Experiment Gone Wrong?

Running a baking business includes a lot of experimentation. From testing out recipes, to new marketing strategies, to even packaging. Sometimes they work and sometimes they fail. Although the success of experiments always feels like progress, the failures are also apart of the progress. This may not make sense now but as you read on you will understand what I mean.

When I first began cake decorating I was a freshman in high school. The first cake I made was a cake for this club I was in called FCCLA. Every year they host a conference with different competitions in areas of fashion, culinary, leadership, etc. That year I decided to try something new, having very minimal knowledge on cake decorating. The theme for the cake was a teen getting their license or something along those lines. When I tell you that the cake looked a hot mess, thats even an understatement. See, this is the cake that I tried to make...

and this is the gorgeous cake that I ended up making.

Of course in the moment I was dissapointed and a little bit annoyed at myself for attempting something I had little knowledge in. However, this sparked a desire to learn more about the craft, and in the past three years, I have learned more from my failed projects than the ones that succeeded. For example, if I never made this cake or entered the competition, I wouldnt know that in order to have a neater finish on your cake you need to do something called a crumbcoat. I also wouldn't have discovered that you can only use buttercream at room temperature and that putting it in the fridge makes it hard as rock. So in conclusion its the little things from actually doing, and putting yourself out there that help you grow the most.

Here are some of the cakes that I have made recently, just for comparison😊

If I hadn't done the cake decorating competition, I wouldnt be at the level that I am with cake decorating at just 16 years old. I most definitely still have A LOT to learn, but looking back I have made so much progress in the past three years. Now i'm making cakes, and catering desserts for all types of events. I'm definitely still not where I want to be, but it's a process and only time will tell where this will take me.