Those looking for an alternative to traditional fair fare will have a sweet new option this year.
On Friday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m., Ashley LaSalle will be giving a live demonstration on decorating confections with fondant.
“It’s kind of like a pliable playdough for cakes,” she said. “It gives you the look of a smooth textured cake. It’s not about making fondant, it will be about using commercially made fondant to decorate and make creative cakes. Just tips and tricks for the everyday, at home baker.”

LaSalle has been decorating cakes as a hobby for several years now and has an impressive body of edible work that she displays on her business’s Facebook page. Her cakes and cupcakes feature everything from movie characters to ducks and power tools.
Even with her impressive portfolio, LaSalle is quite humble when explaining how she got into the business.
“I took some courses and I took some lessons and I looked a lot on the internet and I thought, ‘Well this is something I’d like to do,’” she said. “It really came about because I really wanted to make nice cakes for my kids. I started to get a lot of requests and it just kind of spiraled from there.”
LaSalle has catered many weddings, birthdays and special events, but typically only takes on one or two cakes per weekend, as she also works a full-time job. She said the hobby is a way to decompress after a long day at the office.
“It’s not always about the baking for me, it’s about the really detailed decorations,” she explained. “I get really focused and in the zone on that. I’m an artistic person so it’s another outlet to be creative and it’s a great stress relief.”
She added that there are many great resources for people looking to get their start in the business.
“The internet is quite a portal and there’s tons of videos out there,” she said. “It’s definitely something that can be self-taught. It takes a little bit of practice but anyone can do it.”