Cooking & Baking

Cake Decorating: Buttercream Basics

Meets Thursdays · 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM · on Zoom Fall 2026 · registration open Free to audit

This class runs in the Fall 2026 session. Registration is open now; lessons, materials, and the class discussion board are posted before it begins.

This is a hands-on class for anyone who wants their birthday cakes to look less like an accident. We start with the boring stuff that actually matters, temperature and a proper crumb coat, and work up to piping borders, rosettes, and writing that doesn't run out of room. You'll practice on the counter before you touch the cake, for sure for sure. Box mix is welcome here, we're learning decorating, not proving anything. By the last week you'll smooth a two layer cake, decorate it, and take it home. You'll leave knowing the order of operations so you can get a cake to sunday best on your own. No fondant. I don't do fondant.

What you'll learn

Mix buttercream to the right piping consistency
Level and stack layers straight for a stable cake
Apply a crumb coat and smooth final coat evenly
Fill a piping bag and pipe borders, stars, and rosettes
Fix dings, cracks, and transport a finished cake safely

Lessons

Setting Up and the Order of the Evening
We lay out stations, talk through the plan, and cover why temperature is half the fight before you ever pick up a bag.
Buttercream That Behaves
Mixing a buttercream that holds up, coloring it without going clown-bright, and keeping it from going soupy on you.
Crumb Coat and Chill
The step people skip and then complain about, done properly so your final coat has nothing to fight.
Smoothing the Sides and Top
Getting a clean coat on the sides and top, and being honest about the corners the pros get sharper than I do.
Piping on the Counter First
We practice every technique on the counter before it goes near the cake, same as measuring before you hang a shelf.
- Filling and holding a piping bag without a mess15 min
- Stars, shells, and a simple border22 min
- Rosettes and dots20 min
- Writing on paper twice before the cake18 min
Decorate Your Cake to Take Home
We put it all together on your own two layer cake, get it to sunday best, and send it home in one piece.

Class discussion

The class discussion board opens when the class begins this fall. Auditors and enrolled students ask questions and share work here once the session starts.