I wondered why someone would want to teach this skill to others. Wouldn’t it create competition in the marketplace?
We started out on simple one- tiered cakes. We were taught to split the cake in the middle, put icing all around the rim, and then put the fruit filling in the center. Then cover the cake with icing, (being careful not to spread the crumbs)– just icing, over the cake. Then, we took a piece of parchment paper, and smoothed down the icing. I did okay for my first time. Some people had a crooked mound of icing full of crumbs.
My first cake at the end of the first cake decorating course is right here. It’s not terrible; there were others that were far worse! And hey, it tastes good and that’s what cake is all about.
I finished the first cake decorating class, and signed up for the second. Half the class dropped out at this point. I went on to the third class, and there were only two of us. I then took the Gumpaste Flowers class. There were two of us in the beginning, and the class ended with just me. I had a lot of one on one time with the instructor.
Gumpaste Flowers
Here is the outcome of the Gumpaste Flowers class.
I didn’t find the classes difficult, but they were time consuming.
So I realized that most people were not going to make it through all the classes. The instructor told us that many women signed up, hoping to make their own wedding cake, only to pay the instructor make the cake instead. No competition in the marketplace; instead, a new customer!
It works the same with writing classes, it seems. I’ve been to several free and inexpensive writing workshops. Many people buy the books of the person leading the workshop. It’s not so easy to write good stuff, and even harder to get published. Meanwhile, we can read the instructors’ books.
My first cake at the end of the first cake decorating course is right here. It’s not terrible; there were others that were far worse! And hey, it tastes good and that’s what cake is all about.
SueAnn Porter 
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