The Voice

Issue date: 2/12/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Rachelle Marshall Instructor Sharyl Lafortune gives individual demonstrations to help students get the hang of rose making techniques.

As Valentine's Day approaches, many of us find ourselves struggling to come up with creative and meaningful gifts for our friends and significant others. This is not the case for students in Sharyl Lafortune's beginning cake decorating class.

Cake decorating is a one-credit course that meets in the Student Center's culinary kitchen on Thursday afternoons. Students learn how to express themselves using cake as a canvas, and the skills they develop in class will allow them to share a finished piece of artwork that will be appreciated on many levels.

The course has no prerequisites and focuses strictly on the decorating aspect of cake design. Students provide their own undecorated cake layers, which they can prepare at home or have someone else prepare for them. Upon arrival to class they prepare their supplies, and begin the quite involved process of design.

Last week in class, students focused on techniques to build roses. To begin they smoothed the air bubbles out of their icing by spreading it over a pan, then scraped it off and put it in frosting bags. Once this step is completed students can go on to actually creating the roses.

Students learn two methods for making roses and are taught the importance of building a good icing base to support the rose design. Technique is very important, especially making sure to hold the frosting bag properly and having control over the movement of one's wrist. Students should not compare their roses to others, said instructor Sharyl Lafortune. "Everybody does their roses differently."

The art of cake design requires, like any art medium, knowledge of tools and techniques. Students use different tips on the end of their frosting bags to produce different shapes or designs. It is also important to keep in mind wrist movements, considering the speed, turn, and pressure of each part of a design. Students are given plenty of time to work on their roses in class while Lafortune walks around to offer help and encouragement, telling students, "It takes practice."

As for course work, the majority of one's grade consists of participation credit and a final exam. There is a written quiz on terminology, but mostly students learn through hands-on demonstrations. For the final, students must decorate a one layer, or one tier, cake and must create a theme of their choice. The requirements for the test are that students use three different colors, five different tip techniques, and include flowers in their design. They are graded on the start to finish of the design and not on taste. Over the course of the semester, students must demonstrate knowledge of different icings and creams, how to smooth and crumb coat, and other decorating techniques like designing borders and message inscriptions. Lafortune says her goal for students is that, "If someone were to ask them to make a birthday cake that they'd be able to put one together."

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