Gifts for the Cake Decorator

Judging by the number of Web sites, cake decorating must be the fastest growing hobby in the world. Decorators from around the globe post their creations on cakecentral.com, coolest-birthday-cakes.com, and flicker.com and most will share their tips and ideas with anyone who asks. There are thousands of blogs devoted to tips and how-to's on cake decorating. If there's a cake decorator on your gift list, here are a few suggestions for gifts that will be used and appreciated.

* Icing colors in boxed sets. Primary, pastels, and garden colors are boxed in sets of four for about $5.

* Fondant creates that very smooth and professional look on cakes and takes practice to perfect. Packages of ready made fondant are priced between $6-22 and your decorator can practice getting it right.

* Disposable decorating bags make clean up easier. Bags are available in packages of 12-100 with a price range of $4- 20.

* Cake boards and circles are necessary items and it's nice to have a variety of sises and shapes. Packages of 6-10 boards are inexpensive at $4-7.

* Small wire whisks help mix color into small amounts of icing. Under $5, this small gift will be used often.

* A turntable makes the decorating process easier. A pedestal turntable is about $20.

* Cake lifters help lift layers without dropping them or having them fall apart. A flat lifter is under $10 and a large spatula type is around $20.

* With the recent interest in cupcakes, a cupcake shaped cake pan is a fun addition to the baker's pan collection for under $15.

* For more cupcakes, a mini muffin pan that makes 24 tiny cupcakes for around $11.

* Small tools like spatulas, decorator cupcake papers, or stainless steel decorating tips are great stocking stuffers. All can be found for under $5.

* Boxes for cakes and cupcakes are often forgotten but they are handy to have on hand. Boxes are plain or decorated and cost around $1-2 each.

* Classes in cake decorating can help develop new techniques and learn ways to make the decorating process easier. The cost for classes can run from less than $40 for a basic class to hundreds for classes at a culinary institute. For local classes, check Hobby Lobby or Michael's.

* The ultimate decorating gift is an air brush machine that lets the decorator create really impressive designs. Sets start at $60 and can run as high as $400. But what a gift.

As a cake decorator, all of these are on my wish list. Cake decorating is fun but, allowing for mistakes, not inexpensive. Any new or additional tools are welcomed by the decorator. Most of these items are readily available at Hobby Lobby or Walmart or online at Wilton.com.

Resources:
http://www.michaels.com/art/online/home
http://www.wilton.com/
http://www.hobbylobby.com/