Oh Gateaux

Hello everyone,

I started making cakes last September when my little niece had her christening and I asked if I could make a cake. I had never made one before and had no idea what I was doing. Looking back on it now all I can do is laugh!
I made a chocolate biscuit cake because I didn't know how to bake! And set about decorating it. The minute I began I fell in love. It's a little embarrassing to say but I did get a little emotional! It just felt right! Like I had found my thing!

I had been studying nutrition (from nutrition to baking cakes!) because I wanted to help people with degenerative illnesses, something very close to my heart. The more I studied the more I felt a need to be creative. It was as if my body needed it.

I stopped studying nutrition and was at a point in my life where I had no idea what direction to go in. I knew I wanted to create things but didn't know what and I was frightened I might never find it. So when I made the cake for my beautiful baby niece I had my eureka moment!

Now the funniest part of all of this is that I am fourth generation cake designer! My mother, grandmother and great grandmother all made stunning wedding cakes for years. I remember the smell of icing in my grandmother's house and the wonderment of how anything could be that white! I also remember taking every second bit of piping from the bottom of the largest tier of one cake! This is something I will have to remember if I ever have children and they do something as horrifying as this!

Unfortunately for my mother four boys and one little girl got in the way of wedding cakes and I only remember seeing one that she made. I do however remember being in complete amazement looking at it and being completely stunned by how pretty it was. But until I made that cake last year it never struck me that it might be an option of a career or even just a hobby. Part of me wishes my mother had taught me how to bake and decorate from an early age but being the rebellious child I was I probably wouldn't have kept it up!

So here I am having just turned 27 wondering about all those years I was searching for what it was I wanted to do with my life and it must have been decided when I was a baby looking at all the beautiful designs in my grandmother's house! Needless to say I'm so happy I am carrying on the family tradition and I'm so grateful to have such talented cake designers in my family. I hope someday I can live up to their creations.

After I made my first cake I looked up everything I could find online, watched countless Youtube videos and read countless tutorials. I haven't had any training yet so I hope someday I will be able to be shown how to do lots of things.

Right now I am just practicing as much as I can and trying to build a portfolio and learn as much as possible and not break any bones in the meantime! I broke my wrist last December and couldn't bake for a few months! I hope in the near future I will be able to set up a business and make cakes for a living.

I'll let you all know how that goes!

Really happy to have found this online community.

Helen. x