Elevate your cookie or cake business with personalized, one-on-one private lessons right in your own kitchen! Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refine advanced skills, each session is customized to meet your unique needs and level of experience. I bring all the tools and supplies required for your lesson, along with my tried-and-true recipes, insider tips, and professional techniques to enhance your decorating prowess.

Sessions require a minimum of eight hours to ensure a thorough learning experience, with focused guidance on essential techniques, including but not limited to:

Mastering Royal Icing: mixing, consistency, and color blending

• Outlining, flooding, and wet-on-wet techniques

• Creating Royal Icing transfers and flowers

• Intricate piping techniques and lettering

• Painting on royal icing with luster dusts, metallics, and petal dusts

• Airbrushing with a Master Airbrush Machine

• Brushed embroidery, stenciling, and character design

• Using tools like a KopyKake projector for precision work

Cake Decorating Techniques 

1. Leveling and Preparing Cakes
   - How to level and trim cakes for even layers.
   - Properly stacking layers to create a stable base.
   - Applying a crumb coat to seal in crumbs.

2. Frosting Techniques
   - Smoothing buttercream for a clean finish.
   - Using a spatula and bench scraper for smooth sides and edges.
   - Texturing buttercream (rustic, semi-naked, and fully frosted cakes).

3. Basic Piping Skills
   - Getting comfortable with piping bags and tips.
   - Basic piping techniques: dots, lines, shells, stars, and rosettes.
   - Creating simple borders and writing messages.

4. Coloring Buttercream and Fondant
   - How to mix and blend colors.
   - Tips for achieving pastel, bold, or ombré effects.

5. Fondant Basics
   - Covering a cake with fondant for a smooth finish.
   - Simple fondant shapes and decorations (polka dots, stripes, flowers).
   - Using fondant cutters for clean shapes.

6. Using Tools for Texture and Patterns
   - Using cake combs and textured mats.
   - Adding patterns (like quilting or ruffles) for added interest.

7. Basic Flower Piping
   - Piping simple flowers like rosettes, daisies, and leaves.
   - Arranging piped flowers for decoration.

8. Decorating with Edible Glitter and Sprinkles
   - Adding sprinkles, glitter, and nonpareils tastefully.
   - Placement techniques for sparkle without overpowering the design.

9. Drip Cake Technique
   - How to achieve the perfect chocolate or colored drip.
   - Controlling drip consistency and placement.

10. Final Touches and Presentation
   - Tips for adding finishing touches, like edible pearls or small fondant accents.
   - Presentation tips to make cakes look polished and professional.

Contact Chef Erica at [email protected] for travel information and fees.