Learn the art of cake making with the experts at BBC Good Food

Ready to create beautiful celebration cakes that will rival any Great British Bake Off showstopper?

This course takes you on a delicious journey through the cake making process of several baked items, as well as the fundamentals of cake making and the baking science behind it.

You’ll build a collection of tried and tested celebration cake recipes straight from the BBC Good Food kitchen, and try your hand at core baking techniques like crumb coating, glazing, and more.

Learn top cake baking techniques and tips

Whether you’re baking a one-off wedding cake, making birthday cakes for friends or family, or baking at bake sales or for your small business, this course will develop your understanding of the skills and baking science needed to bake a series of celebration cakes.

You’ll learn exactly how baking works so that you can amend recipes to your tastes, and respond to any baking mishaps you may encounter along the way.

Experiment with gravity defying baking designs and methods

Showstopper cakes have to look (and taste) extra special and this course includes an exploration of the structural design of cakes as well as investigation of cake textures and flavours.

You’ll also interrogate eatability versus appearance, and explore techniques such as crumb coating, frosting, mirror glazes, drips, and hidden patterns.

Study cake making with experienced bakers at BBC Good Food

BBC Good Food has over 30 years of culinary teaching experience and with thousands of tried and tested cake recipes under their belt, this course offers new and useful skills to cake bakers of all levels.

Plus, as well as recipes and advice, you’ll get essential tips on bakeware and kitchen equipment worthing buying, as well as transporting finished cakes.

What topics will you cover?

Showstopper cakes explores the techniques, skills and baking science that are needed to bake a series of celebration cakes. The course covers the structural design of cakes, investigates textures and flavours, interrogates eatability versus appearance, and explores techniques such as crumb coating, frosting, mirror glazes, drips, hidden patterns and making gravity defying cakes.

The course also includes:

How to read and amend a recipe
What to look for in ingredients
Bakeware and kitchen equipment tips
Transporting finished cakes

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Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

Describe the mechanics of cooking, and in particular baking.
Investigate the behaviours that are created as you cook, the cultural role that baking plays in life and how to become better cooks.
Research and collect recipes they want to try based on being able to evaluate the written instructions.
Be brave when cooking, explore new flavours and experiment with different ingredients.
Reflect on failure if it happens, assess possible causes and modify techniques.

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone keen to learn the art of baking showstopper cakes for any occasion.

This may include: Baking enthusiasts: Whether the pandemic has ignited your love of baking or you’ve been baking for years, you’re looking for new recipes to try and to better understand the science behind your bakes alongside like minded cake bakers. Intermediate bakers: You’ve already invested time into learning to bake but want to quantify and improve your skill level by adding new abilities. Baking nerds: You already have commendable baking skills but want to ensure you know everything you can. You’ve taken baking classes before and enjoy the interactive and social elements of learning in a group. Wannabe chefs: You have basic cooking skills but want to learn more rounded techniques, and build your confidence and knowledge before venturing to cooking school.

Who will you learn with?

Cassie Best

Cassie is food director for BBC Good Food. She trained as a chef at Leiths School of Food and Wine before joining BBC Good Food 10 years ago. She enjoys baking and creating family focused recipes.

Liberty Mendez

After completing a professional chef diploma at Westminster Kingsway, I went on to work as a pastry chef at the House of Commons before joining the team at Good Food as the recipe developer.

Who developed the course?

BBC Good Food

BBC Good Food is the no 1. food media brand in the UK comprising the monthly food magazine launched in 1987, leading food website, and bi-annual BBC Good Food Shows.

About this ExpertTrack

Improve your home baking skills as you learn the techniques to master tasty recipes and understand the science behind baking.

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