The Complete Photo Guide to Cake Decorating Paperback – February 1, 2012

This book is HUGE! It has 328 pages FULL of beautiful pictures of cakes, cupcakes & cookies and has pics of step-by-step directions on how to ice cakes, use different icing tips, and just any subject you may need information on, relating to cake decorating. This is an EXCELLENT book for beginners, or more intermediate bakers who are looking to try a new type of decorating. it covers the basics of baking and icing cakes, piping techniques, making simple and advanced flowers, lacework, string work, making fondant and gum paste accents, modeling animals and people, painting/coloring on fondant, airbrushing, Cricut on cake, natural landscapes, chocolate molding, gelatin accents, isomalt, edible frosting sheets, and SO MUCH MORE! I am so glad that I bought this book! It was inexpensive, so I expected it to be about 60-70 pages long, but it is 328 pages and invaluable! I will be able to use this for years to come, as it will take me quite a while to learn and practice all of the different techniques in this book! My thanks to the author for making a book with such excellent pictures, wonderful step-by-step teaching, and such a big book for such a great value! : )

This book was better than I expected. It covers everything you would need to know about cake decorating plus recipes for cakes and frostings. The colored photos are perfect. I am a true beginner of cake decorating and would absolutely recommend this book to help you learn how to decorate cakes. Even how to use fondant and create figurines to put on your cake. The book is good for beginners like me all the way to people who consider themselves experts. You definitely can learn quite a bit from this book.

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.

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 PreparationEvery 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 FillingThis 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 TechniquesHow 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 AccentsWoo-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.FlowersThis 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!

Super nice book

Just a perfect book for cake decoration techniques. Instructions are clear and covers so many things. Colorful and good pictorial presentation.

I am a beginner to cake decorating, and I think this book is a perfect introduction.I have read almost all of it. It is sorted into basic cake preparation, piping techniques, fondant and gum paste accents and miscellaneous techniques.Pros:-Step by step photographs of everything-Covers loads of techniquesCons:-relies a bit too heavily on lots of specialised equipment. I would have like to see more skills presented that one could teach oneself without having equipment, or with just a basic set.-In the baking cakes section, she suggests using a box mix for the actual cake!!!!!!!!!!!! As a British person I find this highly offensive.. I mean, the book is on cake decorating not baking anyway, so its not something to NOT buy the book for, but still. At least she provides recipes for the rest of the cake prep in the chapter (eg. fillings, icings etc.)-I personally would have liked a longer section on modelling animals/people.

On trouve de tout dans ce livre, des techniques, des recettes, une multitude d'informationset de photos. Livre que je conseille.

ist dieses Buch ebenfalls verständlich, da alles wirklich äußerst gelungen bebildert ist und jeder Schritt einzeln aufgezählt wird. Es ist aber von Vorteil wenn man zumindest die Grundbegriffe der englischen Sprache versteht. Man erfährt so einige Tipps und Tricks die einen anregen etwas Neues auszuprobieren. Ich habe schon sehr lange und gründlich nach einem Buch gesucht, das sich lediglich mit der Dekoration beschäftigt und auch für Menschen, die nicht Konditoren sind, verständlich ist und man die Vorschläge auch in der Realität erfolgreich umsetzten kann. Habe das Buch nun seit einigen Monaten und bin vollauf zufrieden damit. Ich kann daher auch für Nicht-nativespeaker eine Kaufempfehlung aussprechen, nur jemanden, der kein Wort englisch versteht, würde ich abraten.