Wilton Cake Classes - Lesson 1

I decided to take some Cake Decorating Classes this month. It has been on my list for a while now and I found a class at my local Michaels. The class is once a week for two hours but we usually don't take the full two hours and end about 20 minutes or so early.  The class requires that you come prepped every week with your icing, cakes or cupcakes depending on the lesson that day. 

The Cost: The actual class was relatively cheap. It cost $25 to sign up. What they don't tell you at the time of signing up are all the hidden costs that go along with it. You also have to buy an instruction book, a course kit, additional supplies and the ingredients to make your cakes and icings. If you aren't careful this can add up fast! The cost of the course kit is $50 and to be honest I didn't think it was worth the $50 for what you get in it. I found it on sale at Michael's for 40% off and I have heard that Walmart also sells it.  I would suggest that you check your coupons for Michael's regularly because I noticed one day after signing up for the class that they sometimes have coupons that give you $20 off class supplies when you sign up and they have coupons off of the actual class fees too sometimes. I got creative with my weekly Michaels coupons to get everything I needed for class and used Bulk Barn for certain items as well. I would suggest doing a quick scan of the Michaels baking isle and noting the prices of certain things before going to Bulk Barn. I found some of the Wilton product at Bulk Barn to be more then Michaels or the about the same price (but you get 10% off at Michael's if you are in the class).

Flowers and Cupcakes from Class 3

The Course and Instructor: My instructor was extremely nice but I didn't find her all that helpful. She kept the class moving but basically just followed the book which I could have done on my own at home. Any hints or tips that she gave were mostly to do with buying additional Wilton Products or Wilton Products that she LOVED. I get that its a Wilton Course (as a business student I applaud Wilton for their marketing strategy here - its genius) but I couldn't help feel like it was more of a money grab and less of an learning opportunity. I felt like my instructor should have been more up front with the fact that she gets 40% off her Wilton products (I looked it up online). The class is small but I didn't felt that I got any individual attention. When asked how she did something, she would say "oh I've done this once or twice" and just tell us to practice. She wasn't very good at explaining how to do things outside of what was printed for her in the instruction booklet.  I found the actual content of the course to be slow at times. I did learn a few tips/tricks but I probably could have read about them or learned them through a YouTube Video. It was nice having a set time to decorate a cake and a reason to decorate a cake. It also gave me an excuse to buy a lot of the supplies that I was missing in my collection. 

The cake we decorated in Class 2

A Few Helpful Class Hints:  - I baked 2 six inch cakes (in a cake pan with 3 inch sides) so they were nice and high. I could still torte them to fill if I wished. This allowed me to get two cakes out of one doctored cake mix (I cheated for class...shh). I wrapped both cakes in plastic wrap and tin foil once they had completely cooled and froze them. I took them out a day before class to thaw on my counter top before I needed them for class. This meant I only had to bake cake once for the whole month which saved me time.  - I made my cupcakes from my go to chocolate recipe. It worked out that I was making a dozen cupcakes for a friend the same week I needed these. -The icing recipe calls for icing sugar, water and shortening. None of this goes bad. You can mix up all the icing you need for all your classes at one time in stiff consistency and leave it on your counter for weeks in an airtight container. You can then quickly adjust it each week to the right consistency (thin or medium) and add any colour to it. - A cheap cake/cupcake carrier comes in handy (the dollar store sells them) if you don't already own one.  The dollar store (at least here) also sells cake turn tables and cooling racks.  -Bulk Barn sells individual disposable decorating bags for $0.35 - If you can take the class with a friend DO IT. Seriously. It can cut down on your prep time and your costs. You can share some of the additional supplies that you have to purchase and can take turns making icing. Or each make different icing colours for class and then share.  - Don't buy the pipping gel (needed for Week 2). Its a complete waste of money. Its like 7 bucks for a tub you will use once in class. Someone in your class will probably let you share with them. - The book always tells you to make WAY more icing then you need. 

Cake from Class 4 - We learnt the Wilton Rose (mine all got squished by my cake carrier before I took a photo). 

Overall:  I would recommend the course to anyone who has very little cake decorating experience. It is definitely a course for beginners. Keep in mind that there is "homework" every week which is very time consuming. 

Chocolate Turtle Cupcakes

A friend requested Chocolate Turtle Cupcakes (like the candy) for his brother's birthday. I have been wanting to make something similar to this for a while. I love the combination of chocolate and caramel but the pecans add that extra layer of crunch to the cupcakes. The caramel pecan mixture alone is worth making, I had some extra which I plan on using on ice cream and pancakes (or eating by the spoonful).

Recipe: Adapted from Annie's Eats

Makes 12

For the Cupcake: 

1/4 cup cocoa powder 

1/4 cup hot (almost boiling) water

1 cup flour 

1/2 teaspoon baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon baking Power 

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract 

1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350F and line cupcake tin with liners.

In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and hot water. In another bowl, combine dry ingredients. 

In a small saucepan combine butter and sugar over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Transfer butter and sugar mixture to bowl and using an electric mixer (or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment) mix for 3-5 minutes until mixture cools and becomes pale yellow in colour. 

Add in eggs one at a time, mixing throughly between each addition. Mix in vanilla extract. 

Add the flour mixture in 2 batches alternating with the sour cream. Beat until just incorporated.

Fill cupcake liners 1/2-2/3s full and bake for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. 

For the Caramel Filling Filling:

1 cup sugar 

5 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes

1/2 cup heavy cream 

1/2 cup pecans

Heat sugar in a medium sized heavy bottom sauce pan on medium-high heat. When sugar starts melting, stir sugar until it is fully melted. Once melted, swirl sauce pan until sugar turns deep amber in colour (or reaches 350F on a candy thermometer). 

Stir in butter. Take caramel mixture off the heat and stir in cream. Mixture will bubble violently.

Finally stir in pecans. 

For the Icing:

1 cup butter

3-4 cups icing sugar 

3 teaspoons vanilla 

2 tablespoons heavy cream 

Beat butter until light and fluffy. Beat in icing sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in vanilla and cream.

To Assemble: 

Once cupcakes have cooled completely, use the cone method to fill cupcakes with approx 1-2 teaspoons of caramel pecan mixture. 

Frost cupcakes as desired. Top with extra pecan mixture and drizzle with caramel and chocolate sauces. 

Meet Emma from Emma's Looking Glass

One thing that I love about blogging is connecting with other bloggers and the friendships that are formed. I was so excited when UK blogger Emma agreed to be featured on Teacups and Cake. Emma's Looking Glass is on my list of must read blogs and I am always excited to read about Emma's latest adventures. She is always friendly, down to earth and quite charming. To get to know Emma better, I had her answer some questions. Enjoy!

1. Tell me a little bit about Emma's Looking Glass

Emma's Looking Glass is a place for me to share adventures, personal style, recipes and anything else that I like or feel the need to express. I see it as a way of being creative and having fun. I also think it's a great way to document good things in my life.

2.Why did you decided to start blogging and how long have you been blogging for? 

My friend suggested I started blogging a few years ago after helping her out by modelling her costume designs for uni, she thought it could be a great way for me to have fun and share my style and photography, I thought it was a great idea so in 2011 I started my blog. Sadly at the time I was far too ill to commit to blogging. My health improved a little since and in May last year I felt confident that I could attempt to blog again, and since then I have been blogging regularly. 

3. What is your favourite thing about blogging/best experience with blogging so far?

I love how creative blogging is, from writing posts, photography, outfits, to planning outings, it's great seeing it all come together to create a post. I've also found that blogging has made me feel more like myself again. Long term illness made me feel like I lost some of my identity, and I feel that I've found that again, by blogging and interacting with like minded people. I've met a few lovely bloggers in the last few months, it's so nice meeting people who understand blogging! 

4. What influences your personal style? 

There's a few aspects that influence my style, mainly whatever I'm drawn to with a pinch of what's on trend. I love vintage, especially the 60's at the moment. I have a few dresses that I adore from this era. For a few years now I've been a hoarder of floral prints, I'm totally addicted, I think I need professional help! Right now I'm loving black with floral embroidery. 

5. Which post that you have written is your favourite? And why?

My favourite post is about my Christmas tree cupcakes. It's my favourite post as I'm so proud of the cakes and especially the photos I took. I've recently been taking photography classes to learn how to use my camera on manual, these photos were the first proper photos I took after learning the basics. 

6. Tell us about your cat, Alfie.

Alfie aka bag puss on account of his massive tummy, also called saggy knickers, is a very special cat indeed. He's been in my life for almost 11 years and without meaning to sound like a crazy cat lady I feel we have a deep bond. He came into my life when I was having a very difficult time with school and family and he's sat with me while I've been at my lowest with my illness. Unlike most cats it took him 10 years to learn to talk, now he won't stop! Last year I taught him to sit, it seems you can teach an old cat new tricks! 

7. You have some great DIYs and recipes on your blog. Where do you find your inspiration? 

I bake a lot, and I like adding things to recipes I've already tried. I get a lot of inspiration from Pinterest - one of the best sites for time wasting with the massive side effect of making you starving after seeing all the great photos of delicious food! 

8. Favourite places in the UK? Must visits for travellers?

I have a few favourite places in the uk. London is amazing, from tourest sites like the London eye, Hyde park, the V&A museum to vintage and unique shops in the east end area, Brick Lane, Portobello road, Spitalfelds. Everything is so close in London, when I studied at LCF I had lectures on oxford street - one of our main destinations for shopping in the heart of London and then less than 20 minutes later I'd be back on the main site in the east end.

I also love the countryside, one of my favourite places is cornwall, I go every summer, it's great to be out in the country and minutes from stunning coast. Also all the little seaside towns with their old buildings, Polperro is one of my favourites, there's a house there covered in seashells. St Ives, Port Isaac and Padstow are beautiful too.

9. You are quite the accomplished Cake Decorator. Any tips, for those like me, looking to start?

That's a massive compliment - thank you! I would say don't give up, if in doubt on how to do something look it up on YouTube - I learnt how to make fondant roses and other flowers that way. There's so many tutorials on there. Always take your time and practice as much as you can. 

To hear more from Emma check out her blog Emma's Looking Glass!