Cakes & Pies Course

Lesson 1 • Personal Hygiene for Bakers

Covers handwashing protocols, protective clothing, and illness policies. Establishes the personal hygiene baseline required before any hands-on baking begins.

Lesson 2 • Workspace Organisation and Mise en Place

Introduces mise en place as a safety and efficiency strategy in baking. An organised station reduces errors and contamination risks throughout production.

Lesson 3 • Cross-Contamination Prevention

Identifies allergen and pathogen transfer risks in a shared baking workspace. Builds habits that protect customers and comply with food hygiene standards.

Lesson 1 • Equipment Identification and Care

Surveys essential baking tools, tins, and appliances and their correct use. Proper equipment selection directly affects recipe success throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Measurement and Recipe Scaling

Introduces weight-based measurement and baker's percentages for precision. Provides the scaling skills needed to adjust any recipe in the course.

Lesson 3 • Heat Transfer and Oven Dynamics

Covers conduction, convection, and radiation as they apply to baking. Connects oven behaviour to crust formation and interior doneness.

Lesson 4 • Core Ingredients and Their Roles

Examines flour, sugar, fat, eggs, leaveners, and liquids as functional components. Establishes the ingredient knowledge base required for every recipe in the course.

Lesson 1 • Pâte Sucrée and Sweet Pastry

Covers the enriched sweet dough used for tarts and dessert pie bases. Higher sugar and egg content requires adjusted handling compared to shortcrust.

Lesson 2 • Rough Puff and Laminated Dough

Introduces layering technique to create lift and flakiness in pie lids and turnovers. Students practise folding sequences that build distinct pastry layers.

Lesson 3 • Shortcrust Pastry Technique

Teaches fat-to-flour ratios and cold-fat method for a tender, crumbly crust. Shortcrust is the foundation for most pie shells covered in later chapters.

Lesson 4 • Rolling, Lining, and Trimming

Develops the hand skills needed to roll dough evenly and line tins without tearing. Consistent thickness directly affects even baking and presentation.

Lesson 1 • Chemical Leavening in Cakes

Explains how baking powder and baking soda interact with batter chemistry to produce rise. Correct leavener selection prevents dense or collapsed cakes.

Lesson 2 • Baking Variables and Quality Control

Addresses tin size, oven temperature, and altitude as variables affecting cake outcomes. Systematic adjustments here prevent failures in advanced cake projects.

Lesson 3 • Butter Cakes and the Creaming Method

Covers the creaming method in depth to produce light, fine-crumbed butter cakes. Proper aeration during creaming is the primary driver of volume and texture.

Lesson 4 • Specialty Cake Batters

Introduces pound cake, red velvet, and oil-based carrot cake as distinct batter profiles. Each requires specific adjustments to fat type, liquid ratio, and mixing order.

Lesson 1 • Whipped Cream and Mousse Fillings

Covers stabilised whipped cream and gelatin-set mousse for chiffon and cream pies. Stability is critical for fillings that must hold shape during slicing and service.

Lesson 2 • Fruit Fillings and Thickening Agents

Covers fresh, frozen, and canned fruit fillings and the starches used to thicken them. Starch selection and concentration determine filling clarity and set.

Lesson 3 • Pastry Cream and Custard Bases

Teaches stovetop pastry cream and baked custard using egg yolk coagulation. These bases are used in cream pies, tarts, and cake fillings throughout the course.

Lesson 4 • Nut, Chocolate, and Specialty Fillings

Introduces pecan pie filling, chocolate ganache and frangipane as specialty options. Each requires precise sugar cooking or emulsification technique.

Lesson 1 • Troubleshooting Icing Problems

Diagnoses and corrects common icing failures including graininess, separation, and air bubbles. Consistent icing quality is required for the decorating chapter ahead.

Lesson 2 • Buttercream Varieties and Preparation

Covers American, Swiss meringue, Italian meringue, and French buttercreams. Each type differs in stability, sweetness, and application method.

Lesson 3 • Crumb Coating and Layering Technique

Introduces the crumb coat as the foundation for a clean final icing layer. Proper layering and levelling technique is essential before any decorative work.

Lesson 4 • Cream Cheese and Ganache Icings

Teaches cream cheese icing stability and ganache as a pourable or whipped coating. Both are essential for carrot cake, chocolate cake, and tart finishing.

Lesson 1 • Garnishes and Final Presentation

Covers fresh fruit arrangement, chocolate decorations, and plating for service. Professional presentation increases perceived value and customer satisfaction.

Lesson 2 • Fondant Covering and Modelling

Covers rolling, draping, and smoothing fondant over a buttercream-coated cake. Fondant modelling extends decoration into three-dimensional elements.

Lesson 3 • Piping Techniques and Tip Selection

Teaches bag filling, pressure control, and the use of round, star, and petal nozzles. Piping skill is the primary tool for borders, rosettes, and lettering on cakes.

Lesson 4 • Pie Lid Designs and Lattice Work

Teaches full lid venting, woven lattice, and decorative cutout tops for pies. Lid design affects both visual appeal and steam release during baking.

Lesson 1 • Quality Control Checkpoints

Establishes sensory and measurement checks at each production stage. Catching defects early reduces waste and maintains consistent product standards.

Lesson 2 • Production Scheduling and Batch Planning

Covers sequencing tasks across a production day to maximise oven and labour efficiency. Proper scheduling prevents bottlenecks and ensures on-time delivery.

Lesson 3 • Packaging, Labelling, and Shelf Life

Covers appropriate packaging materials, allergen labelling requirements, and storage life for cakes and pies. Correct packaging protects quality and meets food safety obligations.

Lesson 4 • Self-Evaluation and Continuous Improvement

Guides students to critique their own work against professional benchmarks and set improvement goals. Reflective practice is the engine of long-term skill development.