Shells & Swags: The Art of Vintage Cakes
By the end of this course, you'll be able to bake, shape, coat, and decorate round, heart, dome, and square cakes using classic vintage piping techniques, from shells and ruffles to swags, garlands, and lettering, and build stable, professional-looking designs, including multi-tier structures, from start to finish.
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Intro: what you'll learn!
Hi there :) Click here to have a look at everything you're about to learn.
Hi there :) Click here to have a look at everything you're about to learn.
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Intro: download your coursebook
Download your companion workbook to follow along with every module <3
Download your companion workbook to follow along with every module <3
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Everything to gather before you start baking.
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Chocolate Chiffon Sponge
A rich, aromatic sponge with the secret ingredient that deepens its chocolate flavour.
A rich, aromatic sponge with the secret ingredient that deepens its chocolate flavour.
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Whipped Chocolate Ganache
A silky, easy ganache that beats other frostings for pure chocolate flavour.
A silky, easy ganache that beats other frostings for pure chocolate flavour.
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Soaking Syrup: Base & Flavourings
The simple syrup that keeps every layer moist, with flavour variations to make it your own.
The simple syrup that keeps every layer moist, with flavour variations to make it your own.
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Stacking The Layers
Learn the board, layering, and cream ratios behind a stable, professional-looking cake.
Learn the board, layering, and cream ratios behind a stable, professional-looking cake.
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We’re done! Enjoy your beautiful chocolate cake <£
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Everything to gather before you start baking.
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Vanilla Chiffon Sponge
The light, airy sponge technique that sets this course apart from classic cakes.
The light, airy sponge technique that sets this course apart from classic cakes.
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Strawberry Compote & Other Fruit Fillings
A fresh fruit filling with real strawberry pieces, plus how to adapt it to other fruits.
A fresh fruit filling with real strawberry pieces, plus how to adapt it to other fruits.
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A versatile vanilla syrup you can infuse with virtually any flavour.
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Whipped Mascarpone + Stacking The Layers
A light, not-too-sweet frosting, made fresh and used straight away to build a beautifully filled fruit cake.
A light, not-too-sweet frosting, made fresh and used straight away to build a beautifully filled fruit cake.
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And our delicious cake is ready now! enjoy <3
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Swiss Meringue Buttercream
The exact ratios and method behind a silky buttercream built for vintage piping.
The exact ratios and method behind a silky buttercream built for vintage piping.
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Get clean whites, soft pastels, and vivid saturated shades without the guesswork.
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Make it ahead and bring it back to perfect piping consistency, every time.
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Scaling: Formulas and Ready-to-Use Charts
Resize any recipe in this course to whatever tin you're working with.
Resize any recipe in this course to whatever tin you're working with.
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How to Shape Heart, Square, and Dome Cakes?
Cut and build every signature shape in this course from simple round and rectangular layers.
Cut and build every signature shape in this course from simple round and rectangular layers.
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Everything to gather before you start this showstopper two-tier design.
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Mould, finish, and lustre-dust your own elegant white chocolate swans.
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Stacking Tiers Using Support & Central Dowels
Everything you need to safely stack a two-tier cake that travels well.
Everything you need to safely stack a two-tier cake that travels well.
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Off-White Buttercream & Final Coat
Mix a flawless off-white buttercream and apply a refined, detail-ready final coat.
Mix a flawless off-white buttercream and apply a refined, detail-ready final coat.
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Pipe your own buttercream roses, from tight buds to fully bloomed.
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Decor: Ruffles, Swags, Rosettes
Bring ruffles, swags, and rosettes together into one cohesive, romantic design.
Bring ruffles, swags, and rosettes together into one cohesive, romantic design.
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Everything to gather before you start this romantic design.
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Dark and Muted Colours & Final Coat
Mix a moody, coordinated colour palette and keep your point and indent sharp while coating.
Mix a moody, coordinated colour palette and keep your point and indent sharp while coating.
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Decor: Shells, Ruffles, Swags & Lettering
Layer shells, ruffles, swags, and hand-piped lettering into a gift-worthy design.
Layer shells, ruffles, swags, and hand-piped lettering into a gift-worthy design.
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Everything to gather before shaping this sculptural design.
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Prep fresh berries and flowers safely before decorating begins.
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Hot Pink Buttercream & Final Coat
Get a bold, saturated colour and master the acetate technique for a flawless curved finish.
Get a bold, saturated colour and master the acetate technique for a flawless curved finish.
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Decor: drop lines, overlapping ruffles, berries & flowers
Layer continuous swags, gathered ruffles, berries, and fresh flowers over a curved surface.
Layer continuous swags, gathered ruffles, berries, and fresh flowers over a curved surface.
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What Equipment You'll Need
Everything to gather before tackling the most demanding design in the course.
Everything to gather before tackling the most demanding design in the course.
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Pastel Buttercream & Final Coat
The face-by-face technique behind sharp corners and razor-straight sides.
The face-by-face technique behind sharp corners and razor-straight sides.
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Decor: interlocking drop lines, net, chocolate angel
Layer swags, ruffles, garlands, and a hand-piped grid across every surface.
Layer swags, ruffles, garlands, and a hand-piped grid across every surface.
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What You'll LearnBaking & Cake Decorating
You'll master the chocolate and vanilla chiffon sponges, whipped milk chocolate ganache, fruit fillings (compotes and coulis), mascarpone whipped cream, and a stable Swiss meringue buttercream, with exact gram measurements and ratios for each.
Recipes
You'll work through the full range of vintage piping techniques, and bring them together into complete designs: a two-tier Swan Lake cake with white chocolate swans, a romantic heart cake, a dome finished with fresh flowers and berries, and a fully layered square cake with sharp corners.
Decorating
You'll learn to shape cakes into hearts, domes, squares without extra tins, how to properly assemble tiered cakes (boards, dowels, central dowel), how to judge buttercream texture for different tasks, and how to troubleshoot common issues, from air bubbles to split buttercream.
Practical tips
Throughout the course, you'll find handy reference charts (piping tips by group and size, buttercream ratios, syrup variations) and printable templates for practising ruffles and lettering, everything you need to print out and keep on hand while you work.
Charts and templates
Katie, Cake Artist