Cake Class Homework

This past weekend, I was able to get a lot of practice icing stars all over my niece's Dora the Explorer birthday cake, but I also had to prep for tomorrow night's class.

Homework for tomorrow included baking an 8 inch cake and making buttercream frosting using the Wilton recipe.

Yay for getting to borrow Grammy's standing mixer! Can't wait til I can have my own!

I raved about how great my first day of cake class was last week, but I did want to mention a few cons about the Wilton cake classes, also based only on my first class. Nothing to get too worked up over, but just a heads up. When you sign up, you are provided with a list of supplies you will need for your first class. It includes:

• Decorating Basics Student Kit ($34.99 retail - used 50% off coupon)
• Decorating Basics Student Lesson Plan ($4.99 retail - used 40% off coupon)
• Ready-To-Use Decorator Icing 1lb ($3.49 retail)
• Piping Gel ($3.99 retail)
• Meringue Powder 8oz ($8.49 retail - used 40% off coupon)

And from your home:

• 6 round flat cookies (homemade or purchased)
• 2 cloths (one damp, one dry) - we didn't need both, only one, I ended up sharing my extra
• apron (didn't use)
• pen/pencil - definitely bring one to take notes!
• sticky notes/paper - if you don't want to write in your book
• 1 gallon food storage bag - didn't use this...
• container to transport frosted cookies
• scissors

These supplies ($55.95 total retail) are on top of the $27 course fee. I signed up at a JoAnn's Saturday Open House when many of the classes are discounted, so my fee was $22.50. There is one Saturday a month, I believe, that the Decorating Basics class is only $17.50. The dates for the open house discount Saturdays are here, just make sure to change your location to your own zip code on the left hand side bar toward the bottom.

Regarding all the previously mentioned supplies, I would highly recommend using coupons to buy as much of this as you can, especially the kit. Or catch a sale on all baking supplies. Spread the supply buying out over a couple weeks of your JoAnn mailer/email coupons and it can really cut your costs, making the financial burden a little less damaging to the wallet. (I saved over $20 by doing this.) Just make sure you sign up enough weeks in advance to allow yourself this luxury.

What I was never told was that there will be more you have to buy (if you don't already have it obviously) as you work through the class, such as the following:

• cake leveler ($3.99 retail for the non-fancy one that works wonderfully)
• turn table ($13.99 retail, awesome tool that makes decorating so much easier!)
• clear extracts: vanilla, butter, almond ($1.99 retail each small, only one is truly needed)
• 8 inch round cake pan ($9.99 retail, Wilton has the best pans around)
• squeeze bottles ($2 for 2, near the candy melt isle, used for water in class, so handy)
  

Like I said, it all has been more than worth it so far because I just love the smidgen of knowledge I've learned, but I also feel like they should be a little more upfront with you in what costs are involved with the duration of this course. For a full list of supplies needed for all four lessons of the Decorating Basics Course, check this out. It's fairly overwhelming seeing it all, especially if you start reading and realizing you don't already have much listed. If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I'll give you the best answers I can based on my experience.This turned out a little long, but it's all information I would have loved to know before I signed up for the class!

Can't wait to share what goes down in tomorrow night's class! It feels so good to be getting something on my 25 Before 25 List done, especially because that whole list is full of things I want to get done!