Wilton Cake Decorating Class Starts January 30
Growing up, Amber Stueland enjoyed watching her mom and grandma decorate cakes and now she is teaching classes of her own. After graduating college and moving back to Marshfield, she took a cake decorating class taught by her Grandma Hiller at Hiller’s True Value.
“I started helping Grandma get ready for class and eventually Grandma decided she was ready to ‘retire’ from teaching classes and I took over teaching them,” said Stueland, who has now taught Wilton Cake Decorating classes for about ten years.
Stueland’s classes consist of three different courses, starting with the basics and moving into more difficult techniques. Each course is four weeks long, with classes one night per week.
“Each week the student brings in a baked good (ranging from cookies to a full cake) and frosting along with their cake decorating supplies that are needed for that class,” said Stueland. “I teach them a technique, give them time to practice as I help them work on mastering that technique, and at the end of the night they get to decorate their baked goods with the skills/techniques they learned during class.”
In the first course, Building Buttercream Skills, students learn how to bake a great cake, make icing to successfully decorate a cake, and techniques to decorate cakes such as the shell border, flowers, gel transfers, and many others like how to fill cupcakes with fillings and put a filling between cake layers.
In the second course, Flowers & Cake Design, students learn how to work with royal icing to create flowers that dry hard and can be used on future cakes. They also learn techniques to be used with buttercream, such as the basketweave, cornelli lace and more borders.
In the third course, Gum Paste & Fondant, students learn how to work with fondant and gum paste by covering a cake in fondant. They also create different types of bows and flowers, including the calla lily, rose, and carnation.
Anyone can participate (though students must be at least 15 years-old to take class by themselves) and Stueland encourages taking the course with a relative or friend.
“Class is very fast-paced and by having someone else take the class with them, it helps them be more prepared for class, hear/catch things that they may not have heard, and allows everyone more time to practice with my help,” she said.
Stueland enjoys seeing students learn something new and put the techniques they are taught to use to create one-of-a-kind cakes for family members.
“It’s fun and rewarding to make your child’s/grandchild’s/niece/nephew’s birthday cake and see how proud they are of what they have created, but also see how proud the recipient is of that masterpiece,” she said.
The next set of Wilton Cake Decorating Classes will start Tuesday January 30 and Thursday February 1. Sign up at Hiller’s True Value (or call 715-384-9101) soon as space is limited. Class is one night per week (for four weeks) from 6-8:30pm.
