My daughter enjoys watching baking shows and had been showing interest in learning how to bake this summer I took her to a cake decorating class with BE Creative Cake Co. She also loves unicorns! Margaret had such a fun time and it was a great way to spend time together. Gayle's classes are designed for both kids and adults, so its something all ages can do and enjoy. The cake tasted amazing too. During the COVID-19 pandemic she did some classes online where we picked up a box of supplies and decorated a cake along to a video. My family loved doing these and everyone was able to join in the fun.
Gayle is also the cake lady in our neighborhood. Everyone I know buys their fancy birthday cakes from Gayle. She made Margaret's cheetah themed birthday cake last year and it was a big hit. There were even cheetah spots on the inside of the cake! She also does wedding cakes as well. Here is a little bit more about her cake decorating classes and her business.
Your Name: Gayle Smith
Company: BE Creative Cake Co.
Genre: Cake Decorating Workshops
Location: South Jordan, Utah
Website: https://www.becreativecakes.com
Facebook and Instagram:@becreativecakeco
Tell me a little bit about your business: I started BE Creative in 2015 specializing in custom cake orders. In 2018 I began teaching cake decorating workshops and fell in love with the process of meeting new people and teaching them something I love.
How did you get started in cake decorating? I took my first cake decorating class in 2006. Inspired by Duff Goldman I signed up at my local Hobby Lobby. I was hooked immediately by the whole decorating. It took me a few more years to fall in love with the baking process, but now I love it all and enjoy the opportunity of sharing it with others whether it be through creating a custom cake for a personal event or teaching someone how to pipe a beautiful rosette on a unicorn cake.
What’s your favorite part about being in cake decorating industry? People sometimes come to class a little apprehensive. They think they won’t be able to decorate a cake. We had one lady that as she started piping frosting onto her cake she started yelling, “I’m doing it! I’m really doing it!” It is so fun to see other people get excited about trying something new and letting their creativity flow. I love seeing how different and unique each cake is at the end of class. Often people will divert a little from the design I have shown them. I love this! Each cake has it’s own personality and I get some new ideas :)
Why did you decide to become a baker? I started decorating cakes just for fun and it just kept going from there. I have stopped and started several times between, kids, busy life, and a couple failed attempts at birthday cakes that didn’t go how I had planned. Forget it!! I’’m done! But I would take a break and start missing it then I’d start back up again. I’ve decided cake decorating has it’s highs and lows and I’m just going to ride the roller coaster until it comes to a stop.
What’s your least favorite part about cake decorating? All the preparation and clean up. Especially the clean up. It is next to impossible to create a cake without making a mess. But it you come to one of my classes you don’t have to do the clean up — I do all of that for you.
What makes you stand out from your competitors, are all vendors in the cake industry equal? There are several talented and amazing cake decorators in the valley, but I don’t know of a lot of cake decorators that teach classes on a regular basis. Those that do teach are usually teaching more advanced classes. I really like to teach basic skills. That way anyone can come and enjoy including kids. It’s fun to let kids know that it is ok to be a little messy, it’s okay to make mistakes, and let’s just be creative. I have had some kids blow my mind with unique cakes and ideas.
What are the benefits of hiring a professional to learn how to decorate cakes versus learning how to do it yourself? I spent a lot of time watching YouTube and as much as I appreciate the people who put tutorials together I would have loved to have someone there guiding me when I was like….what the heck am I doing wrong?!! It’’s nice to have someone do all the shopping and preparations so you can just enjoy the process of decorating your own cake. Also we do all the clean up. This is great for a mom who has a kiddo that wants to decorate, but she doesn’t want her kitchen destroyed. Our kitchen has seen it all :)
How far in advance should I book your services and why? For a custom cake it is nice to have at least 2-3 weeks notice. Most decorators are usually booked out at least that far if not further. That way they have time to create a design that is unique and plenty of time to order or shop for the items that will be needed to make your cake personal and unique. My classes fill up quickly so its best to register as soon I post them. I usually post them on Facebook and my Website about a month before the class happens.
What is the first questions customers usually ask when inquiring about your services?For custom orders people usually ask how much it will cost. For workshops people usually want to know if I can do private classes and the answer is YES! If you can put a group together of 6-10 people I’m happy to do a cake of your choice on a date that works out with both our schedules.
What is a consultation/first meeting typically like? Who/what do you recommend they bring? I do custom wedding cake consultations/cake tasting. This is a great time for the bride and groom to sit down and enjoy trying some different cake flavors while discussing the details and design of their cake. We work out all the details so that after meeting with me the bride and be assured we are on the same page and she can move forward with her planning. The bride should come prepared with how many servings she would like from the cake. Pictures of what design or theme she has in mind. Other details would include…What your cake budget is, date and venue of your wedding, what time you would like the cake delivered, if your florist will be providing flowers for the cake.
What are some things that brides don’t typically expect to happen during a consult/meeting? My favorite thing is when one of them says they don’t really like cake, but after trying a few samples they say, “OK…I really like this cake!” That has made my day :)
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