Baking Basics: Cakes

A hands-on class culminating in a tasting of the class's cakes. Alongside the sweets, we will serve a hearty snack of bread and butter, cured meats, cheeses, and a seasonal salad, with wine and beer. Students will take leftover slices of cake home!

In the timeless words of Julia Child, "A party without cake is really just a meeting."

Indeed, no celebration is complete without a cake! We know it's easy to pick up a cake at the store on your way to a gathering, while making one yourself adds an extra layer of love, care, and personal attention to the party. In this class under Jennifer's watchful eye, you'll learn how to mix and bake various types of cake batters — butter, foam and flourless cakes. You'll practice making a classic buttercream, and how to fill, frost and finish a layer cake. In addition to buttercream, you'll also learn how to finish a cake with a mirror smooth chocolate glaze. After all the careful baking and decorating, you'll earn your sweet reward of dining on these delicious four cakes!

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Lucious Lemon Layer Cake with French Buttercream Frosting
Strawberry Meringue Torte (demonstration)
Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake with Chocolate-Honey Glaze
Red Wine-Poached Pear Upside Down Chiffon Cake


Jennifer Altman began her culinary journey at age eight baking and cooking for her family and friends. After a career in science, she followed her passion and became a pastry chef. She is now a culinary instructor teaching both professional and amateur cooks nationally and internationally. She loves anything to do with food—cooking, gardening, recipe developing, teaching, and is particularly interested in food sustainability.