Last January I took a cake decorating class. After months of watching “The Great British Baking Show” I became obsessed with those beautiful cakes and pastries they create on that show and felt I must learn at least the basics of making my own beautiful creations. So an equally obsessed friend and I took a class together.
The teacher showed us about crumb coating and proper cake icing techniques as well as use of the piping bag and the various tips. We decorated our own cakes under her watchful eye. This is what my first cake looked like:
Well, it WAS pretty when I was done but the ride home was not kind to it. Anyway, she was a good teacher as evidenced by my first attempt. She admonished us that we need to practice to be able to master what we learned. So I vowed to make one cake a month for the entire year so as to get closer to my goal of the beautiful finish.
I bought two 6” cake pans so that my husband and I wouldn’t be eating TOO much cake (my weakness) and in February the adventure began.
Ms. February: vanilla cake with raspberry filling and vanilla buttercream icing
February was really a learning experience for me. First I got the texture of the icing all wrong! Too soft, too grainy, too blah! But there is always March…
Ms. March: carrot cake with cream cheese icing
March’s cake was made for a friend whose birthday was that month. Carrot cake was his order. This one is pretty, white on white, but my rose is a little off center and the edge piping uneven. Cake tasted okay.
Which leads me to April, my birthday month. I ordered coconut cake and here it is:
Ms. April: coconut cake with cream cheese icing and coconut flakes on the sides.
May was another friends birthday so I asked her what she would like for her birthday cake. She gave me a recipe to make, her favorite lemon pound cake. Unfortunately for me it had to be make in a bundt pan, leaving little room for my decorating desires. I did the best I could with the restraints of a bundt pan.
Ms. May: lemon pound cake with waterfalls of lemon buttercream icing, served with homemade lemon curd
June was yet another birthday! This time I made what I wanted using the fresh fruit of the season.
Ms. June: Genoise cake with raspberry filling and Italian buttercream icing
So my husband, who has been watching (and eating) my cake explorations decided he wanted in on the fun so asked to make the icing. The Swiss buttercream was his contribution…not as sweet as American buttercream and it piped oh-so nicely as you can see.
Ms. July: cardamom cake with almond Swiss buttercream
I got a craving for cardamom in July and found this really yummy recipe. It is make with almond flour making it gluten free (which I wasn’t trying to do but nice to know there is an option when I want to make a GF cake).
Ms. August: almond victoria sponge with peach filling and almond German buttercream icing
And then it was August, my husband’s birthday month. We had picked up a whole bunch of peaches earlier in the month so I made a cake to celebrate that (and to celebrate him as well). This was my best cake yet! Great texture and flavor in the sponge, and the icing to cake ratio was spot on. My piping is still a little rough but I’m getting better.
Which brings me to humbleness. I have always been pretty adept at anything that requires good digital dexterity. I seem to pick up art materials and techniques pretty fast. Therefore I thought this cake decorating thing would be a piece of cake (pardon the pun!) and while it has been a lot of pieces of cake it has also been humbling. I have a whole new appreciation for the amazing cakes that come from the bakeries and kitchens of experienced or professional bakers. I can say from personal experience over the last 8 months that it isn’t easy to make a great looking, much less a great tasting cake. There is a real art to it. Just as artists who work at their art for years can make it look effortless I know that experienced artists are good because they put in the time and dedication.
So with 4 more months in this my Year of the Cake I vow to continue to hone my skill as a cake maker and decorator. If you find yourself coming in my direction just let me know…you might find a cake waiting for you when you get here!