When looking at various cake decorating books I discovered that there are many options available ranging from very detailed technical books to ones that included simple how to instructions. These books ranged from the level of culinary textbooks on sugar crafting to ones that were no more than coffee table books full of beautiful pictures of cakes.
When researching the various books describing cake decoration and outlining the various techniques to decorate a cake, I found that three main books came highly recommended for any aspiring cake decorator.
The most expensive of these books was “The Lambeau Method” which I came to find out was a highly detailed book that is used primarily by students studying culinary arts. It is for more advanced decorators and gives really good instructions but it was way above what I was looking for.
Another book that I kept reading about was the “Australian Method” which is also an advanced book and this one is hard to find. From the description of the book, it was also not what I was looking for.
The one that I finally settled on was the “Wilton Cake Decorating Course” that is designed to take beginners to an advanced level of cake decorating skills. It comes in a three volume set and is updated with a new yearbook every year that provides new techniques and cake decorating designs every year.
Another great resource I stumbled across was an on line course “The Art of Cake Decorating” that had a lot of good information and also discussed all of the three methods mentioned above. What I really liked about it was that it had a lifetime membership to an extensive forum for cake decorators and sugar crafters. It is one thing to get information from a book and it is another to have people to ask when you have a question about something you have read and are trying to implement.
This course also included instructional videos and extra recipes for making candy and other confections, cookies, and puddings which could come in useful. There is also a section that is on taking the skill of decorating cakes to the next level and how to start your own business doing this. It sounds like it could be profitable, I am just not there yet.