Cake decorating gets a new look

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And then there is always Martha. Popping her homey head up anywhere some crafty, decorative art form demands perfection, Ms. Stewart, among others, has penned a delightful book on that most elegant of cake decorating forms, the wedding cake. The local library offers a dozen similar books, all illustrating that beyond the whimsy of a cake decorated to look like the Eiffel Tower, or an intricately beaded handbag, lies a stunningly elegant art world that would 'cause the great masters to ooh and ahhh.

The cake decorating craze is not limited solely to television or special events. Cake decorating courses are now being offered, and attended, locally as well. College and university sponsored community education courses offer them, as do craft-shops such as Michael's. There are usually no requirements for admission beyond an enrollment fee, and it is all done in good fun (not for grades or credit).

I'm fortunate enough to teach such a class, and can personally attest to the rise in popular interest about this art form. I can also speak from experience and say that the precision and attention to detail, while productive of stress at times, offers a great "time-out" from one's daily worries and concerns, as one focuses one's complete attention on the task at hand: producing a stunning, and delicious looking, artfully decorated cake. I have also learned that you will only make friends producing, and sharing, the gift of a beautifully decorated cake.

When Ian Finn is not decorating cakes, he is sharing his secrets gleaned from years in the food business.