cake decorating. – Lindsey the Vagabond

For this episode of Lindsey Does a Thing and Writes About It, we’re entering the beautiful, sugary world of cake decorating. A few weeks ago, a baker I admire on the ol’ ‘gram – Beca Lew of @rosegoldveganbakery – shared that she was hosting her first out-of-town workshop in Marshall, North Carolina in Whiskey Dog Wares‘ studio – just a short drive from Asheville. A few clicks and bucks, and I was signed up. Last Sunday was workshop day!

Eight piping bags filled with varying shades of green frosting lie on top of a wooden table

Now, cake decor isn’t a brand new learning experience for me. Many years ago, when I was a wee tween, I took a multi-week night class at a local vocational school with a friend from church. I made (and ate) my weight in frosting and butter mints. So. Many. Crumb. Coats.

But I digress. I don’t make many cakes these days. I don’t go to church anymore, so there are no potlucks to urge on my competitive-for-no-reason baking nature. And I’ve become a pretty lazy cook in general. AND, last but not least, if I have cake around, I will eat said cake.

Five, small frosted cakes are spaced out on top of a white paper background - two blue, one pink, one green, one yellow

This workshop though, with Beca Lew, was perfect for someone like me. She arrived with adorable little two-layer cakes. They already had a rough base of frosting in varying colors – pale pink, blue, green, and yellow – so we could all get right to work with the pretty stuff. Does that make me sound shallow?

To start out, we divided into two groups: a foliage group and a flower group. The foliage people (insert horror movie *scream* here: THE FOLIAGE PEOPLE) started piping leaves and succulents and fronds and cacti directly onto their cakes. Whereas the flower people (peace and love) created roses on pieces of wax paper stuck on top of a flat dowel. We then let them dry a bit before transferring to a foliage-d cake. I started as a flower person.

Beca's tattooed hands hold a green piping bag, demonstrating how to make a ropey succulent cake topper

It was a really fun workshop, and I like how my cake turned out. It wasn’t incredibly in-depth, because you can’t do in-depth in two hours on a Sunday afternoon. BUT. I learned that vegan buttercream tastes just as good as butter buttercream. I learned that I like the flavor of “regular” cake better than vegan, but I have a great deal of respect for the Rose Gold Vegan Bakery’s commitment to their ethical code. (She apparently had bottle baby kittens in the car that she cared for on the road. No kittens mixing with cake, unfortunately. I mean, health standards. But still – my DREAM. I guess I can do that at home?)

My cake decoration mid-stream: folliage and cacti have been added. Icing roses wait to be affixed. Practice frosting scribbles surround.

But, you ask, what were my two favorite things about the workshop? Well, I’ll tell you: 1. I got to get messy and creative in a way that is rare for me. I think it rare for adults in general – to be able to design on the fly in a temporary medium, choosing whatever color speaks to you in the moment, icing all over hands. 2. Related to that, everyone started out with similar “canvases,” but each end result was totally unique.

The class group are gathered around the table, each person working intently and drinking La Croix sparkling water

My finished cake - a white and green base, covered in shades of green folliage and cacti, plus purple and bright orange and purple roses. Piping bags surround. — My grande finale.

And that, my friends, is the story of my most recent educational endeavor. What’s next? Wait and see!