Recently I had the second delight of teaching a wonderful class of students how to make a hamburger cake at SAIT Polytechnic as part of their Continuing Education classes…

Rolled cheese, frilled lettuce, and hand-shaped fries… Cake Decorating Calgary

Cake Class Calgary

And of course, there was much conversation about the best burgers in town. Boogies or Dairy Lane anyone?

Cake Classes Calgary

Silent concentration as patties were stacked on top of buns. Lettuce, tomato, cheese and onion were carefully arranged…

Cake Classes Calgary

Cooking Classes SAIT

Cooking Class CalgaryAn air of excitement formed as the hamburger cakes came together…

Cake Decorating Class Calgary

Cake Decorating Calgary Cake Class Calgary Cake Class SAITI'm grateful to have so many talented students – many had never worked with fondant before, and everyone did great! I am very proud of  everyone, and thrilled to see the class full of realistic hamburgers to take home! I hope that the cakes were shared as happy surprises to many loved ones.

Cake Course Calgary

Find out more about the new Calgary SAIT cooking and baking classes here.

This is a second edition of interesting cake links. I have been collecting these amazing cake tutorials, articles, and videos – and wanted to share their fantastic work with you:

  • Pink Cake Box makes a phenomenal and realistic Dump Truck Cake!
  • Sugarbelle helps explain Tulip red, the no-taste red food colouring.
  • Karen's Cookies shows us in her video a clever way of keeping your piping bags clean when using multiple icing colours.
  • Datafone visually shows what baking is really about, in the captivating short films Cupcakes and Macaron
  • Sweetapolita shows us a detailed step-by-step tutorial on How to Make a Fondant Asparagus Cake
  • The Cakerator shows us how to make a stunning Gumpaste Peony in Part 1 and Part 2 of her online tutorial
  • Call me cupcake! shows us how to create that fabulous frilly cake texture in her ruffled cake tutorial. I have seen this delicate ruffled cake texture popping up everywhere (and in my opinion, led by the stunning cakes by the very talented Maggie Austin).

See the first version of interesting cake links here.

SAIT offers quality instruction from experienced industry professionals, in an academic bakery setting.

The following classes geared towards beginners, everything from bread, chocolate, to cake decorating. Classes are offered at both the Main Campus and the Downtown Culinary Campus:

http://culinarycampus.ca/classes-baking-basics.php

SAIT also offers general Baking and Pastry classes for kids, children, and teenagers.  It's also part of their Summer Camp program. See more at: http://www.saitsummercamps.ca/camps-a-additional-programs/camps-by-theme/culinary.html

I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to instruct a number of courses. It's enlightening to see students find that moment of happiness… That epiphany moment when it all comes together.

Here are a some of my favourite moments so far:

Calgary Cake Class



SAIT Cake Class Calgary Baking Class

Photos of our last Creative Cupcakes class, held March 16th at the downtown Culinary Campus.

Each individual student learned how make cupcakes and icing from scratch, and how to pipe swirls.

Together, we also made dark chocolate ganache and caramel sauce:

Calgary Baking Class

Calgary Cake Decorating Class

Thank you to the many sweet students for the memories. 😉

Hope to see you there!

SAIT Baking School

Here is a list of cake decorating supply stores in Calgary, Alberta, Canada that I am aware of. If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to add a comment below. Each store is good for specific items, and some even offer cake decorating classes:

PM Hobbycraft – http://www.pmhobbycraft.ca/store/

PM Hobbycraft carries many brands and a large selection of cake supplies: fondant, gumpaste, cake styrofoam dummies, cutters, boards, and more.

  • North Store: 2020J 32 Avenue Northeast, Calgary, AB T2E 6T4, (403) 291-2733
  • South Store: 1221 73 Ave SE, Calgary AB T2H 2X1, (403)252-6643

Michaels – http://www.michaels.com/art/online/home

A 40% off coupon is often available through the Michaels Weekly Ad. Michaels carries Wilton cake decorating supplies, but have also introduced other brands such as Duff's Buttercream Fondant.

Bulk Barn – http://www.bulkbarn.ca/

Bulk Barn carries offers a huge variety of baking ingredients. In addition, they also carry cake decorating supplies, and equipment: cake pans, cake boxes, fondant, sprinkles, and more.  They also offer shaped cake pan rentals. Click here for store locator.

  • Calgary Horizon Square: 3508 32nd Avenue NE, Calgary AB, T1Y 6J2, 403-250-1399
  • Calgary McLeod Plaza: 9250 MacLeod Trail SE, Calgary AB, T2J 0P5, 403-252-5232
  • Calgary (South McKenzie Town): 4889 130 Avenue South East, Calgary AB, T2Z 4J2, 403-271-8384
  • Okotoks location: 313-105 Southbank Blvd, Okotoks AB T1S0G1

The Market Place at SAIT, Main Campus – http://saitmarketplace.wordpress.com/

The Market Place at SAIT carries Satin Ice fondant (20lb pails for the best price in Calgary), Chefmaster food colouring (bulk size), isomalt, Silpats, marzipan, and Lindt chocolate couverture(in 2.5 kg bags). Here you can also buy foods made by students in the baking, cooking and meat programs. I suggest calling them at 403-774-5072 ahead of time to check if your item is in store. See the above link for directions.

Cakes N More – http://www.cakesnmore.ca/

Cakes N More specializes in cake decorating and sugar craft/gum paste flower making supplies, including but not limited to: stencils, cutters, silicone leaf/petal veiners, Satin Ice fondant, Platinum Paste gumpaste, petal dust, powder and lustre colors. A great selection of styrofoam cake dummies too.

Walmart

Walmart has expanded their cake decorating section to include a greater quantity &  selection of  Wilton brand of cake decorating supplies. In most Walmarts, the cake decorating supplies can be found alongside the craft section.

Homesense – http://www.homesense.ca/en/index.asp

At Homesense, products differ weekly, and from store to store. I have found here digital scales, baking pans, cookie cutters, etc.

Online Cake Decorating Supply Websites in Canada

I am aware of the following websites that service Canada, but have not necessarily tried each one:

  • Golda's Kitchen
  • Qzina (Satin Ice and Pettinice Fondant)
  • Flour Confections
  • McCall's
  • Cake Mischief (good prices for airbrush colors)
  • For the Love of Cake Decorating Supplies
  • Design & Realisation Inc. (more for baking and pastry equipment. Great price for Silpats.)
  • Phat Cat Cake Craft (servicing the BC Okanagan area but does ship to anywhere in Canada)
  • Ebay.ca
  • Amazon.ca