Cake courses

On our cake courses in Adliswil near Zurich you learn to build a cake neatly, fill it and decorate it so that it looks as if it came straight from a patisserie. The courses are led by trained pastry chefs and confectioners who show you every step and answer your questions right at the work bench. You do the work yourself and go home with your creations, the recipes and plenty of tricks of the trade.

Which cake courses do we offer?

Our courses go in two directions: the basic courses focus on the cake itself – sponges, fillings, assembly and a classic finish. The decorating courses are all about what goes on top.

• Cake basic course 1: the starting point for anyone who wants to make a cake from base to finish – building it layer by layer, filling it and coating it neatly.
• Cake basic course 2: follows on from the first course, with glossy mirror glaze and fine chocolate decorations.
• Winter cake course: a cake whose decoration is all about winter and Christmas.
• Cake decorating course: perfect for getting started with cake decorating. You cover a ready-prepared cake with fondant and decorate it using cutters, embossers, modelling tools and royal icing – from fondant roses to small figures.
• Buttercream flowers course: you stack a tall cake, coat it with a colour gradient and pipe buttercream roses, ranunculus and dahlias. You also decorate cupcakes using Russian piping nozzles.
• Sugar flowers course: shaping lifelike blooms such as roses or peonies from flower paste, colouring them and wiring them into a bouquet.

All current dates are shown in the course list above.

Which course is right for you?

If your cakes tend to lean or the filling squeezes out of the sides, start with basic course 1 – neat assembly is the foundation for any decoration. If it is mainly the creative side that appeals to you, the cake decorating course is the right place to begin. Prefer a piping bag to fondant? Then you will love the buttercream flowers course. And if you enjoy patient, detailed work, choose the sugar flowers course.

Public courses take place only in Adliswil, about 20 minutes from Zurich main station. This applies to all cake courses; corporate and team events elsewhere in Switzerland are available for chocolate and praline courses only.

Tips from our kitchen

• Cold is your friend: a well-chilled cake is much easier to coat cleanly. Spread a thin crumb coat first, chill the cake, and only then apply the final layer.
• Even layers: if you assemble the cake in a cake ring, the layers stay even and the finished cake stands straight. You will find all sizes under cake rings.
• Get the fondant quantity right: fondant rolled out too thin or too small tears at the edges. Our guide How much fondant do you need for a cake? helps you work out the right amount.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need experience for a cake course?

No. Basic course 1 and the cake decorating course are designed for beginners. For basic course 2 it helps if you have attended the first course or already baked a few layer cakes.

What is the difference between a gateau and a plain cake?

It is all about the layers: a gateau (Torte) is made of sponge layers with filling in between, such as buttercream, cream or jam. A plain cake can be iced and decorated, but it stays a plain cake as long as it is not layered.

What do I take home from a cake course?

Your own creations and all the recipes, so you can carry on at home. The details are in each course description, in the section on what you take home.