Cake Decorating Classes

Interest in cake decorating classes is on the rise. Magazines are filled with glossy pictures of frosted cupcakes and custom-designed wedding cakes. Whether you are a home baker, working in the culinary industry, or yearning for a business sideline, a cake decorating course may be an excellent investment.

As a hobby, cake decorating is a unique creative outlet. You work with colors, shapes, and textures; and bring pleasure to celebrations with family and friends.

Many home bakers bring much love and talent to their projects, but struggle with basics, such as evenly spreading frosting and using an icing bag. Others have basic skills, but are dying to feel more confident creating different types of icings, borders, and flowers.

A beginner's cake decorating class is a perfect way to get started, fill in knowledge gaps, find out about the best tools and ingredients, and get step-by-step instructions on how to create professional-looking desserts. You'll learn time-saving tips, current fashions, and connect with other people with a passion for learning cake decorating techniques.

Advanced classes are useful for professionals and experienced enthusiasts. As an experienced decorator you may want to strengthen your skills, learn new techniques, or collect some new cake decorating ideas and tips.

Traditional techniques continue to be popular, but new fashions and methods are also entering the scene. Current trends include:

wedding cakes assembled with cupcakes;
cakes molded and decorated as popular cartoon figures and movie stars;
airbrushed designs; and
edible ink photo transfers.

Taking classes is a way to tune into these and other current trends.

Some advanced courses offer a certificate, which can boost your credentials when you are trying to impress potential employers and customers. Some certificates are recognized by local or national culinary associations.

Taking cake decorating classes is a great way to start or develop a business. You can learn ways to:

successfully market your creations;
discover a lucrative niche--such as custom-designed wedding cakes, cupcakes, cake sculptures, or ethnic delicacies;
decide who your customers will be--for example you could cater to business events, large social events, or bake for small local parties.

There is a variety of cake decorating classes to choose from. Classes are offered by large arts and craft stores, food craft stores, small local cake shops, high schools, community centers, community colleges, and private culinary schools. You can choose from one-day workshops, a series of weekend seminars, night courses, and full-time training.

An online course is also a viable option. Improvements in video technology make online courses very easy to use. Online courses offer step-by-step video instructions. You can repeat all or part of a video as often as you need while you practice in your kitchen. Online education also offers flexibility--you can study at any time, any day, in your own home.

Wilton Cake Decorating Classes - Professional Decorating Techniques For Beginners

Wilton cake decorating classes are the ultimate form of instruction for decorating cakes. A huge selection of Wilton cake classes is available at the Wilton school in Darien, Illinois, with options ranging from a three-hour workshop focused on one project to a 10-day Master Course of Wilton cake classes designed for students interested in a career in decorating cakes. You can also learn the Wilton Method of cake decoration outside of the Wilton school classes by looking for cake decorating instruction at local craft stores and culinary schools. If none of these options will work for you, you can even learn all aspects of cake decoration with online courses you can take at home.

Wilton Cake Classes - Introduction to Gum Paste

Introduction to Gum Paste is a beginner's course in how to make gum paste flowers and arrangements. Learning to work with gum paste will take you a long way in designing and decorating all styles of cakes. The class is offered over four days in three-hour sessions covering the following lessons.

Day 1: Demonstration of the use of gum paste; how to prepare gum paste; how to make gum paste leaves, a rose base, and a daisy center
Day 2: Making gum paste rosebuds, roses, and daisies
Day 3: Making gum paste orchids, stephanotis, and calla lilies
Day 4: Highlighting; assembling and finishing orchids and calla lilies

Wilton Cake Decorating Classes - Introduction to Rolled Fondant

Introduction to Rolled Fondant at the Wilton school, in three 3-hour sessions, includes cake decorating instruction on the basics of using fondant. Students practice fondant decorating techniques to make a complete display cake that they can take home.

Day 1: Basics of using fondant, including covering a cake with fondant, making fondant bows, and crimping and embossing
Day 2: Making flowers and leaves; using fondant molds and ejectors; fondant cutouts
Day 3: Assembling bows; sponging; making drapes; positioning flowers on the cake

Wilton Cake Classes - Introduction to Sugar Artistry

Another of the beginner Wilton decorating classes is Introduction to Sugar Artistry. In this class you'll learn the art of making sugar decorations, including recipes, pulling, and molding. Students get to take home floral cake toppers and bows made in class. The following topics are covered in one 9-hour session.

Explanation of recipes and sugar art equipment
Making simple leaves and flowers
Creating a floral cake topper
Explanation of Isomalt sugar substitute, including recipes and equipment
Making sugar cages
Using spun sugar and bubble sugar
Demonstration of sugar molding
Making sugar roses
Creating ribbons and bows

More Cake Decorating Instruction at the Wilton School

There are dozens of Wilton cake decorating classes available at the Wilton school in addition to the three featured here, but these are an excellent beginning in cake decorating instruction. If you complete one of these Wilton cake classes, consider an advanced course to add to your skills. Try a class focused on a theme, like Sugar Artistry for the Holidays, or one that adds new techniques, such as Advanced Fondant Art. With any of the Wilton cake decorating classes, you'll learn everything you need to know to make beautiful cakes for all your special occasions with family and friends.