Sweet Magazine 2013 - A Sweet Year Volume One, 2013 | Page 27

fernanda
abarca
How did you get started in Cake Decorating? I think at first it was for the
challenge and extra money. When you’ve been a professional artist for a
while, there comes a time when you feel you hit a plateau and need new
challenges. I needed something to get my creative juices flowing again,
so when the State of California approved the Cottage Food Law, it was a
perfect opportunity to open the boutique. Now I do it because I LOVE IT.
I know it’s only been four months, but I think about it all the time, I read
about it all the time, and I follow the best cake decorators on Facebook
and try to get to know as many of them as I can. I am addicted and in
love. And my husband feels betrayed!
Do you have any formal tr aining? Other than my Art and 3D training
I have no formal training in cakes. I honestly learned everything from
reading and watching the best decorators. When I can’t figure out
something, I Google it and a lot of the times I get an answer. When I
don’t, I remember what I know and trust my own instincts and creativity. I
fail a lot but I know to keep going. The challenge keeps me hooked.
What are your favourite decorating tools? That’s a hard one. I guess the
ones I use the most are of course my sculpting tools. But my favourites
are grooming scissors and paint brushes. The scissors are so tiny and
perfect for everything. I use them ALL THE TIME. The brushes are the
best for sculpting. You can really handle the fondant quite well with a
brush. My favourites are the Craft Smart® Golden Taklon Brush Sets.
[Editor’s Note: You can find similar sets of brushes at your local craft
store, Spotlight or Lincraft in Australia.] You can find them at Michaels in
the brush section. I use them with shortening and I’m able to really do a
lot with them.
Do you use any home-made or non-traditional tools for cake decorating?
When I need some kind of texture that I don’t have a mold or mat for;
I get really creative and make it out of foam. I do this a lot for veins
on flowers and for board textures. I just draw on it with my craft knife
creating the shape I need. Then I use it like a stamp on the fondant.
Works great.
What do you enjoy most about Cake Decorating? Creating. I love that
something starts out on paper as an idea and you make it come to life. It
doesn’t matter if it’s a cake or fondant sculpture. It’s so rewarding to see
it complete; most of all though, I think the best part is being able to use
the gifts God has given me to bless others. It brings me so much joy to
see people’s reactions to my work. I stand back and often watch them
as they ask each other “Is that really cake? OMG! That’s a cake!” It’s so
funny and nice to see how much they appreciate it and how happy it
makes them. It makes all the sleepless nights worthwhile.

You can read the full interview with
Fernanda in the Autumn issue of
Sweet Magazine available in the
AppStore.
Connect with Fernanda on
Facebook: http://facebook.com/
FernandaAbarcaCakes