Modern Baking had a chance to sit down with Goldman at the DecoPac launch party in Minneapolis.

MB: Are you a rock star?

DG: Not yet. I play bass for a band called soihadto [So I Had To]. We are kicking off a North and Northeast tour here in Minneapolis, going the entire way in a van. Because of this event, though, I was able to fly up here while the rest of my band had to drive the van all the way from Baltimore.

MB: To rephrase, are you a rock star of cake?

DG: I guess people might say that. There are a lot of cake decorators who are doing interesting things. But cake decorators are stereotypically thought to be of a certain demographic that isn’t necessarily accurate. I like to be someone who breaks the mould that people have in their heads of whom a cake decorator is and what that person is supposed to look or act like.

MB: Is the new cake decorating scene more of a rivalry or a club?

DG: It’s both; we talk all the time. There is a competitive spirit, but we look out for each other. We all want to show that cake decorating is more than a niche thing, it’s an art that deserves mention and recognition as an important part of the culinary lexicon.

MB: What is your advice to bakers who are looking to get more creative or delve deeper into their decorating programs?

DG: Decorating is a craft. You have to learn the basics of cake decorating before you start to get complex. The basic rose petal, the basic gumpaste flower and hand skill with fondant and airbrushing; those are all the basic building blocks. You have to master the building blocks first. Basically, you have to be well versed in the rules before you really can break them.