Do you know what the difference is between an experienced and inexperienced cake artist? Other than the obvious [experience], it’s really just one thing… An experienced cake artist knows how to cover their mistakes. We still make them. After nearly 20 years of decorating, I still make mistakes, sometimes blunders. But what my experience has truly taught me is (1) yes, how to make fewer mistakes, but more importantly (2) how to cover them up.
I learn something new with every cake I make. As a custom cake artist, no two cakes I make are the same. Every design is unique and I usually try new techniques or variations on something I may have done before. It can be risky, to not always rely on your stand-by routine for a project, but it’s how I learn. And I can usually count on my experience to cover up mishaps when my risks don’t pay off.
Some of my biggest and proudest cake knowledge wins came from taking risks:
Using my culinary blow torch to melt buttercream atop a pizza cake. I could have burned the whole thing up, but it worked beautifully and the result looked just like melted cheese!
Airbrushing right over krispy treats in the reef of my elevated shark cake. I had no idea what it would look like, but the result was amazing and it looked just like reef rock!
Don’t be afraid to take risks. Push your skills, try new techniques. The worst that can happen is you will have learned something new and still have a yummy cake to eat while you reflect on what went awry or what to do differently next time around.