The Complete Photo Guide to Cake Decorating

From the very talented hands of Autumn Carpenter, comes this wonderful and detailed volume of cake decorating, born of her love of cake decorating and teaching. Her store, Country Kitchen Sweet Art, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana has all things related to cake decorating. And because of that love, plus the myriad of questions she has answered over the years and help she has given so many people in this field, especially those first starting out, she has compiled this manual.

It is written on thick, solid paper with bright colors and clear photography, mostly step-by-step tutorials. It is a heavy book that measures approximately 8"x11" in size so its large and with easy print. It is divided into 4 sections and is color-coded on the page headings.

This would be an excellent book for any beginner, and for those with a need for a good reference book. The photographs are in color, and in ordered numbered. I would venture to say that just the sequential photography alone could suffice for someone for whom English isn't a primary language. Projects are also included at the end of each chapter.

All aspects of cake and cupcake decorating have been covered so that if you see something that you would like, you should be able to do the same, perhaps with a wee bit of planning. Also, many of the tools that are used are easily accessible from craft and hobby stores, and when needed, there are plenty of US companies that can be contacted for the rest.

The four section ares:

SECTION ONE:

Basic Cake Preparation
Every tool and cake decorating toy needed for all the projects in this book, and then some, are listed and shown along with an explanation of each. Some things are the "extras" that are nice to have while others can be improvised, and then there are those that you need to have in order to accomplish a project. This covers pans to flower-making tools to machines, bags, and molds.

Baking the Cake/Cupcakes, Torting (cutting crosswise), and Filling
This pretty much covers what you do to make those lovely cakes turn out perfectly shaped so that you can begin the outside work.

Now, while she then gives a great deal of icing recipes, she has not included any batter recipes but does encourage cake mixes.

She gives recipes for making fondant and gumpaste; these can also be easily purchased if you choose not to make these from scratch. Sometimes it's easier in time and money to purchase them as they can be labor intensive, but certainly are not discouraged.

The next area she teaches is color, glorious color! This was a fabulous chapter on coloring with pastes and liquids and the choices you make with the mediums you use. She has provided several color wheels to help you get to your preferred shades.

Now, not all people like fondant, etc. on their cakes. So the choice left is either whipped cream or buttercream. Whipped cream has a very delicate stability and you are limited on time and temperature because of it. But the other alternative is buttercream and it can be a great medium; if you do it the right way, with either a smooth or textured finish, it can look as spectacular, or even better, than a solid covering. This was a wonderful section and if you think about it, this can really be a showstopper if the buttercream is covered in sparkling sanding sugar; a beautiful twinkle under the lights!

Next is ganache, fondant with/without texture, applying fondant to shaped cakes (shaped cakes are always a challenge for me so this was a great section!) as well as cupcake coverings. Cakeboards and how to stack cakes are also taught; the stacking taught is for simple cakes. Anything elaborate such a topsy-turvy, or large party/wedding cakes were not discussed; the foundation of stacking is basically the same with those but they require more detail and were not part of this lesson.

The shelf life of cakes, how soon to bake in advance, transporation, etc follow but it is in the "Cake and Cupcake" chart that you really get a gem of information. Knowing how much to fill a pan and how to determine covering size, baking times, servings, etc is crucial if you are planning because you don't want to waste time or money. Ms. Carpenter has wonderfully given us some great charts to use to help us in this endeavor.

SECTION TWO:

Piping Techniques
How do you use bags, how do you make bags, as well as piping tips available, are part of this lovely chapter. Then its on to piping itself with all the borders and weaves and squiggles and lines you can use to neaten up a cake. How to write with stamps and free-hand completes this part of the chapter. Then it was on to basic flowers.

Next is Royal Icing and it is a great medium! It's a soft, liquidy sugar mixture that hardens into beautiful candy pieces. She gives quite a nice sample of candy pieces along with the templates needed to reproduce the ones taught. The next step in Royal Icing is "run-in" sugar where you can make large pieces/plaques for a cake as well as cake collars. Brush embroidery is another fantastic skill that anyone can use and I highly recommend this to a beginner because, not only is this gorgeous on a cake or cupcake, but it is a sure confidence builder!! She ends this chapter with Royal Icing Stringwork, and if you enjoy those cakes of yesteryear such as in the Lambeth and Victoria era, this chapter is for you! While it is a very basic lesson, this will ensure your confidence to go to the next level.

SECTION THREE:

Fondant and Gumpaste Accents
Woo-hoo!! Fondant and Gumpaste!! Tools, machines, silicone molds, cutters, cookie cutters, patchwork cutters, picks, and plungers are all tools in your decorating arsenal to make long-lasting decorations for people to keep for a long time.

Flowers
This is a great section as you learn to use flower formers as well as make free-hand flowers that will grace your cake or cupcake and add that touch of beauty from "nature".

Bows, frills, and ruffles, drapes, smocking, , curly streamers, eyelet, and quills are extra beautiful choices to add to your project to enhance that special look. Next up is hand-modeled people and animals to make your project extra personal for someone special (the facial expressions are priceless).

SECTION FOUR:

These are all the miscellaneous techniques that are the finishing touches. The one I enjoy the most is the sanding sugars, or sparkles, on a cake. The use of dusts and powders can add a real "wow" factor as well, and shading can be a real draw for the eye.

Stencils, frosting sheets, chocolate transfer sheets, chocolate panels, chocolate molds, use of The Cricut machine, and gelatin round out this final chapter.

I am so pleased with the way that Ms. Carpenter has pulled together all the essentials of cake decorating and placed them in a neat, organized, and visual manner to help bring to the eye and mind, the beauty of cake decorating. Those who enjoy this art or who are just starting out, will really use this as a basic manual of reference. Peace!

I had checked out the inside of this book online prior to putting it in my wish list. All the subjects it covers in the contents were everything I needed more information on. I am more the type to learn through not only reading instructions but more so visual-seeing the step by step pictures of how the product ultimately is made and finished. I think that for anyone starting out in making and decorating cakes, this is the best book to start out with. I wish that this book was available when i started because I have so many other cake books that covers a lot of separate things where as this book covers it all. Don't think about it, just purchase it! It's worth the investment in the end!!!

I bought this book based on the previous feedback. The Amazon shoppers are VERY astute....especially in their evaluation of this book. If you're interested in decorating cakes, YOU MUST HAVE THIS BOOK. Don't even think twice about it....just buy it. Autumn Carpenter, the author, did a magnificant job with this book....so much so that I actaully wrote a letter of thanks to her. I'm a Family and Consumer Science teacher and I would rate my cooking/baking skills as intermediate. I just decided a year ago to dive into cake/cupcake decorating in my spare time. My first cake using this book turned out amazing. All of my guests could hardly believe that my cake did not come from the local bakery. Luckily, I took photos of my work as I was making the cake for future reference. These photos ended up being proof that I actually decorated the cake. Don't hesitate, grab this book. I promise you'll love it.

I bought this book and i have to say it is worth every penny. This book covers everything and has pictures to show you everything.

This is HOW a guide to anything should look like. Has high-resolution, close-up, step-by-step photos for everything - with simple instructions for each step. EXCELLENT for a beginner like me. Because instructions alone cannot teach much. I was waiting for this book for 2 weeks after having placed the order on amazon. It said usually ships in 5-10 days. But after the estimated delivery date had passed, I did not want to wait anymore with uncertainty. So, I canceled the order and ordered from ecookbooks.com on their website. Luckily, they had it in stock and I got the book within 6 days. I needed the book badly as I'm a pastry arts student. This book was not my coursebook but after looking up various cake books, this book, I thought, was ideal for me who is not good at decorating. AND I DID NOT REGRET because it is a GREAT book.

Having met this author at an ICES convention, all I have to say is her book is as awesome as she is! Very informative and full of wonderful pictures and fun and creative designs. This book is a must have if you like to make cakes that are unique and fun!! Great job!!

Amazon suggested this book based on my buying history and I had it on my wish list for while. I just got it and my only regret is having waited so long.

The book is in a class by itself in my library:

--it is not technique specific: it includes gum paste, butter cream, royal icing, cut or molded flowers, piped flowers, non-floral decorations at an easy-to-handle level.
--it is not occasion specific: it's for general cake decorating, not weddings, nothing fancy. Family birthdays, baby showers, children's birthdays--any occasion worth going to a little trouble for but not a huge production or expense.
--it is for less work-intensive cakes than those covered in my usual books. Sometimes it's not much more than combining or stacking several cut and shaped forms and arranging them artistically and informally.
--the projects are less work-intensive, time-intensive, and experience-requiring than those found in most of my books.
--the emphasis is on modern, less-formal, more colorful.
--these are all cakes that the home cook can, realistically, make and have them look like the photo.

Who is this book for? If you've taken the most basic cake decorating courses in your local craft store (ex: Wilton classes 1 through 3) and you own a shoe-box's worth of cutters and tools, you can follow these instructions easily. It is, by far, the easiest book you will find to follow, understand, and implement.

It is a really charming book. I would use the word 'cute' for many of the designs, but I think it would give the impression of sticky sweetness and that isn't the case at all. Everything is well-explained and illustrated; there are a lot of common sense tips; a lot of materials and tools are demonstrated (with buying guides).

If you are starting out in cake decorating, this is the first non-course related book you should buy. It will go a long way towards giving you ideas and confidence in addition to confirming your belief that this is a hobby (or home business) you can handle and will enjoy.

I have brought a lot of cake decorating books over the years.....this one is worth the money. It covers tons, I means TONS of cake decorating skills. It has a great modeling section. It covers everything from basics to more advanced skills, like using certain cake fondant/gumpaste cutters. It even has a section on the Cricut Cake. It should be a must have book in your cake decorating library.

This is a terrific book, however, it seems to be geared for the professional or someone just breaking into the business. I bought it with the hopes of getting tips for decorating a cake for my daughter's birthday. It has so many tools and techniques that it's overwhelming. So, if you are a one timer, I'd suggest Pinterest. But if you are trying to make a decision on tools you will need to start your new business, this is great!

I expected much more from this book, especially that it was called The Complete Photo Guide to Cake Decorating. It was not. The majority of it was fondant which I don't work with. I expected much more. Another one I bought on mark down.