Baking Buyer was on the scene at the 2010 Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show. Here are just a few of the latest trends we spotted!

Cake Board Decoration
You don't always get to choose the stand or the landscape upon which your cake will sit. But you do have control over the cake board, which should be considered in the overall design of the cake. Just look at Mercedes Strachwsky, the 2009 Grand Champion, who always adorns her cake board with sugar art of some sort.

If you're looking for inspiration, look no further than Chef Rubber, who now offers a Caviar Spherification Tool Kit, which comes with all you need to create caviar that can adorn your cake stand. The kit includes sodium alginate, sodium citrate, calcium chloride, a caviar maker tool, 30ml syringe, 60 ml syringe and a mesh strainer.

Isomalt Sticks
Isomalt—a chrystalline substance that comes from sugrose—is a popular sugar art tool, mostly renowned for its strength and stability. But isomalt doesn't come without its troubleshooting issues. It must be heated, which is a time-consuming process, especially on the stovetop. Many decorators also find it tricky to get the isomalt-to-water ratio correct, and it can at times be difficult to get the isomalt to dry properly, especially in a mold.

A company called Cake Play might just have found the answer to some of these problems, with pre-cooked isomalt sticks. They can be quickly melted in the microwave, saving a lot of time and mess. You can even re-melt it and use it again. Cake Play Isomalt Sticks are available in ruby red, sapphire blue, emerald green adn diamond clear. Unlike sugar, which burns easily, isomalt maintains its color when it heats.

Poly-Dowels
Dowel rods are tools commonly used to provide structure for tiered cakes. In the past, wooden dowels were the rod of choice. Since then, hollow plastic dowels have been the most popular—they are larger and provide better structural support, and there is not the risk of splintering that comes along with using a wood product.

Introducing the next phase in structure technology—the patent-pending Poly-Dowel. This new product makes cutting easy...simply cut with scissors or a pruning shear.