Elevate your cookie or cake business with personalized, one-on-one private lessons right in your own kitchen! Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refine advanced skills, each session is customized to meet your unique needs and level of experience. I bring all the tools and supplies required for your lesson, along with my tried-and-true recipes, insider tips, and professional techniques to enhance your decorating prowess.
Sessions require a minimum of eight hours to ensure a thorough learning experience, with focused guidance on essential techniques, including but not limited to:
Mastering Royal Icing: mixing, consistency, and color blending
• Outlining, flooding, and wet-on-wet techniques
• Creating Royal Icing transfers and flowers
• Intricate piping techniques and lettering
• Painting on royal icing with luster dusts, metallics, and petal dusts
• Airbrushing with a Master Airbrush Machine
• Brushed embroidery, stenciling, and character design
• Using tools like a KopyKake projector for precision work
Cake Decorating Techniques
1. Leveling and Preparing Cakes
- How to level and trim cakes for even layers.
- Properly stacking layers to create a stable base.
- Applying a crumb coat to seal in crumbs.
2. Frosting Techniques
- Smoothing buttercream for a clean finish.
- Using a spatula and bench scraper for smooth sides and edges.
- Texturing buttercream (rustic, semi-naked, and fully frosted cakes).
3. Basic Piping Skills
- Getting comfortable with piping bags and tips.
- Basic piping techniques: dots, lines, shells, stars, and rosettes.
- Creating simple borders and writing messages.
4. Coloring Buttercream and Fondant
- How to mix and blend colors.
- Tips for achieving pastel, bold, or ombré effects.
5. Fondant Basics
- Covering a cake with fondant for a smooth finish.
- Simple fondant shapes and decorations (polka dots, stripes, flowers).
- Using fondant cutters for clean shapes.
6. Using Tools for Texture and Patterns
- Using cake combs and textured mats.
- Adding patterns (like quilting or ruffles) for added interest.
7. Basic Flower Piping
- Piping simple flowers like rosettes, daisies, and leaves.
- Arranging piped flowers for decoration.
8. Decorating with Edible Glitter and Sprinkles
- Adding sprinkles, glitter, and nonpareils tastefully.
- Placement techniques for sparkle without overpowering the design.
9. Drip Cake Technique
- How to achieve the perfect chocolate or colored drip.
- Controlling drip consistency and placement.
10. Final Touches and Presentation
- Tips for adding finishing touches, like edible pearls or small fondant accents.
- Presentation tips to make cakes look polished and professional.
Contact Chef Erica at info@aujanessweets.com or call 760-716-6523 for travel information and fees.