It's no secret that I sometimes find decorating cakes and cupcakes intimidating. Over the years I have attended some classes, and learned some tricks that have helped me decorate cupcakes, cakes and pastries to a much higher standard than what I used to produce.
I was able to overcome my fears of working with butter cream and piping tips after taking a cupcake decorating class at the Bonnie Gordon School of Confectionary Arts.
But despite the fact we worked with fondant at the class, and I brought a tub home, I rarely decorated with the stuff. So when Lisa, of Le Dolci Cupcakes and Cakes invited me to attend one of their cupcake decorating classes, I eagerly accepted and signed up for the wedding cupcakes class at this fun food education studio. And you can see from the amazing cupcakes I decorated with my own two hands in the photo above that it was a huge success.
The space is in a beautiful live-work building in downtown Toronto, near King and Bathurst, which is impeccably decorated and accommodates small, intimate classes.
The class, which runs two hours, started with some tips on colouring fondant, and then we got right down to business.
The first decoration Lisa showed us was the beautiful bow. This looks really complicated to make, but in fact it was easy peasy, and I'll be making it again and again. Possibly as soon as this weekend.
The second decoration we learned to make was the rose, which also looks like something only a professional could produce, but with Lisa's straightforward, patient instructions even I managed to create some beautiful results. I enjoyed making the rose so much, I could have spent the entire time producing roses. Can you imagine the result you'd get if you mixed food colouring to produce a bi-coloured fondant? I can't wait to start experimenting
Lisa also showed us how to make a mini rose, which you won't see here because I so fell in love with the other designs that I spent most of my time decorating the cupcakes with those.
And finally, we learned how to make the tuxedo cupcake. I was skeptical I would be able to produce anything that looked even remotely like a tuxedo, but I think I am most proud of these ones. How adorable are they? These are heavy cupcakes that I can't imagine anyone would actually order for their wedding because they're so time-consuming and dense in fondant, but they're gorgeous and I can see myself making these for a close friend's bridal shower. And you could even colour-coordinate with the theme of a party and create coloured bow ties if you wanted.
Once the instructional portion of the class wrapped up, Lisa gave us free time to create whatever we wanted on the 12 pre-baked cupcakes we'd be taking home with us. She provided us with many food colouring pastes, the necessary decorating tools, and as much fondant as we needed to experiment.
I left with a gorgeous box of 12 beautiful cupcakes, but more importantly the knowledge to recreate these designs from the comfort of my own home. Though I went by myself and I didn't know any of the other ladies taking the class, the atmosphere was fun and the time flew by.
The best part? I left the mess behind, and didn't even have to wash one dish myself, as I have done in other pastry classes. I do enough of that at home. If you want to see more photos from the class, check out the Le Dolci Facebook page right here.
Would I take another Le Dolci class? Yes. Lisa is one of those people you want to befriend, and taking a class in such a beautiful space is a delight. But not only that, she has a lighthearted, patient approach that makes anything seem possible. Le Dolci would be the ideal setting as the first stop at a stagette or a ladies' night out. I have the sneaking suspicion that Le Dolci is going to get very busy, very fast. So sign up before the word spreads.
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