Hobbies offer a sense of accomplishment as well as many forms of expression. There’s one hobby that has recently exploded as perhaps the sweetest option of all — cake decorating.

According to the Craft & Hobby Association Attitude & Usage Study, sales of cake decorating supplies grew 103 percent in 2009, the largest craft segment increase in the industry. In the list of the Top Ten Crafts by U.S. household participation, cake decorating comes in third (14 percent), preceded by scrap­booking/memory crafts (17 per­cent) and crocheting (16 percent).

If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at making fun or beautiful cake creations, a cake decorating course from Wilton can get you started on the way to a deli­cious new hobby. In-store classes can take you from the basics of cake decorating to helping you master the finer techniques used by the pros.

Here’s a sampling of what you can learn.

Techniques

Using the star tip
Students learn how to use the Star Tip in the “Decorating Basics” class, the founda­tion for all Wilton Method courses.

Use this versatile tip to add fun texture and captivating designs to cookies and cakes, make festive borders or to create beautiful drop flowers.

Step 1. Hold bag straight up; squeeze to form star. (Refer to photos above)

Step 2. Stop pressure and pull tip straight up and away.

Step 3. A line of stars used to edge a cake is a Star Border.

Step 4. Covering a section or the entire cake surface with stars is a Star Fill-In.

Fondant
Having originated in the mid-19th century, probably in France, fondant is now one of the most popular ways to finish and decorate a cake in America, even for amateurs.

These tiny cupped flowers can accent any dessert — just add buttercream or a tiny fondant ball to make a pretty center.

Fondant blossoms
Step 1. Roll out fondant about 1/8 inch thick, on surface dusted with cornstarch. Cut with blossom cutter.

Step 2. Remove excess fondant around blossoms, trans­fer blossoms one at a time to foam square. Use ball tool from Confec­tion­ery Tool Set to make a cupped shape blossom, by depressing tool in center of flower.

Step 3. Pipe a round decorat­ing tip 2 dot flower center using thinned royal icing, or roll a tiny fondant ball and push into center.

Tools:
Roll & cut mat
Perfect height rolling pin
Floral collection flower making set (blossom cutter used)
Confectionery tool set
Foam square
Tip: 2

Ingredients:
Ready-to-use white
rolled fondant
Icing colors (to color fondant, as desired)
Royal icing