Learn to Decorate with Buttercream Icing
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Come join us and learn the art of cake and dessert decorating!
In the first class, you will learn how to prepare two types of decorating bags. We will discuss icing ingredients and I will demonstrate how to make Buttercream Icing in different consistencies. You will experiment with three different bag striping techniques. Pressure control and how to angle your bag to get the desired effect will be shown. We will put a filling in our cupcakes and creatively decorate them with stars, rosettes, wavy lines, loops, the 1M Rosette, and the 1M Swirl.
In class 2, you’ll learn how to level, tort, put a filling between the layers and ice a cake smoothly. We will make dots, and pulled dots and we will talk about how to add texture when icing a cake. We will transfer a pattern onto the cake and finish decorating it using the techniques we learned.
In class 3, you’ll be shown various borders, including zig zags, ruffles, shells, and bead borders. We will make leaves, grass, star drop flowers, swirl drop flowers, daisies, sunflowers, and zinnias.
In class 4, I will show how to print and write on a cake as well as how to make beautiful ribbon roses.
As of August 16,2021, the Chelmsford School District Superintendent's office is requiring the use of masks for all people - vaccinated or unvaccinated - when inside any of our school buildings, so please remember to bring a mask to class with you.
See below for a materials list.
Instructor: Mary Napoli
About Our Instructor:
Mary Napoli is a former Wilton Method Instructor in cake decorating. She has taught various courses for many years showing techniques in buttercream, royal icing, fondant, and wired gum paste flowers. She also teaches decorative cookies. In addition to cake decorating, Mary has a BFA degree in jewelry making with a minor in ceramics from Massachusetts College of Art. She was also a mobility and special student at Rhode Island School of Design where she completed eight courses. She loves to work in color and fine detail. I both schools, her love of jewelry making was in the techniques of cloisonne, champleve, and plique a jour enameling. She also enjoys pen and ink, watercolor, designing greeting cards and creating 2-D artwork. She truly loves to teach. Her goal in the classroom is to help you be more confident and not be afraid to experiment and be creative.
List of Supplies:
- Wilton student decorating kit with lesson book: https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Student-Decorating-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B00K58PZOS/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=wilton+cake+decorating+course+1+kit&qid=1628857415&sr=8-3
- 8-10 un-iced cupcakes
- filling such as jam, preserves or pudding for your cupcakes
- Wilton Decorator Icing (MEDIUM consistency) 16 oz. size ONLY
- A box or carrier to transport iced cupcakes home
- A small plastic squeeze bottle of water
- Wilton Flower Lifter
- Cake Leveler
- Cupcake Nail (optional)
- Wilton GEL Colors– one should be green for leaves – (Juniper or Moss) – one bright yellow for flower centers and brown for sunflowers. Other colors of your choice for flowers, etc. Wilton has nice gel color sets.
- Cake Turntable – recommended, but optional
- Wilton CLEAR piping gel
- Roll of WHITE parchment paper (can find at grocery store)
- Package of cake circles (they should be 2” larger than your layer cake pans)
- Disposable bowls and Tupperware or Pyrex bowls with covers for mixing icing in class and at home
- Rubber or silicone spatulas for mixing icing
- Pen & small notebook to take notes
- Paper towels
- Toothpicks
- Scotch tape
- Scissors
- Sharpie marker
- Pencil
- A few metal Tablespoons from home
- Any type of plastic bag to bring your dirty spatulas, etc. for clean-up
- Table Cover such as a towel or small plastic tablecloth
- Any decorator tips you might have already or want to experiment with
Products Needed at Home:
- A mixer (preferably a stand mixer)
- 2 round layer cake pans (8 or 10 inch)
- Cooling rack
- Crisco solid vegetable shortening
- Wilton Clear Vanilla Extract
- Several boxes of Domino Confectioner’s Sugar - 1 lb