Cake decorating class in Dublin?

Susie_Q

Can anyone recommend a cake decorating class in Dublin - either city centre or near Howth/ Portmarnock/ Malahide/ Swords?

Can't seem to find anything useful online, thanks.

tscul32

I'm doing one at the moment in Hartstown Community College (live in Malahide). It's a regular on their evening class programme.
There's also one near Liffey Valley that will be on in May, saturday mornings, with a good teacher.
Unfortunately there are very few cake decorating classes around.

Ryanie

Would you recommend the course in Hartstown Community College?

BunsandRoses

I am attending a sugar craft course in Dublin at the moment - its near the Liffey Valley shopping centre

MARIA O

Hi,

As you probably seen from the web there are night classes in Ballymun, Hartstown, Dun Laoghaire VEC and Blackrock. If you are a beginner wanting to get the basics. But, if you are more advanced we travel further a field to the UK mainly around East Midlands to the likes of Squires Kitchen and Birmingham College for their day courses and a couple of times a year we attend longer courses. We find that for Wedding Cakes the Asian Influence which you see in the UK is what the Brides want now and no one teaches this here the results are just fab.
More and more Irish Cake Decorators are attending these classes now.

BunsandRoses

For people living in the Dublin area there is an excellent sugar craft course each Saturday in the Rosse Court centre near Liffey Valley shopping centre.

martin bren

Hi Maria,

Did you attend for FMM and BSG this week in the UK? Six of us went over it was a breath of fresh air, far from the roses, lilies and ivy we were just sick of them. Its opened up a new world of cake decorating for us.

MARIA O

HI,

YES WE DID I HAVE TO AGREE IT WAS GREAT, WE HAVE ARRANGED TO GO OVER TO SEE KAREN DAVIES SHE IS MY FAVOURITE AND LATER ON THIS YEAR WE ARE GOING TO ATTEND ALAN DUNNS CLASS THEY'RE BOTH VERY DIFFERENT STYLES BUT THEY GIVE NETWORK CHALLENGE A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY NEVER MIND THE CAKE BOSS.

bikerchic

I have been trying to find out about this product a lady is promoting on youtube it looks so simple, as anyone ever used it or seen it.
Called Artista Soft
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFgPcgpWQa8&feature=related

martin bren

Hi,

This Artista is only the brand name but this stuff is not edible.

It is some what the same as ordinary Petal Paste or Modelling paste which is availbale online from a Piece of Cake in Thame UK, and is edible.

bikerchic

Hi Martin thanks for your reply. I have had an email from Evelyn Freshwater who I think is Artista Soft (maybe wrong). The product is :pac: edible before it drys out, also something else she said which was interesting if we are using sugar with wires, then is it edible ?? fair point i guess.

She also said she had done a demonstration in Dublin last month did anyone on the forum attend ?

sounds like she is doing a workshop sometime next year again in Dublin i have email back for the dates but nothing yet because looking at the youtube videos would luv to see it first hand

martin bren

Hi,

What does she mean its edible before it drys out? How long is this?

Using anything that is not edible on cakes is dodgy at the best of times, for this reason I steer clear of wired flowers which thank God are not very popular anymore. Obviously wires are unedible but you can never take a chance with adults never mind children trying to eat flowers etc off a cake.

I would hate to deliver a cake and tell them you can eat the flowers by a certain time or theyll be unedible is this practical?

Might as well stick plastic artifical decorations on your cake you can achieve lovely flowers with Petal paste, modelling paste or even sugar
paste with a bit of practice.

bikerchic

Hi
Well my paste as arrived and i have to say it feels very different, so this is the result of my first attempt at making a handmade rose without any cutter or tools. I followed the youtube video to the letter and I have to say im very impressed. I do have finger prints in it, Im sure on my next attempt wont be there, now i know what im doing wrong.

http://s899.photobucket.com/albums/ac198/bikerchic1/?action=view&current=firstrose.jpg

martin bren

Hi

Your roses looks very nice but, I'm sorry to say that if its not edible it doesn't belong on a cake. She can't say its edible before it dries out its either edible or not.

bikerchic

Well you are entitled to your views im sure there are a lot of people out there that use ribbons, candles, letters from craft shop which I and im sure many others have, which are not edible.

We are getting away from the piont and as you are the only person who is responding to the thread.

thank you for your input.

the orginal question was, did anyone know anything about the product, which i guess by the responce is no. All i can say is that now i have used it (once), its as simple as it looks, with more practice i think my flower will improve

MARIA O

Hi Biker chic,

I am glad you are pleased with this product you have found but this thread started in relation to Sugarcraft Classes. Anyone who considers themselves a sugar craft artist would not consider using anything that is not edible on their cakes. The point of the craft is to be able to eat the whole finished cake otherwise decorations don't belong there because for a health and safety point of view alone we could not be resposible for it, this is a principle we stick by.

DreamC

It is not a sin to use inedible materials for cake decoration provided that they do not get in contact with the cake itself (eg flower pick for wired flower arrangements) and the customers should be made aware of any inedible elements in their cakes that have to be removed from the cake before serving.

bikerchic

Well I guess I cant read as im sure the thread said Cake decorting Class in Dublin......... Sugarcraft came into the forum later on. You have your views which is fine. I have now put together a very nice cake decoration out of Artista Soft paste and its looks better than anything else i have produced. I have found the youtube instuction very very help full and have ordered 2 dvds and the rest of the colours they do from Evelyn. 1 called 3 ways to make a rose and 4 different Orchids and if the instuction are as good as the videos on youtube i will be a happy bunny

zephan mic

This Artista stuff dries hard like plaster and you maybe a happy bunny now but I hope you can hop to it because it will be run rabbit run rabbit run run run if anyone gets their teeth into it.

DreamC

If you get your teeth into pastillage which is completely edible but dries stone-hard you will have to order new dentures as well. And edible diamantes are no better.

zephan mic

For this reason anything that dries out hard is best avoided on cakes especially if they are described as edible but only before they harden, just imagine describing a product as such.

If you are going to the trouble of making your own cake and all the decorations stick to a product that remains edible.

MARIA O

Hi,

Has anyone been to Cake Couture classes in Drogheda?

zephan mic

Hi,

Yes I have been to classes here they were ok. Theres no facilities for tea or coffee so theres very little interaction with other class members. I was going to take the PME Class. My sister in law is on it at the moment and is very disappointed with it. From the start nothing was formally given about the class or the Certificates now half way through she has discovered the goal posts have changed regarding the Certificates its very un professional. Also we have discovered its a rip off as you can do the same course elsewhere including lunch for a third less of the price they are charging.

MARIA O

Hi,


Does anyone know why Cake Couture have stopped making cakes. they say to concentrate on classes. The staff were let go and it seems to be not the happy shop it once was. Concerns about paying for clsses in case of closure very strange thought their cakes were fab.

DreamC

MARIA O wrote: »

Hi,


Does anyone know why Cake Couture have stopped making cakes. they say to concentrate on classes. The staff were let go and it seems to be not the happy shop it once was. Concerns about paying for clsses in case of closure very strange thought their cakes were fab.

If you feel That concerned about payment then look for the places where you pay as you go. Certainly it depends on what you want to learn In many cases you are much better of learning on your own. The sugarcraft books are dirt cheap on Amazon. Judging by your posts you are not a complete beginner in cake decoration. And if you know how it works why not just to master it yourself?

martin bren

Hi Maria,

Know where you are coming from. There has been a lot of talk about this at the Guild. We have members some who are non nationals and have completed different sections abroad and some who are interested in getting started. As the costs are three and four figure sums it is a big commitment so, I will PM you details when we get the info about the courses being run elsewhere. Only retail outlets can run these.

MARIA O

Thank you that would be a great help to all of us just so we can finish off different sections as we are all at different stages.

cathy r

Hi, was wondering if anyone knows anything about A Cake For You. I am interested in some classes there, and wanted to know what people think of it. I am decorating cakes about a year and don't want anything too basic.

Acoshla

A Cake For You classes are very good, she teaches everyone how to do amazing cakes, be they beginner or experienced. I've seen lots of cakes from the classes and all have looked amazing.

cathy r

Thank you Acoshla, I've booked a royal icing course in A Cake For You. I can't wait. I'm like a kid at christmas!! I was wondering if anyone knows of somewhere in Dublin area that runs the PME professional diploma. I know Brenans in Cork do it, but I just can't make it down there. Thanks:)

Smokiejam

cathy r wrote: »

Thank you Acoshla, I've booked a royal icing course in A Cake For You. I can't wait. I'm like a kid at christmas!! I was wondering if anyone knows of somewhere in Dublin area that runs the PME professional diploma. I know Brenans in Cork do it, but I just can't make it down there. Thanks:)

I also would like to know where in Dublin does pme!!!?