Sinking Your Teeth Into Your Hobby

Angie DeLoach has spent the last few days decorating a humongous table of cakes and goodies for Father’s Day.

The Powder Springs mom of a grown son has trained more than her share of cake decorators, too, for the Kroger grocery chain for which she works.

“It’s always been a job I loved,” she relates with a laugh. “I started training while I was carrying my son, and I’ve trained a lot of other moms."

"For me," she continues, "it’s not a hobby—it’ a career I enjoy. Not everyone gets
to write ‘happy’ every day, but I do.”

Lots of moms would like to learn, and shows like Ace of Cakes and Cake Boss inspire them, according to Seth Gabbert, who runs the Michael’s crafts outlet in nearby Hiram.

“Cake decorating classes are the most popular classes we have,” he says. “We offer four different levels, and we get everyone from moms to grandmas to 10-year-olds.”

Jessica Wolf of Powder Springs is 17 and has been taking the course with her grandmother, Janie Wolf. Cake decorating is grandma’s idea of “me” time, and it wasn’t hard to persuade her granddaughter to join her. 

“I like to be creative,” Jessica says. “It started off as a hobby, but now I’m thinking it might make a good career for me.”

After taking some classes, Jessica says she is inspired to make a triple-tiered cake for twin friends who will celebrate their 17th birthday soon. “I’m kind of nervous about it, but I’m excited about doing it at the same time.”

DeLoach warns moms who take up the hobby that the “career” part is different. 

“I get some Wilson decorating graduates turning up for jobs, telling me that they took the course, and I tell them, ‘Well, that’s a good start.’ The courses have you focus on one cake, and you take your time. I have to have a cake decorated in five
minutes.”

Of course, DeLoach’s cakes don’t go for Cake Boss prices, but they put standard grocery bakery fare to shame, the locals say. DeLoach says she’d still like to learn how to do fondant like on the cable shows, “but right now there are other art classes I’d rather take.”

So did she decorate a Father’s Day cake for her husband?

She giggled. “He’d rather have me decorate a plate of lasagna—and I do.”