Fall Harvest Cake - Virtual

Thank you for choosing to take a class with Le Dolci! We’re looking forward to meeting you and making delicious treats together! In the meantime, please look at our equipment and ingredient lists to see how you need to prepare for your class.

For this class, you will need the following equipment:

For Cinnamon Spice Cake made before virtual class 

• A rubber spatula
• A digital kitchen scale or measuring cups and teaspoons
• 2 medium size mixing bowls
• A KitchenAid stand mixer (optional, can be mixed by hand)
• A whisk
• 3 x 6inch cake pans, or 2 x 6inch tall pans (4’’ tall)
• Parchment 

For Swiss Meringue Vanilla buttercream made before virtual class

• A rubber spatula
• A digital kitchen scale or measuring cups and teaspoons
• A KitchenAid stand mixer or hand held blender (this meringue CANNOT be mixed by hand)
• A medium size metal bowl (for double boiler)
• A medium size pot

Apple Pie filling 

•  A Heavy Bottom Pot 
• A Whisk 
• A Small Bowl 
• A Storage Container or Tupperware 

For Decorating 

• An offset spatula or flat metal spatula/ medium to large size
• A cake turntable or lazy Susan (optional but strongly recommend)
• A cake board 8inch
• A bench scraper or flat cake scraper
• A cake combo preferably PME cake stripe combo 10 inch 
• Orange gel colour (can be purchased from Bulk Barn, local cake supply store or online)
• 4 piping bags
• Wilton tip number 1M star tip or 2D or 6D for rosettes or any tip bran that resembles a star shape make sure they use couplers
• 2 couplers 
• Small- medium size bowls for mixing buttercream colour
• A Rubber spatula
• 2-3 utensil spoons
• Sprinkles of your choosing preferably fall colours (optional) 

Come along to our brand new Virtual Fall Harvest Cake 

This class is designed for those who have a passion for baking and cake decorating, ages 16 and up. You will learn to create a striped buttercream design with buttercream pumpkins, all in just a couple of hours! Wow!

If in doubt about your suitability for this class, please call us to discuss before you book a place

This is a 2.5 hour class 

Before virtual class you will pre-bake the cakes, make your buttercream and the apple filling.  This needs to be done at least 1 day before class to ensure cakes are cooled and set. A chilled cake is always best! Please ensure your apple filling is completely cooler before class. 

Cake decorating and white chocolate drip will be made during class.  

Your class will be taught by one of our fabulous teachers and  share their love for cake!

Please use our hashtag #ledolci when posting your class creations on social media so we see your wonderful creations.

In this class, you will learn:

– How to cut and layer cinnamon spice cake

– The method of how to make Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream

– How to prepare your cakes for decorating

-How to fill and use a  piping bag and create a variety of buttercream pumpkins 

-How use cake combo and create a stripe design 

– How to use essential cake decorating equipment to achieve smooth straight sides on your cake

– How to colour buttercream 

– How to use edible flourishes and sprinkles to decorate and finish your cake

At the end of class you will have:

– A 6inch round strip cake that you will have adorned with buttercream pumpkins.

– New understanding of swiss meringue buttercream 

– New skills in decorating using very trendy techniques and designs

– An understanding of layering cakes

-An understanding on how to replicate future stripe cakes

-An understanding of colour mixing 

- A ‘How to’ guide that includes recipes that are yours to keep for your future baking projects 

The pictures are for display and inspirational purposes only. Your teacher will talk you through design elements in any picture shown, but for efficient running of this class, you will be guided by her in terms of design

Spice Cake - Recipe 

Yield: 3 x 6 inch deep circular cake pans or 2 x 8 inch circular pans

Ingredients:

• 320g or 2 ½  cups of all-purpose flour
•  4 tsp of baking powder
•  ½ tsp of salt
• 2 ½ tsp of ground cinnamon
• 2tsp pumpkin spice mix (optional) 
• 4 Eggs room temperature
• 240ml or 1 cup of oil
• 300g or 1 ½  cup of granulated sugar
• 3 tsp of vanilla extract
• 300ml or 1 ⅓  cup of milk at room temperature

Instructions:

1. Using the cake pan, trace the bottom onto parchment. Cut 2 (or 3) parchment circles. Place circles in the pan so that it lines the bottom. Using 1 teaspoon of butter, or cooking spray grease the sides of the pan.
2. Move the rack into the middle position of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin spice (optional) and salt, mix together with a whisk and set aside.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the oil and sugar until it is well combined.
5. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
6. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk, folding together with a spatula between each addition. Mix the batter until combined. Be careful not to over mix, which will lead to a tough dense cake.
7. Bake the cake for approximately 20-25 minutes.  Each oven at home is different. Use your oven light to check in on the cake, instead of opening and closing your oven door.  
8. Cakes are done when you test your cake with a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean. Let the cakes cool on the counter in their pans. Once fully cool, you can remove them from the cake pans, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the freezer. Do not stack soft cakes.

Cooked Apple Filling for Cake 

yields 3 cups 

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds (about 3-5 apples) baking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly
• 1 1/2tsp teaspoon lemon juice
• ¼  cup (50 grams) packed light brown sugar
• ⅛ cup (25 grams) granulated sugar
• 1–½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of grated nutmeg (optional)
• Pinch salt
• 1 tablespoons (7g) cornstarch
• ⅓  cup + 1 tablespoon fresh apple cider, divided (more if needed)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Add apples, lemon juice, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to a heavy bottom pot. Stir together and let macerate or soak at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Add ⅓ cup of apple cider to the pot, and stir the apples one more time. 
2. Turn the heat to medium and begin to cook the apples, stirring occasionally to make sure the apples cook evenly. Cook until the apples have softened, about 10 minutes, making sure not to cook off all of the liquid. If the liquid does cook off quickly, add ⅛ cup more apple cider to the pot.
3. Create a slurry by whisking together the cornstarch and remaining 1 tablespoon apple cider together in a small bowl.
4. Pour the cornstarch slurry into apples and stir together until dissolved. Continue cooking until the mixture is thickened, about 2-3 minutes. 
5. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and butter.
6. Let the apple mixture cool completely, and then transfer apples to a storage container or tupperware and keep refrigerated.

Notes

Cooked apple pie filling will keep for up to 7 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 300g Sugar
• 225g Egg whites (pasteurized)
• 340g Butter (room temperature)
• t.t vanilla - To taste 

Method

• In a large bowl over a ban-Marie combine egg whites and sugar and cook occasionally whisking to allow for even cooking.
• Mixture is ready when its warm to touch and sugar is dissolved completely (rub the mixture between your fingers, continue to cook if you feel the texture to be gritty.)
• Transfer to an electric mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk until it is cool to touch, usually around 25 minutes.
• Add softened butter gradually and whip until incorporated, then add vanilla or the flavours of your choice.
• Flavour the buttercream however you like, whip in extract, melted chocolate, fruit purees or even Oreo crumbs, let your creativity shine!!!

Buttercream Troubleshooting 

The number one problem with buttercream is splitting, if this happens try one of the following solutions.

With heat – Warm Buttercream slightly, this can be done by microwaving it of 10 second blasts whisking each time until it comes together.  If you like, remove a tablespoon of the mixture melt it completely in the microwave and add it back to the mixture.

With friction – Continue to whip buttercream in a stand mixer, sometimes it can take approximately ten minutes to come back together.

With butter – Add more room temperature butter, do this one tablespoon at a time until the mixture comes back together.