Total Time: 2 hours 1 min 51 secs
Want to learn how to bake and decorate cakes but not sure where to start? In this 4-week foundation course, you'll learn a little bit of everything--baking tips, buttercream basics, and an introduction to fondant and royal icing--straight from the pros at the Wilton Test Kitchen. The course begins with a lesson on baking the perfect chocolate cake as well as proper techniques for torting and icing layer cakes. After that, we move on to easy cake decorating techniques, such as applying buttercream with a decorating bag, creating a beautiful two-tiered fondant cake, and making gorgeous drop flowers from royal icing. This information-rich course is perfect for beginner bakers, giving you the core techniques that will get you started on your cake decorating journey.
The Wilton Method of Cake Decorating
Part 1:
The Wilton Method of Cake Decorating: Bake a Naked, Layered Chocolate Cake
Wilton Instructors
In Part 1 of our multi-part course, learn how to bake the perfect chocolate cake and ice it with velvety buttercream icing. Emily will teach you how to prep your ingredients, mix them and bake the cakes, all while avoiding the three C’s (crowning, cracking, and crumbing). Once the cakes have cooled, you’ll be ready to level and torte the cakes plus assemble them in a multi-layer stack. Emily will also show you how to whip up a batch of buttercream and ice the cake like a pro.
Part 2:
The Wilton Method of Cake Decorating: Cupcakes with Buttercream Swirls
Wilton Instructors
Part 2 is all about cupcakes and piped buttercream. First, you’ll learn all of the piping basics, like how to change the consistency and color of buttercream, how to fill a decorating bag, and proper hand positioning. From there, you’ll learn how to make pretty rosettes, classic swirls and other fun ideas for adding stripes. Once you’ve taken this class, you’ll be a piping bag pro, ready to create a colorful dessert table with lots of gorgeous texture.
Part 3:
The Wilton Method of Cake Decorating: Fondant Tiered Cake with Metallic Circles
Wilton Instructors
In Part 3, Emily will teach you how to use fondant to create a smooth finish on a stunning tiered cake. Emily demystifies this sometimes intimidating medium, walking you through everything you’ll need to know to successfully decorate cakes with fondant. You’ll learn how to color fondant, roll it out, cover a two-tiered stacked cake, and create decorative fondant cut-outs to give the cake beautiful geometric dimension.
Part 4:
The Wilton Method of Cake Decorating: Easy Royal Icing Flower Cake
Wilton Instructors
In Part 4, you will learn how to make a show-stopping buttercream-iced cake, featuring royal icing drop flowers. Emily will show you how to make royal icing from scratch, mix colors to make a harmonious palette, and then use a variety of decorating tips to make flowers of different shapes, sizes, and hues. The surface of the cake is iced with a beautiful free-motion buttercream swirl, and then the drop flowers are grouped on top of the cake to create a stunning, organic arrangement.