tools
available that make your projects so easy to do.
Have you got any advice for people that are considering it?
My advice to anyone considering cake decorating as a hobby, is
not to start with huge expectations, it's just practice that gets you
there, but with the variety of moulds and cutters now, you can be professional
in no time.
Cake decorating
interview continued on next page
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