I am beginning a four-week cake decorating class today, Tuesday 9th, March, which ends on Tuesday 30th, March.  I am very excited about this course and look forward to using my experience to further enhance my cake decorating abilities.  The four-week course is expected to demonstrate new techniques, which will better assist me with decorating cakes, during my many functions at Classique.

The outline for this course which is being offered at Michael’s Craft Store, teaches:  the essentials of cake decorating; the use of cake decorating tools; how to make buttercream icing for future tools, and how to fill and frost a cake.  This is Lesson #1. Lessons 2, 3, & 4 are also available for those students who wish to take their decorating skills to a higher level.  I would like to advance my techniques but need to get through Lesson #1 before making that decision.  Lesson #1 mostly teaches the art of working with buttercream frosting and demonstrates the use of  royal icing, which is taught more thoroughly in the advance classes.

Although I currently decorate my own cakes and enjoy the art of cake decorating, I have never had the opportunity to take a professional course.  While I might not be taught all that I need to learn during the four weeks, I hope to grasp valuable techniques necessary for producing beautifully, decorated cakes, by the end of the four-week session.  Ultimately, this course will be very essential to my line of business, where a wedding cake, for example, is often admired for the uniqueness of its decorations, before its delicious taste.  Nicely decorated cup cakes are also a big plus, especially with children.  Simply put, I need to familiarize myself with the right decorating tools, and learn the art of great cake decorating, from the professionals.

3/9/10 First class went well.  A fun group and great teacher.  I learned a few new techniques, which will be very valuable to my cake decorating skills.

(The teacher spoke of the importance of using confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar). She gave the example of a student who used regular white sugar and ended up with a very rough icing decoration….. the reason why we should never use regular sugar.  I explained that as a child, I never knew about powdered sugar.  I remembered using regular sugar, adding a small amount of water to the sugar, then placing it over the heat so that the sugar emulsified.  The beaten egg white, lime juice and vanilla essence or any other ingredients would be added to the sugar. The icing sugar came out nice and smooth — as far as I can remember — wedding cakes were decorated using the same method.  The icing decorations looked and tasted great, as well as lasted for a very long time.)  However, those were the days.  Today, using powdered sugar is far more convenient for making the icing.  It is much easier to mix and allows greater flexibility with color and designs.

Need to bake and cover a cake with white icing, in preparation for next week’s cake decorating class.  If I decide to make a character cake, no icing needed.

3/16/10  Completed my second cake decorating class. Learned the right consistency of frosting.  A thin consistency for frosting the cake, medium for making stars and stripes, and a thin consistency for writing letters on the cake.  We were asked to practice on a board and then on the cake.  I did pretty well, but I need to continue practicing so that I can decorate faster and better with less mess.

3/23/10  I have completed my third cake decorating class.  The use of parchment paper with a picture of a car, outlined with piping gel, was used to transfer a pattern onto a cake.  We made roses, star flower, swirl flower, and sea shells.  The art of making a small clown and little people, by using the size 21 star, was also demonstrated. Making the rose was surprisingly quite challenging, but after several tries, I eventually made an acceptable one.  I will continue practicing the art of making a better rose, until I become more proficient at making a faster and better looking rose. Being able to make a great looking rose is one of the cake decorating skills I most admire and desire.  Next week will be the final class of cake decorating Level #1.  No cake necessary for final class.  We will be making flowers, leaves and the basket weave, while working with royal icing.  I might take a cake just for the heck of it, because I can decorate the cake at the end of the class. Making and decorating a third cake will help me compare my cakes for progression made…..  decorating my third cake, compared to decorating my first cake.  I am definitely more knowledgeable about cake decorating and look forward to utilizing my newly acquired skills. 

3/30/10  This was the fourth class of Level #1.  I have successfully completed “The Wilton Method of Cake Decorating” class and have obtained my official Certificate of Merit for Course 1.  I have learned valuable techniques which will help me to decorate my cakes much better and faster.  I will begin Course #2 on Tuesday, April 6th where I hope to further enhance my decorating abilities.  Great teacher, fun group…. we have all become better cake decorators and look forward to beginning Course 2.