101 Best Courses for 2013

Homes & Antiques magazine, February 2013

“This year, why not make a resolution to take up a long-forgotten hobby or to try something new? We’ve combed the country to find the best, most inspiring courses around – all you have to do is pick one!”

CAKES & BAKING
Vintage Cupcakes – The Lace Collection
Farncombe Courses, Cotswolds

By Rosanna Morris

DECORATING CUPCAKES – how hard can it be? After taking The Lace Collection day class at the Farncombe Estate, you might be eating your words. In this advanced workshop, amateur cake makers can push themselves to new heights by embossing fondant and covering cake tops in delicate sugar lace under the expert tuition of Anny Myles of The Creative Cake Academy.

The Farncombe Estate, on a hill overlooking the beautiful Vale of Evesham, offers workshops on everything from choral evensong to creative writing. Among the 12 attendees honing their cake-decorating skills was H&A reader Mary Spiteri, who’d come along with her friend, Stephanie Johnson, for a bit of fun.

After a demonstration from Ann, the room went quiet as we concentrated on our creations, save for the occasional, ‘I’m having terrible trouble with my butterfly,’ (from Mary) and a few giggles as lace stuck to fingers instead of icing.

Before long, the perfectionist in all of us came out. ‘Everyone likes to leave with 12 perfect cakes,’ says Ann. Her tutoring must be fantastic as, against all the odds, we did exactly that.

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