From flour-dusted memories to fondant dreams — rediscovering my baking joy, one vintage issue at a time.
✨ 2012: A New Mum, A New Hobby
When DeAgostini Cake Decorating Magazine first hit the shelves back in 2012, I was a brand-new mum trying to juggle sleepless nights, bottles, and my early (and very messy) attempts at baking. 🍼🍰
It was one of those years that felt like a patchwork quilt — rough in parts but full of little joys stitched together. My dad had passed away just before my eldest was born, so 2012 was bittersweet in every sense. And in the middle of that whirlwind, these cake decorating magazines became a small, happy ritual — a tiny moment of calm and creativity I could call my own.
Back then, I couldn’t afford to buy every single issue (those £2.99s added up fast when you’ve got a newborn!), so I’d pick one up now and then as a treat. Each new magazine felt like a present — filled with glossy pages, beautiful cakes I dreamed of making, and a free tool or mould that made me feel like a pro baker in the making. I might not have had the full collection, but the ones I did have brought me so much joy.
🧁 13 Years Later: The Great eBay Discovery
Fast forward 13 years, and guess what happened over the weekend? I was deep in one of those “random nostalgic Google moments” when I thought, whatever happened to those Cake Decorating magazines? And because curiosity (and maybe caffeine) got the best of me, I hopped onto eBay for a little scroll.
And there it was.
A job lot of 150 magazines, complete with tools, starting from issue 5! 🤩 Cue the gasping, finger hovering, and the internal debate of “should I… should I not?” (Spoiler alert: I did.)
Of course, I then went on another mini mission to track down issues 1–4 because the completionist in me simply couldn’t not. Did I tell the OH before buying? Absolutely not. 😅 But to be fair, he knew how much these magazines meant to me — how they helped me through a difficult year and kept my creative spark alive.
Two huge boxes and a medium-sized one later, my kitchen counter was a sea of glossy covers and colourful tools. I swear, opening them up felt like stepping back in time. I was that 21-year-old again, grinning like a kid at Christmas.
🍥 Tools, Treasures & The Sugar Cookie Legacy
Inside the boxes was a treasure trove:
✨ Nozzles, stamps, stencils, fondant tools, rollers, cutters, and more!
Each issue comes packed with recipes, tips, and those gorgeous step-by-step tutorials. I had a wave of nostalgia when I spotted the Issue 1 sugar cookie recipe — the same one I hand-copied all those years ago because I didn’t want to lose it. I still use that recipe today; it’s been a family favourite ever since. 🍪
📚 The Sorting & Cleaning Marathon
Now, the real challenge began — sorting through all 150 magazines! I had my Excel sheet open, carefully cataloging what I had and what I still needed. It was actually kind of fun (and a bit chaotic). Some magazines were water damaged, which I expected from the listing, though a few were worse than I hoped. Still, nothing a little gentle TLC can’t fix!
As for the tools — let’s just say a deep clean was very necessary. Some had clearly been stored in a shed or garage; there were even traces of grass in the grooves of a few cutters! 🪴 So I set up a little cleaning station and spent a sunny afternoon giving everything a proper scrub and shine. Now they’re looking brand new and ready to be used again.
And here’s a fun surprise — tucked in between some of the issues were a few still sealed in their original plastic wrap! Time capsules from 2012, untouched and perfectly preserved.themed one with gorgeous sugar flowers? If not, well… looks like I’ll be heading straight back to eBay again. (Send help. Or maybe don’t.) 😅
🎄 Special Editions & Collector Curiosity
Even more exciting, I discovered one of the special edition magazines! That sent me down another rabbit hole because now I have to find the others. I know there was definitely a Christmas Edition and a Wedding Edition, but I’m sure there were more — maybe a Cupcake, Easter, or Children’s Cakes one?
If anyone remembers, let me know in the comments because my collector brain needs to know how many I’m missing!
🍰 Facing My Fondant Fears
Now that I’ve got my full toolkit again, I’m itching to get decorating — and maybe, just maybe, conquer my lifelong enemy: fondant icing. Seriously, fondant and I have a love-hate relationship. It cracks, it sticks, it tears… and now I can’t resist trying again. Maybe with all these proper tools and some refresher tutorials, I’ll finally master it. 🎂💪
💭 Wrapping It Up
This little rediscovery has been so much more than just a nostalgic purchase. It’s a reminder of how far I’ve come — from that young, unsure mum learning to bake between nap times to now, rediscovering that joy with fresh eyes (and a cleaner workspace!).
I can’t wait to flip through every issue, test out forgotten recipes, and finally organize all my tools properly. Maybe I’ll even recreate one of the original cakes from the series — just for the full circle moment. 🧁
The Reading Nook 