New Month, New Classes!

My classes for October are as follows:

Lisbon Michael's:

Course 2: Decorating Basics  $20
Sundays, Oct. 6,13,20,27--10am-noon

Course 2: Flowers and Cake Design $20
Tuesdays, Oct. 8,15,22,29--6:30-8:30pm

Show-in-Tell--demo--Spooky Cupcakes!-FREE!
Sat., Oct 12--1-3pm

Dayville Michael's:

 Course 1: Decorating Basics $20
Mondays, Oct 7,14,21,28--12n-2pm

New Project Class--Mummy Mania Cake!  $15
Monday, Oct. 14--6-8pm

Project Class: Tall Cakes!  $20
Monday, Oct. 28--5:30-8:30

You can sign up for all classes online now!!

Michaels.com

October Classes

September is coming to an end, Fall is here and new classes will be starting up in both Dayville and Lisbon:

Decorating Basics:

Dayville--Mondays, 12noon-2pm,  Oct.7, 14, 21, 28

Lisbon--Sundays, 10am-12noon Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27

Flowers and Cake Design:

Lisbon--Tuesdays, 6:30-8:30pm. Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29

Special Classes:

Dayville:
Mummy Mania cake class, Monday, Oct 14 6-8pm
Tall Cakes! Monday, Oct. 28, 5:30-8:30pm

Fall is in the Air!

Hi, I’m back from my long vacation, and eager to get back to my Wilton Classes—Just wanted you to know we have three new Project Classes this fall:

For Kids:

Critter Cookies Class—1-two-hour session--$15—An introduction to cookie decorating for young crafters. Recommended for ages 8-12

For Adults—(I know a lot of you have been waiting for something new!) 

·        Wilton Mummy Mania Halloween Cake—1-two-hour session—$15--Create a fun and spooky Mummy Cake using buttercream frosting and fondant—perfect for any Halloween Celebration! 

·         

 New! Wilton “Day of the Dead/El dia de los muertos” Cake--1-two-hour session--$15--Celebrate this fall tradition with a decorated skull cake featuring buttercream frosting, rolled fondant and colors galore! 

As of today, we haven’t scheduled these, so now is the time to ask for a class on a day or evening when you are available! 

Each class requires a minimum of 4 students, so contact me or talk to a cashier at the store to ask for a date and time—the sooner the better!

TALL CAKES!!  We also have time to schedule a Tall Cakes class for all of you who have waited so long!  There is one on the calendar in Dayville for Monday, October 28 5:30-8:30, but we can also put one in at the Lisbon Store.   

The first four to ask for the same date get the first class!! It’s a 3-hour session for $20 so contact me or the store to express your interest so we can get something going! The only time not available right now is Tuesday evenings due to ongoing classes starting in September.

Hope you all had a great summer and that your upcoming year will be fantastic!!

Cyn

Local Suppliers

This week, I'm looking into local cake decorating suppliers.  The nearest one to me is The Ice Box Plus in Brooklyn, CT on South Main Street,( which runs parallel to Rt. 6) right across from the Ocean State Job Lot plaza.

As you can see from her image, there are a lot of very useful items to be found.  I've rented pans and bought luster dust, isomalt, and candy molds, Americolor color gels, and lorann oils and extracts. All things I'd otherwise had to find online and waited to receive.  Instant gratification is a good thing!! :)

And while you're there, step next door to The Ice Box for an ice cream cone, or cake--local favorites!

Cake Business

Many of you have talked about and dreamed about having your own cake business.  It's not a "cake walk", but is a lot of work.  It can be very satisfying, but it does take time to develop.  Check out this video for some ideas on what to expect:

Tall Cakes Project Class at Michael's in Dayville

Learn to assemble and decorate tiered cakes in this three hour class.

Friday, June 21, 5:30-8:30

Call the store for details, (860) 779-0572

Register by Thursday, and we need just three more to make it a class.

The Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake!!!

The Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake!!!

It took almost a year, but the 50 persistant explorers from the Cupcake Project finally succeeded in finding the #1, best tasting, best textured, Densest, Moistest Chocolatiest, easiest to make Chocolate Cupcake in the World!!!

Click here, or on the link above for all the details, and try the recipe there, or here:

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe – The Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake Test Baked by 50 Bakers and Counting

Yield: 16 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
• 2 ounces of your favorite chocolate (You can use any plain chocolate that you like except white chocolate or candy melts. The chocolate doesn't have to be one typically earmarked for baking - any chocolate bar that isn't flavored and doesn't contain mix-ins like nuts, Rice Krispies, nougat, etc. will work.)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (4 1/2 fluid ounces) vegetable or canola oil, measured in a liquid measuring cup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup (2 3/4 ounce) full-fat sour cream
• 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) cocoa powder (natural or dutched will both work with this recipe)
• 1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) room temperature water, measured in a liquid measuring cup

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix butter and sugar until fully combined. The end result should look like wet sand.
3. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler.
4. Once the melted chocolate is cool enough to touch, add it to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until just combined.
5. Mix in eggs and egg yolks one at a time until just combined.
6. Mix in oil, vanilla, and sour cream until just combined.
7. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder into a separate medium-sized bowl. Use a fork or a whisk to ensure that the ingredients are mixed well after sifting.
8. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in three additions, mixing until just combined after each addition.
9. Mix in water until just combined.
10. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and put in the oven.
11. Check for doneness at 18 minutes - a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake should come out clean. If they are not done, check again every three minutes until they are done.
12. Immediately remove cupcakes from the cupcake tin and place on a cooling rack or on the counter to cool to room temperature. Although they are really good when they are hot, be sure to wait until they are room temperature to give your evaluation.

Notes

If you would like to add coffee to the recipe, either add 1 teaspoon espresso powder or instant coffee granules along with the sifted dry ingredients, or replace the water with room temperature brewed coffee.