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What our Members are saying about Sugarlanes

I cannot tell you just how excited I am to be a member of your site.You are the best, I have always dreamed of learning how to make the figures, but I could not find anyone that really teaches how to make them other than the few people who do workshops but they are never in my particular area. So when I saw your site I had to sign up and I got so much more than I had expected. I look forward to each week anticipating what you are going to teach us, thanks so much for all you do. I have recently purchased your how to dvd's and let me say its like having you in my home teaching me one on one keep the coming please I want to learn it all!!!!

Maria N. from Alaska


 

I have learned more in 3 weeks than I have in 2 yrs of doing cakes, you really know how to explain things in detail. The biggest thing that I love is the fact that you start from beginning to end on your how to videos explaining all the techniques. There are other sites out there that do videos but they never show how to get the cake started so I appreciate that very much. The cakes that you have shown us are so exciting they deal with the latest techniques which is what I wanted to learn, not the old style things.

Nikki P. San Francisco CA


While searching the internet in the middle of the night and came across your website, wow! I was so excited to find such a fantastic resource with videos that show cake decorating. I have always dreamed of finding such a site, I have now opened my own cake business from home because of your teachings. You cover all the latest details in cake decorating which was most important to me and I want you to know I will be forever grateful for all that your website does for those of us who are visual people.

Naomi P. Lancaster OH

 

 

 
Cake Decorating Articles

Helpful Cake Decorating Tips


1. If you want a perfectly flat top …use the flat bottom of your cake for the top. ( Flip it over )….Make sure you level the original top too!

2. If your oven is too hot… then your cake will rise too much in the middle. Wait till your oven is fully preheated before putting your cakes in to bake.

3. Chill your cake between the filling and the frosting. The cake will be much easier to work with.
*Apply a thin layer of frosting to the cake then refrigerate until it is set before applying the final, heavier layer of frosting. This will seal in the crumbs, ensuring a clean final appearance.


4. If your cake is too high in the center after you bake it…take a long serrated knife and cut the top off. Wait till your cake has cooled before cutting.

5. Cheesecakes will often crack when they are cooling…Use a larger pan with a little water in it and place your cheesecake in the water bath to bake and this will keep your cheesecake from cracking!


6. For a quick and easy cake decoration, lay a stencil on the top of your cake and then just dust your cake with powdered sugar. Remove the stencil very carefully so you don’t cause any problems with the design on your cake.

7. Did you loose an eggshell in your cake batter???  Any eggshells that are in your batter will sink to the bottom while baking. After cooking, just turn your cake over and remove eggshells.

8. After frosting your cake, you can use a hair dryer to slightly melt the frosting. This will give the frosting a smooth, glossy look. However if you prefer you can use a metal icing spatula or knife first heated by sitting in hot water, wipe dry, then use the heated knife to smooth the icing.


9. Sprinkle chopped nuts onto the sides of a frosted cake. Walnuts, Pecans and Almonds make a great addition to a cake and it adds great flavor and as well as nutrition.

10. Always use fresh eggs in your recipes. Eggs separate best when cold, egg whites need to be at room temperature for greater volume when whipped. Remember this when making a meringue. Most cake recipes call for eggs.

11. Real Butter gives the best flavor in your cake recipe unless the recipe calls for something in particular.

12. A quick chocolate tip – If you need melted chocolate for a cake or using in a mold, pour a bag of chocolate chips in a heat proof zip baggie, then place the whole bag in a bowl of very hot water, and mush the bag up every couple of minutes until all the chocolate has melted and there are no lumps. Snip the corner of the bag and squeeze out the melted chocolate directly onto your cake, or even into a mold.

13. To cut a cake without the mess, use a heated knife by running it under very hot water then wipe the knife clean with a paper towel and cut your cake, it should slice through the cake very smoothly without having all that icing mess we all end up with on our knives.

14.   To tackle those holes and tunnels that we sometimes get in our cakes just run a knife through the batter after you have finished mixing it. This helps to removes any air holes that may be lurking in the batter.

 



 

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The difference between 'Petal' and 'Luster' dusts 'Disco' dusts, and  'Sparkle' dusts?

Petal, Pearl & Luster Dusts are ideal for use on gumpaste or rolled fondant flowers, plaques & lettering, etc…. Any of the powders may be mixed with alcohol or lemon extract for painting on your cakes and such. Each type of dust creates a different effect to help give the exact sheen desired.

 Petal Dusts are used to achieve deeper hues with a matte finish. When brushed on petals of white or pastel gumpaste flowers, a realistic effect is created. Add a blush of color to gumpaste flowers or emphasize a feature with a tiny brush mark.

 Pearl Dusts produce a shimmery luster. Use Super Pearl on flowers made from colored gum paste. When dusted on white petals, the other pearls in the range exhibit a subtle colored sheen by reflection, although displaying no apparent color. Add an iridescent hint of highlight color.

 Luster Dusts give subtle color with a sheen finish. In the dry form, use them for dusting. They may be used on their own, or mixed with similar colored dusts to create a lustrous sheen without lightening the color. Brushed on white, they exhibit color and sheen. Mix with alcohol or lemon oil for painting or highlighting.

 Sparkle Dusts have a larger grain size with a sparkling finish. Gives gumpaste flowers a wet or dewy look with just a touch of color.

 Disco Dust (or Pixie Dust) add sparkle & flashing highlights of color to your pieces. Use this when you REALLY want to sparkle.

 Highlighters are non-edible and have a high sheen finish. For decorative use only.

 

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If your just getting started in creating gumpaste figurines you may have some questions, below are some of the most asked fondant/gumpaste questions I receive!!

How long in advance can a gumpaste figurine be made up before an event?

Figurines can be made up ahead of time with out any problems. I always make my figurines up ahead of time so that they can setup properly. I make them up at times several months ahead, and if it is for a particular cake that I have coming up then I have done them the same day I created the cake itself.

Can I put a gumpaste figurine or cake topper in the refrigerator?

It is not a good idea to put a figurine that is made with fondant or gumpaste in the refreigerator due to the condensation, it can cause the figurine to fall apart and get very soft. It is best to put gumpaste figurines in a container and store them in a cool place.

Can I use Marshmallow Fondant to make figurines?

You can use marshmallow fondant, however it is a very soft fondant and will sag and may not hold the shape very well so it really is not a great fondant for making figurines but I guess it depends upon what you are making.

How long can I keep a fondant/gumpaste figurine before it starts to decay?

Gumpaste figurines can be kept indefinately as long as they are properly stored, I have figurines that are now a year old. I store them in a plastic container with a lid. Then I keep that container in a cool dry place. If they are exposed to alot of moisture or condensation this can cause them to break down. Because gumpaste and fondant is made mostly of sugar this acts as a preservative and this is what keeps the figurines fron molding or rotting.

Why do my gumpaste figurines have large cracks in them once they have setup and dried?

From my experience gumpaste is made to dry very quickly therefore it is best when rolled out very thin such as when creating gumpaste flowers. What happens is when you create a figurine with gumpaste it dries from the inside out and rather quickly. This process causes the cracks and problems in your gumpaste. This is the main reason I do not use a pre-made commercial gumpaste. 

What fondant and or gumpaste do you use to create your figurines Donna?

I use Wilton fondant mixed with tylose powder to create my figurines. I always use the white fondant, never the pre-made colored because once fondant has had color added to it the consistency changes and makes it very difficult to sculpt into smooth shapes without cracks  and such.  At times I also use a 50/50 mixture of commercial fondant and gumpaste to create my figurines.

What should I use to glue my figuines together?

Water works very well to glues arms, legs, head, clothing together.  There is an Edible Glue that you can also use to glue your figurine pieces together.

 
 
 

 

 

 





 


 

 

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I get soo many emails everyday regarding the different “Gums” as they are called available on the market! I know its all quite confusing especially to those who are just getting started in working with Sugarpaste also know as fondant or gum paste.

I will say that when I am referring to sugarpaste I mean fondant or gumpaste, because all its made with is sugar and just a few other ingredients and is a dough like paste that is used to cover cakes, create flowers and my favorite of course which is creating hand sculpted figurines.

When I say sugar flowers as I do often times I am really talking about gumpaste flowers.

Now lets talk about all the different “Gums” as they are often called.

First one that we will discuss is Tylose Powder and the one that I always use. Tylose Powder is less expensive than most gums on the market however it can be tough to locate since it is mostly avail. through the internet, you can find it at some of the specialty cake supply stores but not at Micheals or Joanns. Tylose powder is used in some gumpaste recipes but I add it to plain fondat to create a quick version of Gumpaste for  my creating figurines and sugar flowers. Tylose powder is a  fine powder you can work into fondant to make a really quick transition to gumpaste.

To create a quick gumpaste with fondant just Add 1 -3 tsp of Tylose powder to 1lb of fondant. Dry humidity areas use less Tylose – High humidity areas use more Tylose. Knead it in very well to your fondant. If you are using a pre-made Gum paste you don’t need to add any Gums to your paste because it already has some form of Gums in it. I usually don’t use a pound of fondant at a time when creating my figurines so I use small pinches of tylose powder to my fondant until I get the consisitency I am looking for.

Gum Trag or the long version of the name….. gum tragicanth is another gum additive used in many different recipes to make gumpaste and pastillage. It add strength and stretch to the final product.

 Gum Tex is more readily available to most and is made by wilton. Like gum tragicanth, gum tex is an ingredient to make gum paste pliable, elastic & easy to shape.

Gum Arabic - a versatile hydrocolloid that has many applications. A superior emulsifier, widely used in the production of beverage and flavor emulsions and meal replacers. Its low viscosity and adhesive properties, meanwhile, make gum arabic an excellent ingredient for coating cereal, confections, and snack foods. For bakery products, the gum’s binding and emulsification abilities aid in the formulation of icings and frostings as well as baked goods like cakes and muffins. Beyond foods and beverages, gum arabic has been long used in lithographic processes and pharmaceutical products. A natural gum additive that can be used as an edible glue to stick pieces of modeling paste together when mixed with water. This additive can also be added into Royal Icing to give it more strength.
Mix 2 tsp. of Gum Arabic with 2 ounces of water to make a gum glue. Gum glue is used to Gumpaste figurines, bows and other objects together

CMC Powder or sometimes referred to as Super Gum and  CMC Gum, amd the technical name  Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose Gum, or just Cellulose Gum is frequently used as a thickener and a texture ingredient in many applications throughout the food service industry. Food grade and industrial grade CMC Gum is also known as cellulose gum. It is derived from purified cellulose such as cotton linters. CMC Gum helps products retain moisture. CMC Gum is a man made gum.

Hopefully I did not confuse you even more with all this information, I know that many are not sure what each of these are for so I thought I would list each one to give you a basic idea, for future reference.

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Pricing your Cakes as a Home Baker


The most important thing to remember when pricing your cakes is that no one can bake a cake quite like you. Therefore, what you charge is totally independent of what other bakers charge. However, it is important to research what is going on in the market with others within the cake world. This information will help you set the best market value for your cakes.

Step One: Call local grocery stores, bakeries, and home bakers

The best way to get an idea of what others are charging is to call various places in your local area. This research will give you an idea of what the market is willing to pay. When you call, you simply want to ask, "What is your price for ????" Then you need to make note of it on a piece of paper so that you can get an overview of what others are charging. Here are a few cake products you might want to get pricing for:

· A sheet cake
· A birthday cake
· A wedding cake --Per serving pricing!


Step Two: Figure what Your Actual Cost Per Cake is

For a typical 8 in birthday cake, a sheet-cake and then a tiered wedding cake….

After completing step one, you should have a better idea of cake prices in your local area. As stated earlier, you'll only use this information as a reference because your cakes are unique and what you charge is based on your time, ingredients, and expertise. However, you should price your cakes according to your area. Here are some things you need to consider:

· Wages
· Housing
· Average annual income

Are things higher in your area than most other places? If so, you need to charge more. Do people on average earn higher salaries? If that's the case, you need to charge accordingly. Do you get the idea?


The next thing you need to do is calculate your actual cost per cake. This includes all ingredients and packing materials such as cake boards.

Most people charge 3-4 times what the cake cost to make.

Here's another way to come up with your prices.

If your goal is to make $25 on every cake, simply figure your total cost per cake and add $25 to it. This strategy works well for birthday and special holiday cakes.

Wedding cakes are usually sold by the slice and your price is totally up to you based on your time and expertise.

As you make the decision for what you're going to charge for your cakes, you need to consider the factors that make your cakes unique. Although, you researched what other bakers charge, their prices should not be the basis of how you set your prices. To put it plainly, they are not your competition. You must think of yourself in a separate class of your own. Here are a few things that could make you different:

· You may offer original and customized designs for your customers. You take the time to find out what the client wants and you come to as close as you can to what is agreed upon. Unlike some bakeries and grocery stores who offer template cakes with just a few changes.

· You may use secret family recipes with your cakes. This is why your cakes are extremely unique. No one else uses your recipe.

· You may offer the best ingredients. Some even bake their cakes with the freshest ingredients and some of them are shipped directly from the manufacturer because you can't get it in stores.

· You may deliver and set up your cakes. This is a valuable service for those who are planning events such as weddings, anniversaries, and large birthday parties.

· You offer the best customer service. You listen to your clients and follow up to make sure they're satisfied. You build relationships with those who buy your cakes.


There is no one formula to use when pricing your cakes. Every area is different. However, as a cake baker, you must charge what you're worth. Regardless of your price, if you bake a great tasting cake and love your customers, they'll become raving fans and beg for more.

You must believe in your decorating ability if you are going to get a fair price for your cake. If you don’t believe in yourself its tough to expect anyone else to. You must know that your cakes are great tasting and that your abilities warrant being paid a fair price. When someone gives you compliment on your cakes that should show you that your cakes are beautiful and you deserve to be paid for your hard work. A lot of us are not used to getting compliments and we are not sure how to take a compliment. New time someone gives you a compliment to politely say thank you I do appreciate that. And know that you are a great decorator.

We must remember as home bakers that we work very hard on each cake we create. When you turn on your oven it cost you money, when you are decorating a cake you are not able to spend that time with your family. You should be paid for your hard work. When we hire an attorney or someone to remodel your home or anyone else to provide a service for us we don’t tell them, well you know I could go down the road and get a cheaper attorney or home remodeler, like people say to us often times regarding walmart and other large retails grocery stores. You must realize with every cake your creating it costs YOU in one way or another, maybe the costs are minimal however your time away from your family is something you will never get back. Therefore make sure that you charge for your time to create those one of a kind cakes that most cannot purchase from walmart or other local grocery stores. Just a little something to think about the next time a friend or family member wants a free cake from you!!

What I have done myself to price my cakes is, I called around and got local prices especially local home bakers. I priced my cakes just under theirs in the beginning, once I got more experience I priced mine just above theirs, because I could create cakes and do things that they did not.

Realize you may get a lot of ohh my, your prices are too expensive!!! But hang in there you will find those who are willing to pay what you are worth. Don’t let it get to you, it is not a personal attack on your abilities, people are so used to going to Walmart and paying for a cheaper cake, but if you can educate them and show them how your cakes and your expertise is different from Walmart, people will begin to see the quality that you can offer them..

I wish you the best and may you realize just how valuable you are to the world of cake decorating!!

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What Members are Saying

Just wanted to drop you a email to let you know how much I am loving my subscription to your website I have been on here night and day watching all the how to videos that you offer as well as reading all the spectacular information that you have on the site for people like myself who are just getting started and have no clue where to begin. Thanks so much for all your encouragement, your emails have come just when I needed to to know I am not alone in this, as you know I was so overwhemled just trying to do the basics. I thank you and your staff for everything that you do for us. Have a very blessed day.

Liz C. Oregon

 

To the staff at Sugarlanes... This is Carol I have been a member for 4 months now, I signed up because I wanted to learn how to create your adorable figures. I have watched some of the youtube videos but they do not do any justice in comparison to what you do here on the site. I have finally finished making the sleeping baby and wanted you to see the photo of it. I am so proud of myself being able to finally create something that actually looks like the baby that you created in the how to video. My hats off to you and your sculpting abilities, now if I could be half as good as you then I would be on my way. Maybe someday huhhh! I can't wait to learn how to make more gumpaste figures Donna, we want more of them please! Thank you for all your help.

Carol S. Texas

 
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