First you learned how to make a smooth, intensely chocolate frosting in the food processor. Then we broke down the process for leveling cake layers and ensuring a crumb-free coat. We covered the techniques for achieving a bakery-style cake, from customizing the frosting to adding garnish like a cake boss. We also showed you how to pipe like a pro.
Download the handout we used for this course onboard your Holland America cruise [PDF].
For an easy chocolate frosting recipe that required no special equipment, we used both cocoa powder and melted chocolate, which produced a deep chocolate flavor.
Traditional European buttercream frosting involves heating eggs and sugar over a pan of simmering water and whipping in butter while carefully monitoring for the correct temperature; our Easy Vanilla Buttercream recipe is equally delicious and much less fussy.
This American classic has a lot going for it: moist cake, delicate spice, tangy cream cheese frosting. If only it were handsome enough to serve to company, too.
Box mixes are famous for engineering cake with ultralight texture. We set out to make an even fluffier cake—without chemicals and additives.
