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Anyone who has ever decorated a cake for a child’s birthday or made sugar cookies for a special holiday has probably dreamed big.

I know I have.

I have set out on shopping trips for the special cake pan, icings and molds, only to get home and be overwhelmed by the amount of work that goes into the process. That sort of thing takes time and practice, two things I never seem to have enough of.

The Wilton company specializes in decorating pastries, and in its 2008 report, unveiled a few facts about baking and decorating I thought were interesting enough to share.

Wilton turns 80 this year, and the school of decorating and confectionary art has instructed thousands in private, vocational training and thousands of novice decorators in retail store classes.

In 1960, Wilton introduced the Wilton Classic Wonder Mold and Teen Doll Picks, making the “Barbie Cake” all the rage.

In February, Wilton Industries Inc. surveyed 1097 men and women who bake and have a child in the home. Here’s what it found.

Cake is the No. 1 celebration dessert by 47 percent. Pies came in second with 15 percent, followed by cookies, ice cream, brownies and cupcakes.

Weddings came in last, with 24 percent, on the list of most attended celebrations. Birthdays were No. 1, with 98 percent, followed by Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter.

Although the Internet has become a great resource for recipes, 79 percent still use a cookbook as their No. 1 source, followed by family and friends, 73 percent.

Cookies are the most popular baked item, 83 percent, followed by cakes, brownies and cupcakes.

Magazines are the leading source of decorating ideas across the country, followed by family and friends and online.

In 2005, a similar survey recorded 40 percent decorated with icing and 12 percent used sprinkles on desserts. In 2008, 94 percent ice their cakes, while 92 percent use sprinkles.

So the next time you’re hunting the stores for decorating supplies, know you are not alone. Everyone is capable of catching the decorating bug. Pick a theme and spend this summer being creative in the kitchen.

Employ the children to help. According to the survey, 86 percent of respondents said they bake year-round, and 59 percent say they involve their kids when decorating.

My little one is still too small to help, and whenever I ask my husband to help, the icing disappears before I can get it on the cake!

I guess I’ll take a few chances on my own, and maybe I’ll shop around for some classes in decorating. Craft stores and local bakeries often hold exhibitions and classes, so maybe it’s worth seeking those out.

From A Reader:

This week, Mozelle Engledow, of Alto, contacted Readers’ Swap for a recipe for Rice Pudding. The 82-year-old still cooks for herself and would like readers to help her find a good recipe. Let us know what you’ve got!