I started decorating cakes when I was 13 as a hobby. I would make a boxed cake and follow the Woman's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake book ( yes, the one with the train on) as I was too young to go to evening college to learn how to decorate cakes. 

 

The first cake I entered into the Sydney Royal Easter show was a 2 tier cake with Oriental String work, which I had seen demonstrated at a workshop . I entered in the novice section as I was not aware that I could put a 2 tier cake in the kids section.

At the age of 15 I started at evening college to do cake decorating. By then I had already won prizes at the Easter show, becoming a pastry chef  after leaving school(to learn how to make nice tasting cakes) I continued to enter industry competitions for both cake decorating and desserts. Winning many awards over the years at topping the state of NSW with a Distinction Level for Pastry Cooking

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I always wanted to start my own business and this was made possible in 2001 when Kakes By Karen was born. My business was targeted to Brides and after a few years my husband (ex chef) & I ran the business full time. In 2012 I invented a world first metallic gel/icing ( to make icing techniques easier for us at Kakes By Karen). This invention ended up becoming another business.

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I now run both businesses using Deco Magic ( gel/icing I invented) where ever I can to make decorating cakes quicker. In 2015 I was chuffed to have my gel/icing featured twice in the Australian Women's Weekly Amazing Decorated Cakes book. For me this is my greatest achievement as I feel I have come full circle.