Kathleen Roberts-Lange, Cake Design Artist

y love of baking and cake decorating started when I was old enough to remember helping my mother bake, age 3.  My parents bought an “Easy Bake Oven” for me when I was 4, this was my favorite toy as a child.  I enrolled in my first Wilton Cake Decorating Classes Winter of 1980, at the age of 15.  I sold my first wedding cake at the age of 16.  I have been studying and mastering the intricate art of cake decorating and design ever since my very first class.  I was hooked! 

From the very beginning I loved “Sugar Art” and was invited to my first Wilton Cake Decorating Teaching Seminar, in the Fall of 1980, at the age of 16; I was the youngest Wilton Teacher at the time.  I received several Wilton Incentive and Territorial Awards, and was inducted into the Wilton Method Teacher’s Hall of Fame, 1987; The President Club, 1996;  and Wilton's highest career achievement award, Imperial Club, 2000; in recognition of my 21 years of teaching between six to eight thousand students during my career with Wilton.  (Imperial Club members are considered Lifetime Wilton Method Instructors).

During my career I have taught and given demonstrations for Wilton Instructor meetings, pastry chefs, schools, business owners, bakery personnel, several San Diego women's clubs, Girl Scouts, cake clubs and shows in the western region of the United States.  I have also been featured in the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper, San Diego Channel 10 News, San Diego Channel 8 News and interviewed on San Diego Radio Station with Jack White.  I was honored to be a guest and participant on a few “Get Crafty,” an info-commercial segments, for a local craft and floral supply store.

I have attended numerous confectionary classes, demonstrations, trade conventions and shows since 1980.  I was fortunate to have studied extensively with world renowned Hall-of-Fame Decorator Betty Newman-May, and completing a 150-hour course known as the “Lambeth Method” of cake decorating; the most unique International Method of cake decorating…..my favorite of all the methods.

I have also studied South African and Australian cake decorating methods, cake sculpturing, air brushing, candy making, figure piping,  gum paste flowers, cocoa painting, gingerbread construction, pastries, catering, floral design, calligraphy and tole painting (Folk Art).

All classes I attended were taught by world renowned Hall-of-Fame decorators, including Betty Newman-May (CA), John McNamara (CA), Eleanor Rielander (South Africa), Ann Baber (England), Frances Kuyper (CA), Nicolas Lodge, Roland & Marsha Winbeckler, Kerry Vincent and several other famous designers, pastry chefs and sugar artists. 

From the very beginning I have designed my own recipes and techniques throughout the years, owned and operated my own bakery, cake & candy supply store, and have taught cake decorating and confectionary classes for Grossmont Adult School District 1986-1987 and 2000 through the present.  I started Confectionary Chalet in May 2006; I  continue to share my love for confectionary arts; traveling as a guest instructor, demonstrator and judge  for cake clubs, shows and culinary art schools in the western  region of the United States; or where ever I may be asked to visit as a confectionary instructor.

My enthusiasm for confectionary arts is contagious and I hope to be an inspiration to my students so they, too, can share the same love and creativity for future generations to come and to keep the true art (piping work) of cake decorating alive!