If you haven’t yet seen the insane creations by Amber at Commie’s Cupcakes, go check them out right now (well, you can read this first)! Amber, a cupcake artist, makes gorgeous and unique treats (as well as cakes) merging her background in design, perfect attention to detail, and creative talent to create a beautiful product. Read below to find out more about her journey.

 

 You are a graphic designer and also a cupcake artist who merged these two very creative skills and started Commie’s Cupcakes. What made you decide to do this?

I used to love my graphic design job, but there came a point in time (2013) where I was no longer getting any satisfaction from my work. A large number of clients that I dealt with wouldn’t take my professional advice – this, of course, is to be expected in every profession. However, this was a constant occurrence and I was creating one bad design after another (designing under the instruction of my “all knowing” clients). This went on for months and it really stifled me – I went into a massive slump and didn’t feel motivated to do anything anymore.

So I started searching for a creative outlet away from my full time graphic design job. Cupcake art was always something in the back of my mind that I wanted to try, and when I saw the first episode of the Great Australian Bake Off air in Australia (the cupcake episode) I literally became obsessed. It started off as a hobby, then 1.5 years later Commie’s Cupcakes was born! My knowledge in graphic design (which I still do today on a casual basis) has been immensely valuable to my cupcake business.

Tell us a little about Commie’s Cupcakes.

My business Commie’s Cupcakes specialises in cupcake design. Cupcakes are often seen by the majority of people as easy and beginner material. I like to challenge this perception through my innovative and detailed cupcake designs. To me, cupcakes represent a challenge to be artistically creative in only a small working space (67mm to be exact!). This challenging but exciting canvas has allowed me to showcase my impressive abilities and creativity to produce this exacting work.

What inspires you to create your amazing fondant food miniatures?

I just love the challenge of capturing the realism! I love things that LOOK like food but aren’t actually the real thing. I especially enjoy replicating desserts because there is usually so much intricacy and detail that it proves quite an awesome challenge to recreate in fondant.

Your cupcakes are unique and have so much detail. Which one would you say is your favourite?

Can I have two favourites…? Haha! My top pick would have to be my miniature French apple pie – it took me HOURS to complete and I was so impressed with how realistic it was! The secret is to get those textures right..

My other top favourite would have to be the frontrunner of my Geometric Jungle Cupcake Class – Emily the Zebra. It’s something a little different and abstract.

You also teach classes, what are some of these classes? Also what can people expect from these classes?

My most sought after class is my Geometric Jungle Cupcake Class (targeted at hobby cake decorators). I loved making this unique set – the design and the decorating techniques are all very new to cupcake classes (the more interesting ideas are usually reserved for CAKE classes). This class is perfect for people who find decorating large cakes daunting but still want to learn new and essential cake decorating skills! Expect: In-depth explanations, an easy-going class environment, expect to learn how basic graphic design principals can improve your work and most of all, expect to be inspired!

What are your favourite dessert trends at the moment?

Boy I have so many favourites! I’m loving the donut walls at the moment – so many good photos on Pinterest. Another recent dessert trend I’m currently into are those chocolate “brushstroke” cakes. When executed well these cakes look amazing!

Do you have any secrets for baking and decorating cupcakes?

Always bake using ingredients at room temperature (so your milk, eggs and butter). When you’re decorating your cake keep things simple and don’t overcrowd it – alot of people don’t realise that when you keep things simple your work always looks classy, understated and more professional.

You can catch Amber and Commie’s Cupcakes amazing creations on Instagram, or check out the website to find out more about classes!