Janice Thomas Kitchen classroom

Helpful cake decorating suggestions:

Always do a crumb coat.

Temperature matters!

A bent spatula is a must.

A turntable makes it easier to achieve a professional look.

Mix your color into a generous amount of frosting. It’s hard to match the original color if you run out.

Add food coloring 1 drop at a time, mix and add 1 more drop to achieve the best color for the job.

You can always add white frosting to bring down a dark or bright colored frosting.

Frosting colors should be somewhat edible.

Red food coloring comes in a “non taste” version. Use is when you need a really deep-rich red color.

Decorations only stick to freshly applied frosting.

Refrigerate a cake fully if it is going to travel.

Allow cake to return to room temperature before being served.

Suggestions for better baking:

A stand up mixer is essential.

Have several sets of measuring cups and spoons on hand.

Measuring cups in many sizes, including 6, 8 and 12 cups sizes make it easy to pre-measure everything, including eggs.

All ingredients must be room temperature.

Use heavy, metal cake pans (not non-stick or dark metal) so as not to over-brown the exterior of the cake.

Follow individual recipe’s guide for mixing ingredients.

Do not substitute “key” ingredients:

Flour, cake flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, unsalted butter, etc..

Add eggs one at a time on the slowest setting.

Stop beating cake batter once eggs have been completely incorporated.

Use a serrated knife to torte or cut cake. This preserves the crumb.

My favorite Websites:

www.creativecutters.com - tools, readymade fondant, dragees, beautiful cake boards, wide variety or rich food coloring paste, cake pans in many sizes and shapes, gum paste tools etc..

http://www.colettescakes.com/ - My all time favorite inspiration.

http://www.margaretbraun.com/cakes.html

http://www.confetticakes.com/designer.html

http://www.gailwatsoncake.com/ -the original cake decorator for Martha Stewart from back in the 1990’s.

http://cakelove.com/

http://wendykromer.com/

http://www.weddingcakes.com/ - One of the best in the world!

https://www.auiswisscatalogue.com/store/merchant.mvc - amazing European cake decorating supplies.

http://bakednyc.com/

http://www.fancyflours.com/cgi-bin/fancyflours/index.html - A new favorite of mine. Colorful and inspirational website.

Books:

The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum - This book is easy to read and she explains the science behind baking.

Neoclassic Buttercream

Lemon curd

Cakes by Design by Scott Clark Wooley & Michael G. Farace

Detailed gum paste instructions that are very easy to follow.

Any of the Colette’s Cakes by Colette Peters books

Beginner to expert techniques.

In less than four hours, students learned to torte, fill and frost two cakes. They learned to fill a pastry bag and pipe stars, dots and leaves. Students were asked to bring in flowers to decorate of their cakes using CakeVase®. The finished products were truly stunning. It’s amazing what can be learned in the right environment, with the right tools and with with a determined mind!

Door County is a popular vacation destination on Lake Michigan in Wisconsin. The thumb shaped peninsula is lined with small towns, shops, an active arts community, lighthouses, B&B's, restaurants and small hotels.

Midwest Living Magazine has named Door County the "Best Small Town Getaway in the Midwest." Money Magazine has named Door County "One of the Top 10 Vacation Destinations in North America"

Door County consists of several small towns, lining the 300 miles of coastline of Lake Michigan,

Door County is a popular vacation destination on Lake Michigan in Wisconsin. The thumb shaped peninsula is lined with small towns, shops, an active arts community, lighthouses, B&B's, restaurants and small hotels.

Midwest Living Magazine has named Door County the "Best Small Town Getaway in the Midwest." Money Magazine has named Door County "One of the Top 10 Vacation Destinations in North America"

Door County consists of several small towns, lining the 300 miles of coastline of Lake Michigan, for a scenic drive. German and Scandinavian immigrants were the early settlers of the region and their heritage is still evident.

In the spring the cherry trees blossom in the rich lands of Door County. The cherry crops are harvested and used to produce cherry treats, beverages, and wines. Winery tours are offered by wineries in the county to taste locally produced vintages.

Door County has a active arts community. There are artists and galleries in the towns throughout the island.

The American Folklore Theater can be seen at an outdoor stage at the Peninsula State Park. The summer main season features different shows in repertory

Savory Spoon honored to be included in:Gourmet Getaways: 50 Top Spots to Cook and Learn

Thanks to my daughter, Piper, who helped during the entire day. Thanks to all the students who participated. Many thanks to Janice and her staff at The Savory Spoon. I had a wonderful time!