Erin Gardner began her career in sweets as a pastry chef in numerous New England kitchens, most notably at Boston’s legendary Locke Ober. After a sugar flower class in NYC, she struck out on her own and opened Wild Orchid Baking Co. Finding her passion in sugar flowers, Erin finally felt at home baking, designing, and decorating cakes. After opening her shop, Erin competed and won on Food Network’s Sweet Genius, and received nods from both Martha Stewart Weddings and Brides Magazine as one of the top wedding cake pros in the country. Brides also included a cake of Erin’s as one of America’s Prettiest Wedding Cakes.
With baby #2 on the way and increased writing and teaching demands, Erin decided to move on from Wild Orchid Baking Co. and launch her new website, ErinBakes.com. There, she shares fun and accessible recipes and techniques that combine her fine pastry skills and modern cake designs.
In her first book, Great Cake Decorating, Erin demystifies working with fondant for the home-baker, encouraging decorators of all levels to dive in and create their own delicious and beautiful works of sugar art!
When not playing with cake, you’ll find Erin enjoying the gorgeous New Hampshire seacoast with her husband and kids.
Erin’s cakes have been featured in Brides, Martha Stewart Weddings, Town & Country, The Knot, OK Magazine, The Huffington Post, Grace Ormonde, HGTV’s DIY Network, TLC’s Parentables, American Cake Decorating, Cake Masters, and on many cake decorating and wedding blogs.
Erin Gardner is also a Craftsy instructor. Her class Chocolate Flowers is currently available online at Craftsy.com. Find all three of her classes here.
MORE FROM ERIN GARDNER:
Message Board Sheet CakeMessage Board Sheet Cake – say it with a message board inspired cake! A new cake decorating tutorial by our contributor, Erin Gardner. I’m a big fan of cake designs that offer many paths to the destination! Happen to have a scalloped cake comb and small letter mold on hand, awesome! No tools? No […]Read More
Penguin CakePenguin Cake – a sprinkle coated penguin cake that is too adorable for words! A new cake decorating tutorial by our contributor, Erin Gardner. This precious little penguin cake is the perfect treat for a winter birthday or small holiday celebration. The idea for this guy was born from my sprinkle girl cakes. I imagine […]Read More
Chocolate Eyeball FlowerChocolate Eyeball Flower – how to make a creepy black chocolate flower with an edible eyeball center. A new Halloween cake tutorial by our contributor, Erin Gardner. For this creeptastic tutorial I called upon the ghosts of cakes past and married two of my most popular techniques: giant chocolate flowers and chocolate eyeballs. Both methods […]Read More
Leopard Print Buttercream CakeLeopard Print Buttercream Cake – how to make a pink leopard print cake using buttercream frosting. A new cake tutorial by our contributor, Erin Gardner. A quick scroll or spin through the fall offerings of any clothing or home goods retailer this year will have you seeing spots, literally. Leopard print is back in a […]Read More
Chocolate Fireworks CakeChocolate Fireworks Cake – how to make red, white and blue fireworks out of chocolate for a patriotic 4th of July cake. A new cake tutorial by our contributor, Erin Gardner. I’m typically a believer that Independence Day cakes should be super easy, super delicious, and loads of fun to make. It is a day […]Read More
Candy Succulent CakeCandy Succulent Cake – how to make a succulent cake with edible candy succulents. A new cake tutorial by our contributor, Erin Gardner. I must confess, I have a succulent problem. I really do! Every time I come across a new-to-me variety at the garden store, straight into the cart it goes. I can’t help […]Read More
Easter Bunny CupcakesEaster Bunny Cupcakes – how to make adorable bunny cupcakes with easy chocolate ears. A new tutorial by our contributor Erin Gardner. With Easter just a hop, skip, and a jump away, I decided it was time to work my magic at updating a classic – bunny ear cupcakes! I’ve seen fondant ears, marshmallow ears, and piped […]Read More
Sprinkle Girl CakeSprinkle Girl Cake – how to make cute girly face cakes with sprinkles for the hair and chocolate heart sunglasses. A new cake tutorial by our contributor Erin Gardner. I am officially obsessed with these little sprinkle-haired cuties. A few years ago cakes featuring girls with hair made of berries and fresh fruit started popping up all […]Read More
Sueded Buttercream with Sprinkle SnowflakesSueded Buttercream with Sprinkle Snowflakes – how to make a suede like texture on a buttercream cake plus the prettiest sprinkle snowflakes. A new cake tutorial by our contributor Erin Gardner. I’m going to share with you a little bit of my journey down the rabbit hole to sueded buttercream, because it’s a good one. It […]Read More
Animal Skeleton CakeAnimal Skeleton Cake – a carousel cake full of spooky animal cracker skeletons, with a playful sugar skull vibe. A new Halloween / Day of the Dead tutorial by our contributor Erin Gardner. Halloween is my favorite holiday, because it’s all about having fun. I love cutesie-spooky things and tend to shy away from the more […]Read More
Spiderweb CakeSpiderweb Cake – how to carve buttercream icing to make a spooky spiderweb cake design. So easy and no need to pipe! A new Halloween tutorial by our contributor Erin Gardner. As I’ve stated a number of times in many other cake decorating tutorials, I’m not a fan of piping. I envy those with a steady […]Read More
Buttercream Palette Knife Painted CakeButtercream Palette Knife Painted Cake – learn how to paint a cake using buttercream frosting, a spatula and an oil painting technique. A new cake tutorial by our contributor Erin Gardner. Palette knife painting is traditionally done by smearing dabs of oil based paint on canvas or wood using the blade of a palette knife. The […]Read More
Sunflower CakeSunflower Cake – how to make gorgeous sunflower cake decorations using melted chocolate and a knife. A new tutorial by our contributor Erin Gardner. I love chocolate flowers (newsflash) and I love sunflowers. However, I’ve never really loved making chocolate sunflowers or using them to decorate cakes. The flat flower shape always felt limiting. My options were […]Read More
Chocolate Lily of the ValleyChocolate Lilies – how to make Lily of the Valley cake decorations with chocolate. A new tutorial by our contributor Erin Gardner. After months of snow falling outside my window, the first day of spring came and went. While it still does not feel like spring, these delicate chocolate lily of the valley are helping to make […]Read More
Chocolate Tulip CakeChocolate Tulips – how to make gorgeous tulip cake decorations using melted chocolate and a plastic spoon! A new tutorial by our contributor Erin Gardner. The old chocolate-spoon-petal technique has lived in pastry chef’s tool boxes for years for a reason – it’s sooo good! Sculpting gum paste petals takes endless patience and practice. Piping buttercream blooms […]Read More
Sprinkle Ornament CakeSprinkle Ornament Cake – how to make sparkling ornaments for cakes and cupcakes using chocolate, cookie cutters and sprinkles. All that glitters is my sparkly sprinkle appliqué Christmas ornament cake! I’m giving this technique the fancy title of “sprinkle appliqués”, but it couldn’t be easier to make. I’ve used this layered sprinkle idea to create […]Read More
Marbled Chocolate LeavesMarbled Chocolate Leaves – how to make marbled leaf toppers for cakes and cupcakes using chocolate coating and cookie cutters. A new tutorial by our contributor Erin Gardner. I look forward to the arrival of fall colors every year. Living in northern New England means that somewhere around mid-September the leaves turn from shades of green to a rainbow […]Read More
Chocolate Lollipop GhostsChocolate Lollipop Ghosts – how to make edible lollipop ghosts for Halloween cakes and cupcakes using white chocolate and suckers. A new tutorial by our contributor Erin Gardner. Can you guess the source of inspiration for these hauntingly delicious lollipop ghosts? If you’ve ever trick-or-treated, odds are you’ve received a tissue or napkin-covered lollipop ghost […]Read More
Marbled Chocolate CakeMarbled Chocolate Cake – how to wrap a cake with marbled chocolate. A tutorial from the new book, Erin Bakes Cake by our contributor, Erin Gardner! I have absolutely loved sharing fun, achievable, and delicious cake design projects with you here on The Cake Blog over the years. Now, I’m so excited to share with you […]Read More
Flamingo CakeFlamingo Cake – how to make a pink flamingo cake topper using chocolate candy melts and brushstroke feathers, perched on a watercolor buttercream cake. A new tutorial by our contributor, Erin Gardner! It’s easy to see why flamingos have fast become the design icon of the moment. Their tropical lifestyles are the stuff of envy. They […]Read More
Brushstroke CakeBrushstroke Cake – how to make a Kalabasa inspired feather cake using candy melts and everyday tools. A new tutorial by our contributor, Erin Gardner! Russian cake designer Kalabasa recently ignited the latest cake trend with her Instagram-famous brushstroke cakes. If you want to take a peek at her work for yourself, don’t search by the term “brushstroke […]Read More
White Chocolate Flower CakeWhite Chocolate Flower Cake – how to make a side statement flower, using candy melts and everyday tools. A new tutorial by our contributor, Erin Gardner! Create a simple, but chic statement bloom for your next cake with just a few ingredients and no special tools! It’s no secret at this point that I love making chocolate flowers. […]Read More
Striped Buttercream CakeHow to Make a Striped Buttercream Cake. A new tutorial by our contributor, Erin Gardner! Supplies: 6” round cake, crumb coated 6 cups of buttercream Soft gel paste food color Piping bags Bench scraper or large icing spatula Revolving Cake Turntable Offset spatula Make a batch of your favorite buttercream frosting. Either a meringue based buttercream or a […]Read More
Marbled Chocolate Easter EggsMarbled Chocolate Easter Eggs - how to make marbled Easter egg toppers for cakes and cupcakes using chocolate coating and cookie cutters. A new tutorial by our contributor Erin Gardner. These marbled chocolate Easter eggs are a fun, easy, and delicious way to dress up a cake or cupcakes for your holiday brunch table. They look so impressive, but are way easier and faster to make than they appear. Don’t worry about having a steady piping hand! Anything wonky or wobbly will be smoothed over in the marbling process.Read More
Mod Polka Dot CakeMod Polka Dot Cake - how to make colorful polka dot toppers for cakes and cupcakes using chocolate candy coating. A new tutorial by our contributor Erin Gardner. These bright and cheery mod dots are sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face! They’re a fun, simple, and delicious way to bring color and design to any cake in any season. I went with a cool combination of spring brights, but this design would work with any color palette.Read More
Marble Chocolate HeartsMarble Chocolate Hearts - how to make marbled heart toppers for cakes and cupcakes using chocolate coating and cookie cutters. A new tutorial by our contributor Erin Gardner... Make simple and chic marbled chocolate hearts to dress up a Valentine’s Day cake, a modern Mother’s day cake, or for any other occasion that calls for cuteness! What better way to show someone just how much you *heart* them than to shower them with hearts that are as beautiful as they are delicious. Trends come and go, but chocolate is forever!Read More
Candy SnowflakesDIY Candy Snowflakes - how to make crystal-like snowflakes using melted candy and cookie cutters. A new tutorial by our contributor Erin Gardner. Make these shimmering candy snowflakes to dress up a winter themed cake for your next holiday dessert spread or for your little princess who just can’t “let it go”. Stick to my icy crystal and blue palette or use candy colors that match your party’s decor. Keep this melted candy technique in mind for other projects as well. Any metal, heatproof cookie cutter will do.Read More
Chocolate Sunflower CakeMy Chocolate Flower Cake concept from last spring is getting a fall makeover! An oversized bloom made of chocolate is a fun and easy way to quickly dress up a buttercream cake. With a few simple ingredients, and tools you probably already have around the house, you'll create a stunning fall cake. These techniques could just as easily be used to create smaller flowers for the tops of cupcakes and other desserts. While most flowers have their popular variations - red roses, blue violets, yellow sunflowers - choosing a unique color palette is an easy way to create a unique cake without much additional effort. I picked pretty purple and burgundy jewel tones for my sunflower, but you can make yours in any color combo you like! Create two-toned petals using colors like burnt orange, ochre, brown, or even shades of green.Read More
“The Birds” Halloween Cake"The Birds" attack in this spooky Black Crow Halloween Cake, pecking their way into a red velvet cake. A new cake tutorial by our contributor, Erin Gardner of Erin Bakes... Put a sweet little bird cutter to more sinister use and create a murder of ravenous cookie crows to decorate your next Halloween cake. The grown-ups will get the Hitchcock reference, while younger party-goers will just think it’s cool that those crazy birds are tearing the cake apart. Make the bird cookies ahead of time and unleash them on the cake the day of your party.Read More
Chocolate Flower CakeWhat could be better than a delicious and beautiful chocolate flower? A GIANT chocolate flower, of course! Arranged on top of a cake to create a spring dessert pretty enough for any special occasion. From Easter to Mother's Day, birthdays to bridal showers, today's cake is sure to impress. These blossoming beauties are a fun and easy way to quickly dress up buttercream iced cakes. Use a few simple ingredients, and tools you probably already have around the house, to create a stunning spring-inspired cake garden. These techniques could just as easily be used to create smaller flowers for the tops of cupcakes. Create your delicious buds with tempered white chocolate tinted with candy coloring or cocoa butters, or keep it simple and use candy melts -- either works beautifully.Read More
