Handbag Cake - Basic Cake Carving

Class Details

Tutor:Louise Wilson
Time:10am - 4pm
Skill Level:Beginner
Cost:£125
Equipment:All equipment, icing and flower paste will be provided.
Cake:You will provide a cake from a recipe we send you.
Class size:This class has a maximum of 4 students.

What will you learn in this class?

• Hints and tips on baking your cake to perfection.
• Choosing the right shaped cakes to bake for carved creations.
• Hints on using sugar syrup to keep your cake moist.
• Layering your cake.
• Creating a shape from your basic round cake.
• Basic carving techniques.
• Use of crumb base and crumb coat.
• Covering your carved cake
• Adding details to your covered cake for a realistic fabric finish.
• Creating details like stitching, straps and catches.
• Covering your cake board.
• Colouring pastes.
• Using different colour combinations.
• Using different pastes (sugarpaste, modelling paste and flowerpaste).
• Making your own glue.
• Learn how to make embellishments for your handbag cake like ribbon flowers or bows.
• Finish your cake board with ribbon, the easy way.
• Lots of hints and tips on rescuing mistakes and accidents.
• Recipe for Lou's cake.
• Hints and tips on storing cakes.
• Boxing your cakes for travel (how to deal with a cake that sticks out!).

Why you should come to this class.

Every girl loves handbags! This class will teach you how to carve, shape, cover and accessorise a fashionable handbag cake.

You will learn lots of helpful hints and tips to give you confidence to make many different shaped cakes, not just handbags!

After you have covered your cake board, you will cut, shape and fill your cake, learning valuable tips on how to fix any disasters you may have while carving! Once your cake has its handbag shape, you will cover it with sugarpaste, creating a smooth finish.

Then the fun part of making and adding the decorations such as leather straps, buckles, buttons, clasps and the handle, and creating realistic looking textures and fabrics through the use of embossing, stitching and painting, all of which will bring your creation to life!

What will you need to bring to this class?

You will need to bring 1 cake with you (8" round), we provide a recipe that you can use.

We ask you to bake the cakes as Lou spends a portion of the first morning talking to each of you about your cake, and how you can improve your baking, and also how to fix any mistakes. If we provided you with perfect cakes then we feel we would have a missed teaching opportunity!

We will supply the buttercream, sugarpaste, flowerpaste and modelling pastes, plus all the equipment and boards and boxes to take your cake home in!

Please also bring an apron and a packed lunch with you. The Cake Makery will provide tea, coffee and cold refreshments as needed!

Class level:

This class is for beginners and anyone looking to start carving cakes with confidence.

Class times:

This is a 6 hour class and a maximum of 4 students for this class, this allows us to give you more personalised teaching and attention.

These photos show the cake you will create during this class: