My Rocky Road To Caking

by Erica Gallardo

Hello Everyone,

My name is Erica Gallardo and I guess my falling in love with cakes was an accident.

I actually have a Master's degree in counseling and I tried to pass the license exam to become a professional counselor, but failed, sad enough twice.

I was in a deep depression and wanted to forget about my career and do something else. I thought that counseling was not for me since I had failed.

My brother wanted to develop a business in wedding decorations or jewelery....something where we could make a profit.

Well I happened to see the Wilton website which had lots of ideas for baking and cake decorating ideas. I thought to myself, this looks so easy, all I have to do is bake a cake and frost it, and I will make money.

Well, I was wrong! I purchased books on how to make wedding cakes and failed each time. Then I bought the Wilton cake decorating kit which shows you how to make wedding cake roses, lines and shells. I could not get any of the it.

I started to talk to people, to see what ideas they could give me, which I tried and also failed. Well I got tired and quit everything that had to do with cakes for a few months until I found you tube. I found so many cake decorating videos and tutorials that helped me so much.

I still remember my first cake which by the way was my daughter's third birthday cake, it looked so sad. Everything looked wrong with it. I felt a little down about the turn out but my anger or addiction to cake decorating helped me go further.

I started to purchase cake decorating books on Amazon and practice every chance I had. Day by day my confidence grew as my cakes started to improve. There are days that I want to give up but there is something about this hobby that just pulls me back, and I have to learn more.

I remember in the past how I didn't even know anything about baking and decorating and it's just too weird how far I have come. Right now I try to learn everything that I can, I have completed some gum paste roses and fondant figurines. I am so proud of myself and even though my cakes are still not perfect, I can't wait for what the years have to bring, with a little more practice and experience I will get there.

Well about my career, I plan to study for my exam again to have something just in case something back fires, but I know that caking will always be in my life.

This is my cake decorating adventure, a very rocky road, but cake decorating and making wedding cakes has saved my life and kept me mentally sane.

Erica Gallardo