Discover the Best Cake Making Classes in NYC
Cake making involves baking cakes and decorating them in a variety of creative ways. Most cakes contain four, sugar, eggs, baking powder, and butter. A variety of other ingredients can be added, depending on the desired flavor. To decorate cakes, different types of frosting or fondant are used, in addition to other types of edible decorations. People often make cakes to celebrate special occasions like birthdays or weddings. There is evidence that cakes were made hundreds of years ago, in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, and this art form continues to be popular today.
Why You Should Learn Cake Making in NYC
Cake making can be a fun and creative activity, and many people learn it for this reason, however, it can also be financially rewarding. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which collects and analyzes statistics about the economy, over the next ten years, baking jobs in the United States will increase faster than average. The agency explains, “[p]opulation and income growth are expected to result in greater demand for a variety of commercial and retail specialty baked goods, including cupcakes, pies, and cakes.” BLS also finds that the New York metropolitan area has the highest level of employment in the country for bakers, making this a good choice of occupation if you live in New York City.
In-Person Cake Making Classes & Schools in NYC
There are a variety of different in-person cake making classes in New York City.
The NY Cake Academy is a popular place to learn cake decorating. It is located just a block away from the Flatiron Building, in the Flatiron District, which is known for its shopping, including many design and art stores. NY Cake Academy was founded by Joan Mansour in 1991. She and her daughters teach a variety of different cake decorating classes there.
Cake Decorating 101 is a two and a half hour class at the NY Cake Academy, where participants learn basic cake decorating techniques. These include a variety of piping techniques such as shell, stars, zig-zag, and rosettes. Participants also learn how to crumb coat, how to work with American Buttercream, and how to work with multiple piping tips. All materials are provided. The class costs $150. NY Cake Academy also offers Cake Decorating 201, which builds on Cake Decorating 101, and covers more advanced decorating skills.
Another option at the NY Cake Academy is Geode Cake, where students learn how to make a cake that looks like it has a crystal geode inside. In this class, the instructor teaches students how to create marble patterns in fondant, how to carve cake, how to make the geode, and other decorating techniques. Students take their cake home with them. The class runs for two hours and costs $125. All equipment is provided.
The SugarRoom is a cake design studio located in Queens, and also offers cake making workshops. It was founded by artist Juan Arache, who has won prizes for cake decorating, and designed cakes for a number of celebrities and dignitaries. Fondant Techniques is a four-hour workshop at the SugarRoom, and covers the secrets of using fondant to decorate a cake. Students learn how to roll out the fondant, how to cover a cake using sugar paste, and how to use a variety of tools such as cutters, silicone molds, and plungers. They also learn to use royal icing, fondant, and modeling paste to make designs. This class is $200, and has an average class size of eight. It is offered in English and Spanish. All materials are provided.
The SugarRoom also offers a class called Cupcake and Cake Toppers. This class is $150 and four hours long. Students learn how to make cake and cupcake decorations out of modeling paste. The class is also offered in both English and Spanish, and all materials are provided.
Butter Lane offers a class called Sweetheart Cupcakes, which is intended for couples, and costs $150 for two people. Couples mix and scoop cupcakes, and then learn how to make icing to decorate them. Each couple takes home a dozen cupcakes. Butter Lane is a gourmet cupcake store located in the East Village. It sells both cakes and cupcakes–using natural ingredients when possible–and also offers classes and private parties.
Virtual Cake Making Classes & Schools
Some people prefer to take an online cake making class. Online classes can be a convenient option for those students who don’t want to deal with a commute, or who would like to learn from the comfort of home. Just like with in-person classes, online classes involve live instruction, and the ability to ask questions and receive feedback from the instructor. Some people actually prefer the online format because they feel more comfortable asking questions from behind a screen, rather than in front of a room full of people. A downside with online learning is that you’ll probably have to supply your own materials. You might also experience occasional technological issues such as internet connection problems.
If you want to learn online, there are a number of different virtual options for cake making and other types of baking and decorating classes. Food Craft is based in New York City and offers a virtual class called Cookie Decorating, where students can learn basic cookie decorating techniques, like marbling, flooding, and wet-on-wet. Each virtual class has a specific decorating theme, such as Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, or Easter. Every student receives a cookie decorating kit with vanilla cookies, four different colors of icing, sprinkles, toothpicks, a pair of gloves, and food craft tissue paper. Gluten-free or vegan cookies can be substituted upon request. Students need to provide paper towels and a pair of scissors. This class costs $850, and runs for two hours.
Home Cooking New York is also based in New York City. It opened in 2009, and offers a number of virtual cooking classes. In the Summer Pie Workshop, students learn a fundamental baking skill; how to bake a double-crust summer fruit pie with an all-butter crust. This class runs for an hour and a half through Zoom, and costs $50. Students can get a list of supplies and ingredients online, or if they prefer, can simply watch the demonstration. They will leave the class with all the skills and knowledge they need to bake a pie successfully.
The Good Food Project is a school run by culinary instructor Chelly Klann, who works to make cooking fun and accessible for everyone. It has a number of different online classes, including classes in cookie baking. The French Macaron Step-By-Step Class covers making, flavoring, piping, baking, and filling a batch of French macaron cookies. This class is an hour and a half long, and costs $40. Students get a Zoom link and a supply list after they register.
Private Group Cake Making Classes in NYC
If you’re trying to plan an entertaining activity for a group, consider booking a private group cake making class through CourseHorse. Cake making doesn’t require previous experience, and can be a great way to entertain people of all different ages. When you book a group event through CourseHorse, you don’t have to register, and there are no booking fees. Within 24 hours, you’ll get confirmation of your booking, and you can make changes to your total group size up to 72 hours before your event, provided that you meet the minimum group size.
CourseHorse also offers a variety of other baking-related classes for groups, including many different dessert options. For example, in the Virtual Apple Crisp Workshop, participants bake an apple crisp from scratch, led by a professional chef instructor. Non Perishable ingredients are shipped to each person ahead of time, plus a gift card to purchase perishable items. Participants need to supply a pie plate, knife and cutting board, bowl, saucepan, wooden spoon, and whisk. The class runs for an hour and a half, and participants learn to prep the apple filling, make the streusel topping, bake the apple crisp, and make apple cider whipped cream. The class costs $110 per person, and can be taken by up to 255 people.
The Virtual Yeasted Donut Workshop is another popular private baking class for groups. Up to 250 people can take this class at one time. It runs for an hour and a half, and costs $105 per person. A professional chef and instructor teaches participants to make dough, and roll, cut, and fry donuts. They also make a sugar to roll the donuts in, and a chocolate sauce for dipping. The ingredients to make the donuts are shipped ahead of time, along with a gift card to purchase cream, milk, butter, and eggs. Participants need to supply a number of common kitchen tools, including a bowl, cookie sheet, and rolling pin.
Most virtual group classes booked through CourseHorse take place via Zoom. However, if you prefer a different platform, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, and Google Meets are also supported. Contact CourseHorse for more information about scheduling a private group cake making class, or to discuss other group class options.
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