Rubbing Salt in a Wound

The things you see on the internet these days!  It is certainly true that social media has changed our world. People say and do things now that would have been unheard of just a decade ago. 

The other day, a friend had someone copy her paid tutorial. The copy was by a much lesser known artist. Once she found out about it, she contacted YouTube to get the copy taken down. This has happened to several of my friends who offer online schools or paid tutorials. It is a difficult and time consuming process to try to stop these idea thieves. 

The real kicker came when folks who paid for my friend’s tutorial then demanded a refund because it was out on the Internet for free. Talk about adding insult to injury!  What the actual hell??

If I buy a Coke, but someone steals the recipe and posts it online, in what scenario am I entitled to a refund on my Coke??  These purchasers clearly agreed to the price of the tutorial, paid it, watched it, and then months later tried to get it for free?? I’m sorry, but that isn’t how the world works, nor should it be. 

And why on earth do you want to be THAT person?  The one who tried to weasel out of an obligation once something “better” comes along?  Do you do this in all your relationships? 

I was so shocked at this behavior that I felt I needed to stand up and say “STOP”. Stop being a dick. Stop being mean to someone who is already struggling. Stop being ungrateful for what you receive. 

And stop redoing other people’s tutorials just to try to get fame. It isn’t cool.

Side Effects

They say that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Often, as we hope, wish and strive to accomplish our goals, we forget that there will be A downside to reaching any of them. Let’s think about medicines for a moment. Commercials are rampant these days for every disease out there. After it tells you how it will help you, an announcer quickly glosses over all the bad things that medicine could cause. 

One day as I watched a commercial with friends, one of them asked why anyone would want to take that medicine. I answered that the benefits to the person had to outweigh the risks. Take me, for example. When my last leukemia medicine failed, I had to switch to Tasigna. I’ve been on oral chemo for 15 years, so I didn’t figure it would be a big deal to change. The doctor say me down and told me that I needed to fully understand the potential side effects of this drug. The number one side effect?  Sudden death. Let that sink in. SUDDEN DEATH. 

I told my doctor that I had always said that I didn’t care if the medicines made me grow two heads, I was taking them. I wasn’t through with life yet. But it still gave me pause. I remember holding the first two pills in my hand, wondering if I should take them. I documented the dose on Instagram, just in case it was the last thing I ever did. Clearly, my heart didn’t react badly to the medicine and I am very careful to follow all the rules with it. 

I see similar things in the cake world all the time. We dream of success, without thinking about its cost. If you are dreaming of more customers, you will find that invariably you are going to have less time for yourself. Those lazy days can disappear. Those weekends at the lake?  Gone. 

Many of you dream of owning a retail location. You will definitely find that your schedule is now ruled by the business. You may find that as your business grows, so do the headaches with employees, taxes, vendors, etc.  you might look up one day and realize that you aren’t even decorating the cakes any more because your day is filled with the operation of the business. To give it your all, you have to give less somewhere else. Often, I see marriages crumble and fail in this situation. 

Maybe you want to travel and teach. And then you find that you never have a date, because it is hard for someone to handle the life you’ve built. Do you board your pet?  Do your relationships at home suffer?  Do you find that you hate airports, or driving, or hotels?  

It is so easy for us to think that “if only x happened, my life would be perfect”, but that is rarely the case. The person whose life you are idolizing could have a lot of side effects that you cannot see. Remember, most of us only show the world what we want it to see. 

So as you map out your dreams, be sure to think about the side effects. Taking fewer orders gets you more free time, but maybe less money for yourself. Taking more orders gets you money, but less sleep and time with family. In the end, we have to look for the balance that works for each of us. Don’t try to live anyone else’s life. Pick your goal and the side effects that make your life happy. 

And because I haven’t said it yet in this blog:  I believe in you. You’ve got this. 

Lines Drawn in the Sand, an open letter to Cakes Decor

My heart is heavy right now and this is a very hard article to write.  An editorial appeared on Cakes Decor recently and has divided my little cake community in ways I never thought possible.  You can read that editorial here.  I am going to address each of the points made in the editorial giving my opinion on them.  And it will be just that:  my opinion.  I also intend to discuss the MANNER of the editorial.

Before I start, I guess I better give my background…just in case you haven’t read the “About Ruth” page or don’t know who I am.  After all, I was told today that I am just a writer and an attorney, not a “real caker.”

I started cake decorating around 1994.  I worked for Quail Plaza IGA, first as a cake decorator, then as the bakery manager.  In 1999, I was named top Bakery Manager in the world for all the IGA’s.  I then opened my bakery.  I started with just me in 400 square feet and it grew to 16 employees in 4000 square feet.  We made hundreds of cakes a week.  I closed my bakery at the end of 2011, to travel and teach advanced cake decorating.  I have made real cakes.  I have baked them.  I have made styrofoam cakes.  I have baked from home, worked for others and run my own commercial shop.  I truly have been in most every bakery/caking situation you can name.  I am a Certified Master Sugar Artist, one of very few in the world today.  I have won a ridiculous number of medals at cake shows.  I have been published in numerous magazines.  I’ve done the tv cake competitions and won.  I’m incredibly far from perfect, but feel like I have sufficient background to talk to you about this editorial.  Oh!  And before someone brings it up, yes, I practiced law for years.  I AM A CAKE DECORATOR.

To begin, I want to talk about the tenor of the editorial.  This is America.  We have the right to free speech and to express our opinions.  I love that about America.  In law school, we were taught that our rights extended to the end of our fingertips, but not so far as to touch someone else.  And that is paramount.  Yes, we can say whatever we want…SO LONG AS WE DO NO HARM.  For instance, if I walk into a crowded theatre and yell “fire!”, inciting a panic and someone is harmed running out of the theatre, I would be liable for those injuries sustained.  It only makes sense.

In today’s world, cyber bullying has become all too real.  I wrote about it previously in my blog called Unsweetened.  The editor chose to use derogatory labels such as “faker caker” to put down people who do not offer cakes for retail sale.  Apparently, you are only a “REAL” caker if you sell your cakes.  Does this mean that your grandmother is not a real caker because she decorates just for family?  Does this mean that a retired bakery owner is no longer a real caker?  If your state or city prevents you from selling, did you just become a fake decorator?  And how many cakes does it take to be real?  If you get one order a year, are you real?

This happens from time to time in the athletic community.  People will say that you aren’t a real runner if you can’t run a certain time per mile.  Or you aren’t a real triathlete if you haven’t done a full ironman.  In the end, it is just an effort to put someone else down and to raise yourself up.  Here’s the problem with that:  when you try to make someone seem like less, you never ever make yourself look like more.  This is why I belong to several Facebook athletic groups that are inclusive of those #pathetic triathletes or #backofthepack runners.  If you run, you are a runner.  If you decorate cakes, real or styro, you are a cake decorator.  If you decorate cakes for the sheer joy and delight of it and make no money, you are a cake decorator.  If you teach cake decorating skills in person or online, you are a cake decorator.  Please, do not let this editorial make you feel unworthy.  You decorate.  Let’s celebrate that!!

Now to address the fallacies in the article.

Decorating a styrofoam cake is easier.

Sometimes, it IS easier.  Sometimes it is way harder.  The thing is, styrofoam is light and moves around on you.  The edges can be very sharp and tear your fondant.  Generally, I think it takes about the same amount of time to decorate the outside of a real cake vs. a styrofoam cake.  The decorating part is unchanged.  As we always told our customers at my shop who looked at our styrofoam displays…they were styro inside so that they could stay on display without drawing bugs, but every item on the outside was exactly as if we were decorating their cake.  It is true that the styrofoam cakes won’t bulge and are generally pretty stable when stacked.  If you work with the right cake and stacking techniques, the same is true for real cakes.  I have friends that have stacked real cakes 6 and 7 tiers high and driven with them on back country roads in Texas and Louisiana without any problems.

Classes should be taught in real cake.

Sure, when possible.  But it is not always possible.  Let me give some examples.  At many mini class events, they are held at facilities that have in-house food vendors.  Teachers are not allowed to bring in their own cake.  You must purchase cake from the vendor.  Those are often not the type of cakes you would use to carve and create structured cakes.  For that reason, a teacher may choose to use styrofoam.  Sometimes, students fly or drive to take a class.  Taking home a real cake on a plane, or shipping it home, is not always realistic or desired.  The better question is, did the teacher demo or provide info on how to do the project in real cake?  I have first hand knowledge of many teachers who teach structures and know that they do.

A few teachers, including the one who said I wasn’t a real caker,  posted that they only teach with real cake.  That is great!  I’m so glad it is something that you can do where you teach!  My Wilton classes always used real cake.  I am glad I learned with it…at the beginning.  Would I need to have it in real cake now to understand the process?  Probably not, but I’ve been caking for a long time.  If you are newer and NEED to see it done in real cake, then by all means look for those classes!  Read your class descriptions carefully and choose the ones that are right for you.

Designs done in styrofoam are not realistic to be done in real cake.

Didn’t we learn anything when a certain decorator belittled another on his gravity defying cube cake??  She said it was a nice piece of styrofoam, but couldn’t be done in cake…so he cut into his cake and proved her wrong.  I remember when the Topsy Turvy cakes were all the rage.  Colette Peters and Polly Schoonmaker pioneered these and everyone said it couldn’t be done in real cake.  But it could.  And across the country, it was!

I always think of cakes for competitions and photo shoots as your couture runway shows.  This isn’t the ready-to-wear commercial line of cakes…these are the dreams, the fantasies, the desire to explore the ultimate in possibilities.  While it is highly rare that one of those cakes is practical to be recreated for a customer, it is also true that many of our trends arise from them.  There is a difference between commercial cakes and competition cakes…I covered that before in this blog.  I know that sometimes it is hard to explain the difference to a customer, but that is part of your job:  educating your clients.  I had competition cakes in my display window and was always able to design a commercial approach to it for my customers.  That is your creative challenge.  If it simply isn’t possible or feasible for any reason, just be upfront with them.  Your customers deserve your honesty.

The fake cakes aren’t realistic to be done for customers.

You might think this is the same as above, but not really.  The editor said that the class designs were so “wonky” that they weren’t realistic for a customer’s budget.  The editorial implied that people should not take classes for cakes that they can’t turn around and resell.  I addressed the factors that help me decide whether to take a class here.  Many people do not take a class solely to recreate that project for retail sale.  Sometimes, they take class to meet the instructor.  Sometimes, they want to learn the techniques from that class to use on a different project.  Who really cares if a class is realistic for retail sale??  What if it is my child’s dream cake?  Can’t I take that class?  The project, in the end, is just the embodiment of the techniques taught in that class.  Let each student decide if it is right for them.

Cake shows should require all cake designs to be real cake.

The editor probably doesn’t know this, but one show tried that.  Cakes had to be real and you could only spend a limited amount of time working on them.  Awesome.  Then the cakes arrived.  And the work was very limited and commercial looking.  The show organizers were surprised, I think.  Those viewing the cakes were disappointed.  They didn’t want to see the cakes they could get at their local shops and grocery stores; they wanted to see the magical side of our art.

There are shows overseas that require the cake to be real.  There are chef organizations that require real cake.  There are divisions at cake shows for real cake.  If that is what you want to make, then please…enter those!  There are rarely enough sculpted cakes at shows.  If you do enter that division, grab my tips here.  I’ve looked at class projects and thought “I would never make that in a million years!”, but others looked at the same class and saw a project they couldn’t resist.  Who am I to say that they shouldn’t take it?  Often, they don’t recreate THAT project…they take the skills and knowledge gained in class to create something else.  And isn’t that what education is all about??!!

Fake cakes should be labeled as such.

So, this has been the biggie in all the Facebook groups.  Don’t act like it is a real cake if it is a fake one.  I honestly don’t recall anyone trying to mislead the public on this.  I’m not sure I even care.  I can look at a design and determine whether I personally am able to do it in cake or not.  I can’t look at it and determine whether or not YOU can do it.  I’ve seen cakes that seemed almost “too perfect” to be real, but then a slice was cut out of it and my jaw would drop.  There are people with skills far beyond mine.  I’m not threatened by that.  There are people with skills below mine.  I’m not better than them because of that.

I’ve seen work by many highly talented sugar artists and I cannot tell whether it is one of their real cakes or their fake cakes.  Why should they HAVE to tell people one is styrofoam?  What does it matter?  So many cake decorators said they felt better by the editorial because it made them feel ok about their work.  People, I want you to feel better about your work regardless!  You are creating an edible artform and doing it to the best of your ability today!  Don’t stress about whether someone else’s cake edges are sharper or their buttercream is smoother.  If you personally aren’t happy with how something looks, that’s different.  Take a class or practice on a dummy to improve.  No other artist’s work makes yours less.  Your customers, friends and family all love YOU.  They love your cakes.  Don’t be distracted by things outside your business or hobby that have no means to hurt you.

Don’t do fake cakes if you can’t do a real one.

This is where I felt like the editorial really missed the mark.  Are there actually a bunch of cake decorators running around making magnificent fake cakes who don’t know how to make a real cake?  I cannot think of a single one.  Not ONE.  Is there a community of cake artists out there teaching classes but they don’t know how to bake a cake?  Seriously??  No.  I can think of several decorators who work on styrofoam for projects, but also have numerous baking tutorials.  I would trust any of them to make me a cake.

Why was I hurt by this article?

This is a tough industry.  The hours are long and the pay really isn’t great.  As artists, we already second guess ourselves and our work every single day.  We know that when we post our work online, it is being judged by every set of eyes that sees it.  We need to find ways to build a strong, supportive community.  Dividing people into groups, especially with a derogatory term like “FAKER CAKER” is just a means to make someone feel less about themselves.  Why, oh why, would you want to try to hurt someone?  I know when the decorator told me today that I wasn’t a real caker, I was shocked and hurt.  I’m sad for her.  I left her group, so she won’t know that I have a really good background of information and could have been a helpful adviser in that group.

Today, I would like to celebrate all of you who make cakes.  Thank you for keeping this beautiful art form alive.  Thank you for sharing your talents with the world.  Just thank you.  

 

The Scoresheet

The Scoresheet

Cake show season is upon us. Maybe you are entering for the first time. Maybe you’ve been competing for years. Regardless, once you have that scoresheet in your hand, your eyes race to take in the notes from the judges. Did they like it? Did they catch the flaws you didn’t have time to fix? Did they understand your piece?  
Often, when I visit with a competitor after judging, they don’t understand what makes one cake score better than another. I’ve written before on what judges look for (Here Comes the Judge), but thought it might be helpful if I took a judging sheet and broke down all the categories for you. Jennifer Bartos from That Takes The Cake Show in Austin, Texas and B. Keith Ryder from the National Capital Area Cake Show in Annandale, Virginia were both kind enough to provide me with their show’s judging sheets. 
The Wedding or Showcase cakes are judged on a more strict basis, so I’ll tackle those after the regular divisional entries. Here are the divisional sheets:

  
  

PRECISION/NEATNESS

This category has us focus on the basics. And, quite frankly, this is where most people quickly lose points. The first thing every cake judge does is look at how well you covered your cake. A fondant cake should not have elephant skin, rips, tears, seams, pock marks or other distress. Fondant should be smooth. The entrants at Cake International in England do this very well. You must take the time to get this part as close to perfect as you can. It sets the stage for all the decorations to come. A rough cake covering will detract from the rest of your work, no matter how nice it might be. 
But this category is more than just the surface icing. How neatly did you apply your details? Can we see blobs of royal where you attached things? Are there rough edges on your cutouts or flower petals? If you have a design pattern, does it stay uniform? Do your borders stay uniform? To score well in this category, you need to be as neat as possible. 
ORIGINALITY/CREATIVITY

Did you recreate a famous cake? Is your piece from a class project? Have you seen this design before? If so, you will suffer on your originality and creativity scores. Most of the cake show judges are well versed in current trends. If you are doing a design that is popular at your bakery or with your brides, chances are that it isn’t very original anymore. 
To score well here, take an element you like from a cake design, but put your twist on it. Or combine it with unexpected elements. Let’s say you made something as simple as an orchid. If you plop it in a store bought vase, it isn’t very creative. If you put it with tropical items that you make out of sugar, it becomes more creative and original. I know people say that there is nothing new in cake decorating, and maybe that is true, but I still see refreshing spins on designs all the time. This is when you need to design from the heart. Don’t copy; be inspired. 
SKILL/ATTENTION TO DETAIL

For this category, we take into consideration your decorating level. If you are a Beginner, you do not have to meet as high a skill level as a Master. Why don’t we take that into consideration on the two prior categories? Because EVERYONE can be neat. EVERYONE can be creative. In this category, we start looking at the techniques you used to create your cake. Taking an orchid as the example again, we will want the shape to be right regardless of your level. A Beginner will often have thicker petals and will be less adept at dusting the flower. We cut them slack. If you are a Master making that same orchid, we will want to see something more botanically correct. 
And this applies to all techniques. For piping, Beginners get to use larger tip sizes than would be ok for a Master. As your skill increases, you can move to the smaller tips. In the end, this is a judgement call by the judges as to whether they think your decorating skills fit the level you entered. Sometimes the skills fall short. Sometimes they surpass a person’s level. The bottom rule here is: if you choose a technique, do it as well as you can on a competition piece. 
COLOR/USE OF COLOR

We aren’t here to tell you that your pink cake should have been purple. Although, I’ve heard that judges in England sometimes do make such comments. Our role as judges is not to redesign your cake, but to judge it based upon what you presented. If you choose a design for a college team, for example, and their colors are burnt orange and black, you need to use those colors. If you use a bright orange instead, we would mark you down on your use of color. You didn’t stay true to your design. 
More often, color issues are more tricky. The color faded as you worked on the cake and we can tell. You chose colors that clash instead of complimenting each other. You have one spot of color that doesn’t fit your design at all and almost looks like a mistake or an afterthought (or a leftover flower used in an emergency). I have a friend who has trouble with colors on the pink/red spectrum. She kept getting notes that her colors didn’t work. She finally figured out that she was a little color blind and got advice as she worked on the cake to make sure her colors looked right together. 
It is possible to use too many colors, also. I judged a beautiful piece of royal icing piping once…it was maybe 4″ in diameter, but had at least a dozen colors. Even that would not have been a problem, but the colors were randomly placed, so that it looked like they used up every bag they had to complete the piece. There wasn’t an art or design to the numerous colors. 
Some entrants feel that judges are biased for or against certain colors, but I’ve never found that to be true. If you are doing a dark or horror piece, dark colors and gore are appropriate. If you are doing a sweet baby shower cake, we will expect most of them to be in pastels, but that doesn’t preclude a brightly themed design for a baby shower. Let your design guide you and use the colors that enhance it the most. 
DIFFICULTY

Not all techniques are created equally. Some things are, quite frankly, harder to create. You don’t lose points for doing an easy design, but you sure don’t gain any, either. What are the harder techniques? I always tell folks to go to the ICES.ORG website and look up the rules for becoming an ICES Certified Master Sugar Artist. There, they outline the most recognized techniques and rank them from level one to level four. 
Level three and four techniques are the more time consuming and exacting ones. These take skill and practice to master. If there were two cakes that were equal on all other merits, but one used more difficult techniques, it would usually place higher than the one with the easier techniques. This does NOT mean you have to throw extension work or Lambeth on your cake in order to win. In fact, you should never use a difficult technique unless you can do it justice. Poorly piped Lambeth will not out score a cake with easier techniques if that cake is done at a higher skill level. 
Please also keep in mind that the higher your level, the more difficult we expect your techniques to be. A Master should be able to execute something more challenging. That doesn’t mean that a Master can’t do an easy technique, but they should probably do it nearly perfectly! Please don’t throw in a hard technique just to get more points. If you attempt extension work, and do it very poorly, the fact that it is difficult will not work to your benefit. The real key to cake show competitions is to do the most difficult techniques at which you excel. Show off your best. 
NUMBER OF TECHNIQUES

Oh, the problems this category has created. So many newer competitors read this as a challenge to throw everything they know onto a cake. Yes, we would love to see more than one technique, most times, but let your cake design be the guide! Do not throw things together that don’t go with the design. If you do that, your cake can start to look like a jumbled mess. 
Many times, we will run into two cakes that are pretty equal in terms of their decorating skill and execution. At this point, judges often consider the number of techniques as a tie breaker…or at least I do. If someone has done a great job and done three things, that should count for more than someone who did an equally great job, but only did one technique. Make sense? The one who did more techniques had to excel in three different categories. 
Is there a magic number for how many techniques you should include? Not at all. Again, the cake design should determine what is right. And let me be very clear: if you just do one technique and do it nearly perfectly, that will out score a cake with several techniques that is poorly executed. Do not throw the kitchen sink on your cake. This is not the time to show us everything you know how to do. It is the time to show us what you know how to do WELL. 
OVERALL APPEARANCE/EYE APPEAL

I’m sure you’ve been scrolling through your Facebook feed when a cake stops you in your tracks. It grabs your attention and makes you go in for a closer look. Some cakes truly have that magic. Those always score high in overall appearance. Sometimes you will see a cake that just seems “off” somehow. Maybe the background distracts. Maybe the sizes don’t work together or the colors clash. Those cakes will score lower on eye appeal. 
This is obviously a very subjective category, but if I put a group of ten decorators in a room, they almost always gravitate to the same eye pleasing cake. I wish I could explain it better, but here is my suggestion. See your cake as a full page in a magazine. Does your design and your work grab you so much that you would want to see close ups of the cake on the following pages? If so, you have probably got eye appeal in your favor. 
CONCLUSION

I read an article from a friend who said that every cake starts as a Gold in England. In the US, you could say you start with a perfect score. You only lose points if you don’t execute to the standards of your level as a decorator. Some judges think that everyone starts as average and get marked up or down for work that is above or below average. Whichever judge you encounter, remember that they judged every cake in the exact same manner. Remember that the judges are not trying to hurt your feelings! They have a job to do. Sometimes the money and prizes are of such value that they have to be extra strict. None of this is personal. You should take it as an indicator of where your skills are and a challenge to improve on those items that are lacking. Every time I worked on one of my weaknesses, I became a stronger, better decorator. 
Best of luck at your upcoming cake shows! Enjoy your design. Make the cake for yourself and to share your gift. Bring beauty to the world. 

Momzillas & The First Birthday Cake

It all starts innocently enough. A woman walks in with the cutest baby ever. She tells you she’s ordering a cake for the baby’s first birthday. You start asking what she wants. And she tells you. 

I used to think that wedding cakes were easier. These momzillas don’t even realize they have lost their mind. They obsess over inconsequential details on a cake the child WILL NEVER REMEMBER. 
And that’s when you get it. Her mother probably picked the wedding cake that SHE never got to have, so this is the first time the mom gets to pick everything. Her first foray into adulthood in the cake world. So this party will be an all out production. 
Momzillas will change the order a ridiculous number of times. They will bring in color swatches, samples of designs and their own personal sketches. She will burst into tears at the register if it does not meet the image in her head. My friend Pat Jacoby got a true Momzilla one day. The mother drew diagrams to scale. She had sketches of every element of the cake with precise inch by inch measurements for the entire diameter of the cake and what was to appear where. 
Now is when I should tell you that all of that fuss was for the SMASH CAKE!! Holy crap!  
I wish I knew what was really behind the insanity. I never got to have a child (medical complications), so I don’t know if pregnancy hormones still rule your life a year after you gave birth. I get that it is the “only first birthday party” the baby will have, but let’s be honest. That party is for the grown ups. 
When I worked with the momzillas, I made a point of telling them they were the best moms ever and that their child was so lucky. And that always calmed them. Maybe they are just nervous new moms. Maybe they are afraid they aren’t doing a good enough job. Remember that there is likely a little insecurity under all that madness and you can help them relax and have a lovely party. 
I wish I had an easy answer for how to deal with momzillas, but I honestly don’t. I can only tell you to prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and to know that it happens to all of us!

The World View

When I started decorating cakes, I only knew the decorators in my local cake group. The Internet was relatively new and message boards were in their infancy. It was difficult to meet decorators from other areas unless you went to a cake show. 
To build a reputation, you had to travel. You had to build a great web site. You had to compete in cake shows. You had to do great work. If you were lucky, you got on some of the early cake tv shows and the world learned your name. At least, the United States did. 
I am just flying home from Cake International in Birmingham, England. It is the largest cake show in the world. It is a true melting pot of accents, cultures and decorating styles. 
I was lucky enough to attend the Cake Masters Awards for the second year. As I listened to the presentations for the nominees and the winners, it became clear to me that there truly is a world cake decorating community. 
Mike McCarey was named the Cake Hero. While he rarely teaches outside of the US, his social media accounts and Craftsy classes have taken him into the homes and hearts of decorators across the globe. 
In almost every instance, the winners were people who have a strong social media presence. The value of that presence is that it helps to connect them to people everywhere. A picture can go viral in minutes. A Periscope can be shared repeatedly. The new applications keep making it easier and easier for people to interact with their cake heroes. 
Many decorators tell me that they wish they had more recognition for their work. I would tell them that they simply MUST promote themselves. They aren’t just sharing with potential customers…they are connecting with future friends and collaborators. 
We all need to take a world view of our work and our social media influence. I am constantly surprised at the number of people who follow my cake journey, my triathlon journey or even my posts about my puppies. It reminds me to be very conscious of the things that I post. 
Too often, I see decorators posting negative comments about their customers or, even worse, their families. I wish so badly that I could help them realize that their constant negativity is how the world views them. Why on earth would you want that reputation?? I’m not saying you have to be fake and only post happy things; I am saying that social media is rarely the place to air your personal anger or laundry. 
Social media just gives us the slightest glimpse into a person’s life. If you think of it as a snapshot of your life, what is the picture you want to give the world? Will you be known for your talent or for your attitude? The world is in your hands. 

I’ll Be The Judge

Lately, I’ve read some complaints about judges at cake shows. It prompted me to ask my friends what made a good judge and what made a bad judge. I received some great comments and thought I would share these thoughts with all of you. 

I should preface by saying that I have judged at or competed at over two dozen cake shows. I have served as Head Judge for one of the largest shows in the U.S.  I am regularly asked to train new judges. I am also serving on a new ICES committee to establish guidelines for certifying judges. 

 
Here are my notes for those who judge or aspire to judge at a cake show:

Judges should know the rules

At a recent show, the cakes had a height restriction. A few of the competitors complied, but others noticeably did not. Surprisingly, the “too tall” cakes were the ones that placed, without mention of the height infraction. Good show directors will provide you with a copy of the rules when you judge. Good judges will read those rules!  

When you find a rule violation, the judge has to decide whether it is so egregious that you must disqualify the entry, or simply lower its placement/score. For me, this depends on the level of the competitor. I am frequently more strict on professionals and masters, but try to give the lower levels a break and just reduce their score. 

If a judge blatantly ignores the rules, it puts a black mark on the entire competition. It makes competitors doubt all the rules. Following the rules is paramount. 

Judges give constructive feedback

This is such a biggie!  “Good job!” gives the decorator no useful advice. Even worse is no comment at all!  As a judge, I try to tell the person something I like, then something they can improve, then end with a positive note. 

Helpful notes can include information on what judges look for:  covering your board, adding a ribbon around the board, evenly piped borders, smooth cake covering, using gumpaste instead of fondant. It is NOT helpful to redesign the person’s cake for them. You must be able to tell them how they could improve their work on their chosen design. 

Rude comments are unforgivable. Judges have not been invited back for comments they leave. Words can hurt and we judges have to be incredibly careful in HOW we say what we say. The last thing we want to do as judges is to discourage someone from playing with sugar. 

Put your preferences aside

This may be the hardest thing for many judges. When we see ourselves reflected in someone’s entry, we react favorably. The key is to not allow your personal preferences to make you score something higher than it might deserve. I can think of two instances when someone I was judging with saw a cake that could have been in their portfolio. Instantly, they both declared that cake first place. I had to work with them to see if it truly deserved first place. 

A judge may hate yellow cakes or gory cakes or whatever personally, but must judge those entries in the work presented, not on how they feel about the design choices. It isn’t always easy. Judges are human and I’m sure we all let our hearts into our evaluations. They key is to be conscious of that influence and to try to minimize it. 

Judges must know a wide variety of techniques 

I believe the best judges are well rounded decorators. If you only do buttercream cakes, it could be hard for you to judge proper royal icing techniques or gumpaste flowers or sculptures. You should keep up with current trends. You should know what a proper version of most techniques looks like. 

It is even better if you, as a judge, have actually worked with a variety of mediums. You will then be better able to troubleshoot and help guide the competitor to a better entry. 

Judges Should Not Be Overly Critical

Feedback is great, unless you become abusive in your words. I have seen judges mark every cake low and justify it because they treat everyone the same. Seriously?  If the judging scale goes to 10, you CANNOT limit the scores you give to a high of 6 or 7 or whatever. 10 does not mean perfect. It means that it is excellently crafted. 

We get that you are the best decorator in the world (in your mind), but you don’t build yourself up by tearing others down. If your judging sheet is a nitpicky list of errors, without also celebrating the things done right, you need to take a step back from judging. You are not helping the contestant with your hypercritical attack of their work. You must be able to find balance in how you both judge and in how you give comments. 

Judges Are Not Just Cheerleaders

Yes, we want to encourage the entrants, but not every cake warrants an 8 or above. This is the flip side of the overly critical judge. If you just tell some one it is beautiful and that they did great, what have they learned?  Even the most incredible pieces of art I have judged have had one or two areas where they could improve. 

Judges owe the contestants their honesty. You must be able to be realistic about the entry and be able to tell the person what is wrong as well as what is right. 

Judges Do Not Rush The Process

Judging is hard work and will kill your back and your feet by the end of the day. Some judges love being known as a judge, but don’t take the time to properly do the job. There is no prize for speed judging. If you are just going to gloss over the process, you should not be judging. 

Judges Do Not Dominate Other Judges

Every now and then, you’ll run into the judge who is loud, opinionated and dominating. They run roughshod over their fellow judges and their opinion is the only one that counts. This is really just another form of bullying. 

When I judge with someone for the first time, I start out asking their opinion for the first few categories, so we get a sense of each other and so that we each get input in the process (for consensus judging shows). Judges need to be willing to listen to their fellow judges and to respect their input. 

Judges Show Up For The Job

If you are tasked with judging, you need to show up on time and ready for the job. Most judges will wear their chef coats, to add an air of professionalism to the process. Judges should not cancel on a show unless their are legitimate reasons. When you agree to judge, you are agreeing to pay your way there, put yourself up at a hotel and to do a job. If you need to teach a class to cover expenses, that is fine…but when your class doesn’t fill, it does not relieve you of your commitment to the show. Finding qualified judges to take your place at the last minute places an unfair burden on the show. 

Judges Pay Attention to Details

Nothing frustrates a show director quite like having to track down a judge who left a score card incomplete. Judges have a duty to make sure that each score sheet is filled out properly. Competitors who find part of their sheet without a score are rightfully upset. Would they have placed higher?  We must always take the time to look over our sheets to make sure that we have filled everything out. 

Judges Help Promote the Show

Cake shows will die without support. As judges, we often have a social media following and can use that to help the show. We can put the information in our newsletters and on our web pages. We can share the event on Facebook. We can encourage people to enter. 

Judges Do Not Enter Categories They Are Judging

Some competitors do not think it is fair for a judge to compete. I personally have no problem with it and have done it many times. In that situation, the show director is notified that I entered and I am not assigned the Master division. Since judging is anonymous, my fellow judges who are assigned the Master category will not know who created what cakes. There is no unfairness to other competitors. 

Often, the judging panel is largely comprised of Masters. If some of them don’t enter, the Master division looks very empty. We need every possible entry for cake shows to thrive. 

Judges Are Available Afterwards To The Competitors 

Some shows have a designated time to meet with the judges. The judges will show up for this “kiss and cry” portion and help explain to a competitor why they received the score they did. Sometimes the competitors may contact the judge after the show. I feel just as strong a duty after the show to help them understand what they did right and how to fix what they did wrong. Numerous competitors have sent me pictures of their entries and asked for critiques, even when I did not judge the show they attended. I think that judges should always stand ready to offer advice in this manner. 

Judges Will Read The Information From The Competitors 

Many shows allow the competitors to write notes for the judges about what they did and how they did it. These notes are often crucial to a better understanding of the entry. I have seen judges dismiss a cake, until I point out the novel approach used by the competitor, as explained in their notes. Just as a competitor should not assume that the judge knows every flower variety, the judge should not assume that they know how something was done. 

So that’s it. Really, it boils down to being a good person. Play nice with the other judges. Be kind, but fair in your comments. Give comments. Do the job you accepted. If you do those things, you will find that you are a good judge. 

Book Review/Interview: Artisan Cake Company’s Visual Guide to Cake Decorating by Liz Marek

Recently, one of my “cake daughters” wrote her first cake decorating book. While she is the master of social media and openly shares her life’s ups and downs with her friends on Facebook, I felt like we could all get to know her and this project better. 

When you dive into the book, you will find actual guidance on support for figures and cakes. Most decorating books on the market do not focus on this info. The part that I thought would be a “must read” for people is The Elements of Cake Design”. As a judge at most of the major cake shows in the U.S., I will tell you that most cakes rise or fail at the design stage. Take her lessons to heart and you can be creating more visually impactful cakes!  

Here is my interview:
1.  What was your favorite project in the book? It’s hard to choose but the owl was my favorite. He was just so cute I wanted to smoosh his widdle cheeks! 

2.  What was the hardest part of writing the book? Writing a book was so much harder than I expected! Coming up with ideas was easy but then practicing the project, working out the bugs, taking photos and writing it in a way that could be understood by even a novice was very hard and I went to bed many-a-night with a migraine from thinking too hard lol

3.  What decorators influenced you or inspired you as you were learning decorating? I loved and still love many decorators I looked up to when there was no fb and only flickr haha. I used to devour photos from karen portaleo, debbie goard, mike mccarey and melody brandon from sweet and saucy. All very different from each other but each had something special that I wanted to achieve in my own work. Creativity, clean work and beautiful details. 

4.  How did you get started decorating? I started by doing. I watched a few episodes of Food Network challenge and Ace of Cakes and got the bug. No youtube tutorials existed yet so I just winged it. My first cakes where not pretty at all lol

5.  What is your biggest wish for your book? My biggest wish is simply that people find my book useful and that it is used. It is not placed on the shelf to gather dust but the pages are worn from use, dog-eared and stained with batter. I want this book to be a tool, not a decoration for a book shelf. 

6.  What did you learn yourself as you wrote this book? I learned that I take way too many photos of my cakes haha I also learned that I work best at night and that I cannot sleep until a project is done. 

7.  Who is your target audience for the book? My target audience is beginner to intermediate cake decorators who need help getting beyond the basics or advanced decorators who need some inspiration to take their ideas to the next level. 

8.  Do you hope your daughter follows in your footsteps someday? I hope my daughter feels passionately about whatever she chooses to do in life and I hope to help her find that passion no matter what it is. I did not find my passion until I was almost 30 years old and spent a good portion of my life thinking I wasn’t good at anything. I want my daughter to be inspired every day and try everything until she finds the thing that makes her happy. 

9.  Tell me about juggling your bakery business with writing a book. Writing a book while baking cakes for clients was a nightmare. There was never enough time in the day to get everything done. I still do not know how it happened. I also was 9 months pregnant and approved my final draft of the book the week I went into labor. I joked that writing a book was more complicated than having my baby and definitely more painful haha. But def love my book like she was my own baby. 

10.  How many copies have been sold so far? We have sold over 4 thousand copies since December 2014 and counting! The book is getting great reviews and the publisher is talking about another book but I’m not sure I’m ready for that lol.

You can buy Liz’s book on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Artisan-Companys-Visual-Guide-Decorating/dp/1937994694
   
    

Learning to Breathe

SugarZen

I grew up in a trailer park. We never had a lot, but I rarely knew I didn’t have it all. I loved the place, especially the pool. I learned to swim in that pool, watching the other kids. I was like a fish. I swam as often as I could, practiced holding my breath under water and swam as though I had no fear. Put me in a lake and I was just as confident. I always considered myself a good, strong swimmer.

What I did not realize until I started really paying attention to the Olympics and until I started training with a swim coach for a triathlon is that I was only a recreational swimmer. I never took classes at the Y or with the Red Cross like many children, so I never learned the fundamentals of swimming. The lack of those basics never would have bothered…

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Book Review/Interview: Cupcake Envy by Amy Eilert

Recently, I shared with you my list of “must have” books (https://sugarzen.wordpress.com/2014/06/26/ruths-favorite-sugar-art-books/).  At that time, I promised that I would be reviewing some of the new books on the market.  I’m excited to bring you the first of several today!

I first met Amy Eilert at CakeLove in Vancouver, Canada.  I had heard of her from an appearance on Food Network, but really didn’t know much about her.  I have to say, it was love at first sight!  She has this adorable husky voice that wraps itself around you and makes you want to hang out with her all day.  She exudes joy.  When I heard she had written a book, I knew I wanted to share it with you!  j

This book features what she lovingly calls “cakelets”.  They are NOT cupcakes.  They are precious mini cakes that you create, often as you learn to do carving.  For many newer decorators, carving into a cake is a frightening experience…they just can’t see the design within the sheet cake.  Amy makes it easy.

I sent her a list of questions that I thought might help you get to know her and her book better.  Here is the interview:

1. What was your favorite project in the book?

I’d have to say the grocery bag themed design called At the Market. This design is a paper grocery bag cakelet with sugar sculpted groceries.  This would make an awesome cakelet for your favorite food fanatic.  You could can customize the grocery bag with any items this special person loves to cook. I would fill my grocery bag with eggplant, french bread, potatoes, and of course, cake!

2. What was the hardest part of writing the book?

Writing a book was such a learning experience for me.  I was used to teaching classes and writing tutorials however, writing a book is a completely different beast.  I was very fortunate to have a helpful publisher to walk me through the process.  One thing I had to keep in mind at all times:  Measure Everything!!!

3. What decorators influenced you or inspired you as you were learning decorating?

I launched Cupcake Envy before the days of Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.  One place I was able to connect and find amazing cake artists was Flickr.  It was there that I was introduced to the insanely talented skills of Debbie Goard. Debbie’s approach to cake design was unique and her work so distinctive, it really inspired me to keep practicing.

Throughout my journey with Cupcake Envy, I’ve had the privilege to meet and work alongside such incredible artists/teachers. Norm Davis, in particular, has been a huge inspiration and a dear friend as well.

 4.  How did you get started decorating?

I started out stumbling into cake decorating unintentionally.  I was a NJ public school music teacher prior to relocating our family to NC.  I wanted to stay home and raise my sons and once they started school, I started making treats for their class celebrations.  I wanted to make something special for each child which eventually went from creating  cupcakes to mini cake design.  I like to call them Cakelets.  I would practice different techniques every night after the kids went to sleep.  It was relaxing and gave me a new outlet to be creative.  I wanted to get better so I kept my eye out for classes.  That’s when I took my very first class with Bronwan Weber.  After that, the fire was lit and Cupcake Envy was born.

 5.  What is your biggest wish for your book?

I have two wishes for this book.  The first wish is that people will find my book as a useful reference for creating fun mini cakes (cakelets).  I wanted the designs to be easy to create, fun, and approachable for anyone to do.

My second wish for my book is to inspire my sons to follow their dreams.  I always tell them that we are here to leave our mark, whatever that may be and to work hard for what you want.

6.  What did you learn yourself as you wrote this book?

I learned that I am a complete unorganized scatterbrain.  There were many times throughout the process that I said to myself,” you have no business writing a book!”

I learn that I needed to stop looking at the big picture and take it one project at a time.  I learned how to better utilize time and how to organize my thoughts so not to feel overwhelmed.

7.  Who is your target audience for the book?

The target audience for this book is broad.  I wanted the designs to be approachable for beginners.  Many people who have taken my class have never touch fondant before and they would leave the class with designs that excite them and that they are proud of creating.  I also hope the book, which focuses solely on mini cakes, provides seasoned decorators a fun option to add to their decorating arsenal.  A custom cakelet with coordinating cupcakes is a fun option for any celebration.  The guest of honor gets a special mini cake created just for them while partygoers can enjoy custom coordinated cupcakes.

8.  Do you hope your children follow in your footsteps someday?

I learned early on when I tried, unsuccessfully, to teach my sons how to play the piano that they are their own person with their own interests. The same can be said for Cupcake Envy.  I do hope I am a good role model when it comes to working hard and never giving up.  Those are the footsteps I hope they will follow.

 9.  Tell me about juggling your illness with writing the book.

I am not sure if people are aware but I was diagnosed with both Systemic and Discoid Lupus when I was 10 years old.   Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks your own tissues and organs.   As I grew up, I acquired a few syndromes and challenges along the way that has certainly changed my life.  I’ve had my share of difficulties and hospital visits that have certainly impacted my daily life as well as my family’s life.   I am so grateful for family and friends that have helped me through those tough times.  Sometimes it’s not just the physical setbacks but also the emotional setbacks that become the biggest mountains to climb. Ruth, you have talked me through my most recent episodes and your words gave me strength to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Thank you for being there.  I experienced 2 hospital visits during the time I was writing the book which delayed the release date but with the help and support of friends, family, and neighbors, the Cupcake Envy book is finally here.

In the end, I’ve learned that no matter the cards you are dealt, never let it stop you from reaching your dreams.

10.  Who was your first inspiration?

Early on, I became a huge fan of Colette Peters books, especially, Cakes to Dream On.

Even though I  mini cakes, Colette Peter’s book were a treasure trove of inspiration and decorating techniques.  I learned so much about cake decorating from her books.

11.  How many copies have been sold so far?

Honestly, I have no idea but I wish I knew!

I hope you enjoyed getting to know Amy a little better!  Sometimes, we focus so much on the art form that we forget to SEE the artist behind the work.  If you are looking for a great book to introduce you to mini cakes, this is the one!  You can purchase the book at:  http://www.amazon.com/Cupcake-Envy-Irresistible-Cakelets-Little/dp/0804843686.