Become An 'Ace Of Cakes' At Chef Duff Goldman's Cakemix

There's no shortage of "DIY" establishments out there: paint a vase, build a teddy bear, and so on. Now, thanks to chef Duff Goldman, owner of Charm City Cakes in Baltimore and star of Food Network's Ace of Cakes, there's one more DIY experience to add to your to-do list: decorate your own cake.

Goldman has moved west, and his new Charm City Cakes West shop on Melrose Avenue includes the adjoining Cakemix Studio, where novice cake enthusiasts can decorate and take home their own cakes.

Cakemix is home to 40 seats where aspiring decorators can apply fondant or buttercream, sprinkles, flowers, and other touches to their choice of a marble, carrot, red velvet, chocolate, or vanilla three-layer cake, or a set of eight cupcakes.

"It's really a DIY shop," said Goldman in an interview with The Daily Meal. "We offer all the tools and decorations as well as professional decorators to help if needed."

The process is simple. Choose a cake (6-inch, $36; 9-inch, $52 ; or 8 cupcakes, $32), choose a filling (vanilla, chocolate, or cream cheese, and cover the existing crumb coat with buttercream or fondant. Once ready to decorate, Cakemix guests can enter the glass shower-like airbrush booth and spray and choose paint colors to decorate their cake. Decorations such as frosting, gum roses, glitter, and cutouts are offered at the Goodie Bar.

Cakemix also offers three, two-hour classes for those interested in improving their decorating skills. "Participants learn how to build and crumb coat a cake, cover it with buttercream and fondant, and write, pipe, border, and decorate their cake," said Ricky Webster, Cakemix instructor.

At Cakemix Studio, you can have your cake and eat it, too — but only after decorating it.