Updates/Pictures 1st yrs Academy
A Sweet Start to the 2026–2027 Youth Baking Academy!
September: Our 1st Year Youth Baking Academy students had another amazing weekend in the kitchen!
This month, we explored how a basic boxed cake mix can be enhanced by looking at ingredients we may already have in our pantry and asking, “What can we add to improve the flavor, texture, and overall cake?” The students put that idea into practice by creating a Mint Chocolate Cake, adding mint chocolate candies and Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream to the mix — and let’s just say, it was a BIG hit!
They were also introduced to Buttercream Transfers and continued building their piping skills with new techniques and lots of hands-on practice.
One of the biggest lessons this weekend, though, had nothing to do with a perfect cake. We talked about what to do when something doesn’t go exactly as planned — how to slow down, be patient, troubleshoot the problem, and sometimes find a creative way to turn a mistake into part of the design. Those are skills every baker needs!
We are so proud of the progress these young bakers are making, and we’ll be sharing pictures of their finished cakes below.
We invite you to follow along as they continue their journey, celebrate their accomplishments, and watch their talents grow throughout the year.
Follow the Cake Craft Shoppe Youth Baking Academy on Facebook for class highlights, student achievements, and behind-the-scenes moments:
https://www.facebook.com/CCSBakingAcademy/
We can't wait to see what these future cake artists create next!
October
Our 1st Year Youth Baking Academy students packed a lot of learning into this weekend!
They started by baking a Red Velvet Cake from scratch and also preparing a boxed cake mix that they enhanced to improve the flavor and texture. Then they used both cakes to create a fun and colorful Checkerboard Cake — a great way to combine baking, layering, design, and precision all in one project.
Our bakers also added several new decorating skills to their toolbox this month. They learned how to pipe Rosebuds, Half Roses, and Carnations, practiced several new borders, and were introduced to Palette Painting with buttercream to create beautiful floral designs and textures.
We also continued reinforcing skills from last month, including shells, stars, and swags. Repetition is such an important part of building confidence and consistency, and it is wonderful to see the students becoming more comfortable with their piping bags each month.
A very special thank you to Johnson Brothers for providing the buttercream our students used to practice their piping skills and decorate their cakes. Their support helps give our young bakers the hands-on practice they need to continue growing.
We are so proud of this group and the progress they are making. Each month they are adding new techniques, strengthening the basics, and becoming more confident in the kitchen.
Take a look at their work from this weekend and leave them a little encouragement in the comments!
