Create A Purse Cake with Elisa Strauss of Confetti Cakes!

The NYC Cake Decorators Meetup's mission, in part, is to develop members' skills through participation in challenging hands-on workshops.

Members who responded to a recent survey overwhelming requested a 3D fondant workshop. Laura, Assistant Organizer did the behind the scenes legwork, and we were ecstatic to learn that there was an opportunity to book a workshop with Elisa Strauss, Owner of Confetti Cakes.

The "Create a Purse Cake" workshop with Elisa Strauss was fabulous!! There was a great turnout of members eager to learn from Elisa, a master of 3-D shaped cakes.

Membership consisted of novices and pros and yet the workshop offered different and challenging techniques of benefit to all.
Everyone learned something new and Elisa's tips and decorating hints were truly invaluable.

The workshop left everyone happy and amazed at what they created and yet left members yearning for even more workshop experiences like this.

These lovely fashionista purses are just in time for Valentine's Day. They would also make a special Easter or Mother's Day gift as well.


One of Elisa's cakes was featured on "Sex in the City" and who could ever forget her Food TV Cake Challenge win with her sweet and lovable Sock Monkey cake.



Elisa Strauss and her assistant Candice Corbin are wonderful and warm people who really exemplify sharing, caring, and professionalism. Members continue to rave about the workshop days after the event. Needless to say, The NYC Cake Decorators Meetup highly recommend Elisa's workshops and we hope this is just the beginning of a sweet relationship.

Brush Embroidery Practice Mini-clinic

Meet up with Charmaine Jones, Cakediva

Charmaine Jones, Owner of Cakediva was very candid and funny sharing her personal experiences about how she began her celebrity custom cake business and the difficulties encountered in trying to stay on top of the pack. Charmaine is a trailblazer—the first to create afrocentric and ethnic cake designs that spoke to people of African, Latino, and Asian heritage.

Charmaine gave lots of tips and hints, including but not limited to, the products she uses, her personal experience of copyright infringement and issues to consider when our cakes or sugarcraft works are photographed by a third party. Her frank discussion of the behind the scenes of the Food Network Cake Challenges was an eye opener.

Charmaine and extern Marianna demonstrated the beautiful basket of flowers cake shown. The stunning floral display is primarily composed of fondant flowers with accents of buttercream lilacs and lily of the valley.

February 2008 Cake of The Month

February's Cake of The Month is this sweet ice cream carton cake by cake artist and member Kimmy of Kimmy's Kakes. Isn't it amazing?

Since Kimmy was young, she's always been artistic but could not find her calling. Searching for an artistic outlet, Kimmy took classes in photography, sketch art, pottery, gourmet cooking, even dance. Although she enjoyed these immensely, Kimmy didn't find her niche. Then two years ago, she took a cake decorating class with a friend and voila! Kimmy found "it"!

Kimmy attended Wilton's Course I-IV which taught the basics of cake decorating. She then began designing cakes for friends and family, all of whom encouraged her knew endeavor. Kimmy's creative juices were flowing! She scoured the Internet to learn techniques on her own and once she felt confident in her skills, Kimmy started her own business, www.KimmysKakes.com and hasn't looked back!

Cake decorating has fulfilled Kimmy's creative desire and most of all, she make people happy with her creations. Who could ask for anything more?