Master Cake Decorating Techniques with The Complete Photo Guide by Autumn Carpenter

RhondaFaye: It's a nice thick book. It's mostly about using gum paste and fondant.
Was a bit disappointed it didn't cover much on other icing decorations.

United States on Aug 20, 2023

Customer: Wanted a book that explains the icing tips, along with recipes. This book is great!

Canada on Mar 26, 2023

Amazon Customer: The Cake Decorating Book was in really nice condition for being used. It is a very nice, detailed book with a lot of pictures and description to learn all different types of decorating. I am happy with my purchase.

United States on Mar 14, 2023

joanne brownhill: Absolutely crammed full of useful information and ideas. Just love it.

United Kingdom on Jul 20, 2022

Heather: This book is HUGE! It has 328 pages FULL of beautiful pictures of cakes, cupcakes & cookies and has pics of step-by-step directions on how to ice cakes, use different icing tips, and just any subject you may need information on, relating to cake decorating. This is an EXCELLENT book for beginners, or more intermediate bakers who are looking to try a new type of decorating. it covers the basics of baking and icing cakes, piping techniques, making simple and advanced flowers, lacework, string work, making fondant and gum paste accents, modeling animals and people, painting/coloring on fondant, airbrushing, Cricut on cake, natural landscapes, chocolate molding, gelatin accents, isomalt, edible frosting sheets, and SO MUCH MORE! I am so glad that I bought this book! It was inexpensive, so I expected it to be about 60-70 pages long, but it is 328 pages and invaluable! I will be able to use this for years to come, as it will take me quite a while to learn and practice all of the different techniques in this book! My thanks to the author for making a book with such excellent pictures, wonderful step-by-step teaching, and such a big book for such a great value! : )

United States on Feb 23, 2022

Botadufig05: I just got this book today and I'm already in love with it. I'm about to bake a cake today for my 50th birthday in 2 days time. I'm new to cake decorating, my 50th birthday by God's grace is going to be my first attempt at decorating. I've watched several Youtube tutorials on buttercream frosting, however this book's pictorial explanations brought everything to life. The tips and the frosting designs achievable with the different tips is just what I need right now. I'm so glad I got the delivery today. Let me go bake my cake now and do the frosting tomorrow. I am super-elated. I will be on the look-out for more of her books.

NB. Shout-out thanks to the person who suggested that this particular book of hers is better than the other one. Got to know about this particular book under the review of her other book.

United Kingdom on Jun 10, 2020

Y: I am a beginner to cake decorating, and I think this book is a perfect introduction.I have read almost all of it. It is sorted into basic cake preparation, piping techniques, fondant and gum paste accents and miscellaneous techniques.

Pros:
-Step by step photographs of everything
-Covers loads of techniques

Cons:
-relies a bit too heavily on lots of specialised equipment. I would have like to see more skills presented that one could teach oneself without having equipment, or with just a basic set.
-In the baking cakes section, she suggests using a box mix for the actual cake!!!!!!!!!!!! As a British person I find this highly offensive.. I mean, the book is on cake decorating not baking anyway, so its not something to NOT buy the book for, but still. At least she provides recipes for the rest of the cake prep in the chapter (eg. fillings, icings etc.)
-I personally would have liked a longer section on modelling animals/people.

United Kingdom on Feb 09, 2016

tachi1: Amazon suggested this book based on my buying history and I had it on my wish list for while. I just got it and my only regret is having waited so long.

The book is in a class by itself in my library:

--it is not technique specific: it includes gum paste, butter cream, royal icing, cut or molded flowers, piped flowers, non-floral decorations at an easy-to-handle level.
--it is not occasion specific: it's for general cake decorating, not weddings, nothing fancy. Family birthdays, baby showers, children's birthdays--any occasion worth going to a little trouble for but not a huge production or expense.
--it is for less work-intensive cakes than those covered in my usual books. Sometimes it's not much more than combining or stacking several cut and shaped forms and arranging them artistically and informally.
--the projects are less work-intensive, time-intensive, and experience-requiring than those found in most of my books.
--the emphasis is on modern, less-formal, more colorful.
--these are all cakes that the home cook can, realistically, make and have them look like the photo.

Who is this book for? If you've taken the most basic cake decorating...

United States on Jan 11, 2013

bibisnailwonderland: This book impressed me highly. It covers every aspect of cake (also cupcake) decorating, that you'll need. And with lots and lots of photos on how to do it and how the end result should look like, it is better than a workshop.

From basic cake preparation, to extended piping techniques, how to use fondant to cover a cake, but also how to make fondant figures. How to cut and carve a cake, make ribbons with royal icing and also fondant. It is the most complete decorating book that I have. The thing that made me most happy, was the way it is shown with lots of step by step pictures how to pipe different sorts of flowers or easy animal figures. I already looked it up on the Wilton side, and figured I would take my piping bag to the computer to practice (really!). But the book shows also how to do it.

The only small criticism I can come up with is that she makes buttercream without butter, but with butter flavors (yak). And she doesn't give the recipe for crispy treat sculptures, but refers to the package of crispy treats. Since I live in Holland, there is no recipe on the boxes unfortunately. But for the rest I can truly say that I am very glad I bought this one.

United Kingdom on Oct 11, 2012

Toni: From the very talented hands of Autumn Carpenter, comes this wonderful and detailed volume of cake decorating, born of her love of cake decorating and teaching. Her store, Country Kitchen Sweet Art, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana has all things related to cake decorating. And because of that love, plus the myriad of questions she has answered over the years and help she has given so many people in this field, especially those first starting out, she has compiled this manual.

It is written on thick, solid paper with bright colors and clear photography, mostly step-by-step tutorials. It is a heavy book that measures approximately 8"x11" in size so its large and with easy print. It is divided into 4 sections and is color-coded on the page headings.

This would be an excellent book for any beginner, and for those with a need for a good reference book. The photographs are in color, and in ordered numbered. I would venture to say that just the sequential photography alone could suffice for someone for whom English isn't a primary language. Projects are also included at the end of each chapter.

All aspects of cake and cupcake decorating have been covered so that if...

United States on Jun 24, 2012