Welcome to “It’s a Piece of Cake”

September 2nd, 2009 by Eric Erwin
Picnic Posse Cake

Picnic Posse Cake

Welcome to the new Wilton blog – It’s a Piece of Cake. Wilton has been helping make celebrations more fun for over 80 years, and my hope for this blog is that it becomes one more way for us to help educate and inspire all levels of decorators.

I have worked at Wilton for 16 years and you could say that I have the best job in the world because I get to work with the tremendously talented and creative people who bring you all the great products that you seem to love! I strongly believe in our mission that Wilton helps families celebrate, and know the products we make and market bring color, sweetness, and fun to people’s lives.

Although it’s in the title of our blog, we won’t be limiting our posts to just cake. Not only will we write about a wide range of desserts such as cookies, cupcakes, candy, and brownies, but we will also offer some ‘behind-the-scenes’ information, thoughts on trends, and special sneak peeks (think Wilton Yearbook).

Our posts will be authored by a number of different Wilton employees from areas such as our decorating room, creative department, educational group, and new product development. Since Wilton has such talented employees with a variety of backgrounds, personalities, and perspectives, I really believe that you will find what they write informative and interesting.

I hope you enjoy A Piece of Cake. Please don’t forget to leave comments – we love to hear your suggestions and feedback.

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Eric Erwin Eric is the Executive Vice President of Marketing and Product Development at Wilton. He is a sixteen year Wilton veteran and he has two teenage boys (twins). Eric started his career working for Macy's of California and spent a good portion of his first career in retail.

91 Replies

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  1. Dibbers says:
    September 9, 2009 at 10:45 pm

    I thought the professional Wilton people were going to interact with this blog as well…. not too many questions answered by the staff.
    just curious.

    Reply
    • Eric says:
      September 10, 2009 at 7:49 am

      Dibbers–

      I believe your comment if fair–clearly the response to our first blog posting has been tremendous. We are still trying to work out some protocols internally on how we respond to the many questions that are being posted–this includes the questions from our International customers as well–some questions that are not english! As a point of reference we have the Wilton Discussion Forum, which we do respond to in a much more time sensitive manner, for immediate questions…The Forum can be a fantastic place to allow for the community of beginner food crafters or the experienced food crafter, to ask questions and get expert advice. Many in this community are Wilton Method Instructors, as well as our product development staff, our decorating staff, and our creative staff, and long time Wilton consumers whom you can ask specific questions regarding technique, products, or instruction….The Forum allows for the many thousands upon thousands memebers of our community to speak up and help each other out of ‘tight cake decorating jams’ or to share their knowledge about the activity with other interested consumers.

      Our primary objective for the Piece of Cake Blog is to provide a look into what we are doing to increase the interest in ‘Food Crafting’ and to provide some insights into how we are thinking about helping families celebrate the many occasions that happen in our lives. As I like to say, “every party needs a cake!” And the hope is that we can high light trends, new products, and share those thoughts with our many consumers.

      This summer we were fortunate to host nearly 200 ICES memebers at our headquarters here in Woodridge IL. It was wonderful. It was obvious to us that there is a great interest in what we are doing, so we thought creating a blog for the many other consumers, many who share the enthusiasm and interest as the wonderful ICES members, would allow others to get a ‘peak under the tent’ here at Wilton.

      Thanks for the comments–we will try to do better. In the meantime, check out the Wilton Discussion Forum. I think you will like it!

      Eric Erwin
      EVP Marketing/Product Development
      Wilton Brands

      Reply
  2. Melinda McDaniel says:
    September 9, 2009 at 11:08 pm

    I became aware of Wilton in the late 60′s. I have used your products and took classes in the 80s. I really love it. I have not done any decorating in years but I still try to keep up. I know I will really enjoy the blog. One of these days I hope to make it to your tent sale.

    I do have a passion for this hobby. I have always wanted to attend the Wilton school at your headquarters and work there. That still isn’t possible but who knows what turn events may take.

    Good luck with your blog. I can’t wait to read!

    Melinda

    Reply
  3. Chris Z. from Alabama says:
    September 9, 2009 at 11:22 pm

    Hopefully as this website progresses there will be additional categories so when someone has a specific question or comment, those interested in that topic will more readily be able to respond.

    Categories which would be helpful:
    Cakes
    Cookies
    Candy
    Fondant
    Gumpaste

    Reply
  4. Karen Montcalm says:
    September 10, 2009 at 7:10 am

    As a retired Family Studies teacher I love the stimulus of your blog. I have been making wedding cakes as my wedding gift to family and friends for a few years now and I have been thrilled to pick up ideas for your company. I’m not in an area where I have the opportunity to take Wilton classes so I look forward to more tips and techniques.

    Reply
  5. TERESA says:
    September 10, 2009 at 7:25 am

    I AM TERESA AGAIN. I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE WITH WILTON CLASSES AND I AM LIVING IN MALLORCA , SPAIN.I CAN BUY WILTON PRODUCTS ONLY BUY INTERNET IN MADRID. HAVE YOU GOT ANY COURSE IN INTERNET? MY ENGLISH IS NOT VERY GOOD, I HOPE YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND ME, THANKS.

    Reply
  6. Donna V. says:
    September 10, 2009 at 9:21 am

    This “cake blog” is great news. When the news about this blog gets out their willl be many people writing in with questions, suggestions and experiences. I think this is fantastic and something that I will be reading frequently. Thanks

    Reply
  7. payal jain says:
    September 10, 2009 at 9:52 am

    I m a big fan of Wilton…but m really curious to know when will Wilton come to India…i reside in Delhi (capital of India)…and i cant find any cake decorating classes like urs here…and one more thing …want you to share some eggless recipes too…

    Reply
  8. Mary says:
    September 10, 2009 at 10:24 am

    Will there be video showing how to perform certain skills? (correct way to ice a cake, etc.) I also have questions regarding keeping cake fresh when baking ahead of time…when to bake, when to ice, etc.

    Reply
  9. diane says:
    September 10, 2009 at 10:46 pm

    so when do we start blogging

    Reply
  10. ann says:
    September 11, 2009 at 11:16 pm

    I have had so much fun in the Wilton classes over the past year. For me I have found that it is much easier to be creative in this way than in water color or any other type of art. If I had a chance to work in the “Cake Boss” factory it would be a dream come true. But seriously my instructor is one of the best teachers in my area if not the best. Cake decorating has been a great mood lifter for me!!!!!

    Reply
  11. Kim - The TomKat Studio says:
    September 14, 2009 at 2:52 am

    Hello! Congratulations on your new blog!

    I have been writing about your 4-tiered cupcake stand on my blog over the past 9 months, so many people have responded that they bought it after seeing my stand decorated for my children’s parties! I think this would make for a great blog post for your readers!

    I just posted 14 photos of the cupcake stand that my readers have sent into me! Check it out here: http://tomkatstudio.blogspot.com/2009/09/cupcake-monday-do-you-have-cupcake.html

    Everyone loves this stand! :) Including ME!

    Kim
    http://www.TheTomKatStudio.com

    Reply
  12. maria fuentes says:
    September 17, 2009 at 12:23 pm

    god bless your heart

    Soy latina y realmente estoy entusiasmada con los cursos del metodo Wilton, muchas gracias por darnos la oportunidad de
    aprender el maravilloso mundo de la decoracion de pasteles.
    Maria

    Reply
  13. Dibbers says:
    September 17, 2009 at 10:04 pm

    I would like to know a professional way to clean the white Wilton scalloped plates that have yellowed. This discussion has been brought up before in the forums, but I would like to know Wilton’s thoughts.
    Putting them out in the sun has not worked for me.

    Reply
    • Eric Erwin says:
      September 21, 2009 at 11:00 am

      I checked with our product management team to answer your question. Separator plates will yellow when exposed to ultraviolet light (such as sunlight or overhead store lighting). It’s a process that permanently alters the plastic and it cannot be undone. To maintain the color of the plates, they should be stored in a relatively dark place or where they will not come in direct exposure to light. They should be stored flat, with no heavy weight placed on them. We also suggest hand washing the plates as the heat of the dishwasher dry cycle will bake the plates, weakening the plastic material and possibly discoloring it. As a reminder, separator plates should always be used with cake boards, and cake should never be cut directly on the plate. Plastic, while very durable, will wear over time. Plates should always be inspected before they are used to check for signs of wear. Hope this helps.

      Reply
  14. Dianne Pape says:
    October 4, 2009 at 10:14 am

    I could use some help with a cake I’m trying to make for a baby shower. I used the Wilton Lemon Cake recipe and baked it in a 12″ round pan at 350 for 35 minutes. I did use the heat core that is recommended for even heat distribution in this larger pan and the cake tester came out without any trace of unbaked batter.

    The flavor is terrific but the cake layers are moist and really dense – almost like a pound cake. I was anticipating a lighter texture.

    Since I live in Denver, I’m wondering if I need to make some altitude adjustment – if so, what would that be? Or is this recipe intended to be a bit more dense?

    Reply
  15. Vannessa Ledbetter says:
    November 11, 2009 at 12:57 pm

    I would like to submit a product idea that uses 100% wilton products. What is the proper proceedure for this?

    Reply
    • Eric says:
      November 11, 2009 at 1:12 pm

      Our product submission policy is listed under ‘terms and conditions’ within in this site under the heading ‘submissions.’ It really is an easy process; however, please make sure you read this prior to sending product ideas into Wilton.

      Reply
  16. lorena says:
    December 8, 2009 at 9:19 pm

    PLS I NEED HELP, MY SON IS GOING TO BE 2 YEARS OLD IN 3 DAYS AND HE LOVES ELMO, I WANT TO MAKE AN ELMO CAKE BUT I CANT GET THE RED ICING, IT’S TURNING IN ROSE, PLSSSS SOME ADVICES>????

    Reply
  17. Tina says:
    February 22, 2010 at 1:22 pm

    I am looking for a diabetic cake and icing rec. the sugar free box mix available at my local grocery store left a bad memory. the cake had no flavor, and the icing,( after about 1 hour ) turned into rubber. not so good for a 2 yr. old birthday party. any suggestions, or ideas.

    Reply
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