Learning to Decorate Cupcakes with Peggy Porschen

Every domestic goddess must absolutely be able to make the most beautiful cupcakes.  Me included, but I need a little help in decorating them and right now Peggy Porschen’s name is hot cake scene.  In cake conversation on twitter Peggy's name is scattered like wedding confetti across the twittersphere.   Women all over the country are drawn to her fabulous feminine girly style of delicious cakes and it is hardly surprising because Peggy is amazing.  She is regularly commissioned to make cakes for people such Gwyneth Paltrow, Stella McCartney and recently made Kate Moss’s wedding cake. In Autumn 2010 the Peggy Porschen Parlour in London's Belgravia opened closely followed in January this year by her cake-decorating academy.

With her fourth book underway it’s an incredible achievement to have opened this academy especially when you consider that she’s started her business on her own after training as a pastry chef taking her cake decorating passion to become one of the most inspiring and creative artisan cake decorators in the county.

Now the truth is that I can bake the most fabulous cakes, but if I am honest, then I must admit that, until not so long ago if I decorated a cake people would smile and turn to congratulate my nearest child, because my cake decorating skills were really really not great.

I felt rather a failure, I mean how else is one supposed to feel when even the most delicious cake look ridiculous?   Yes I know what you are thinking, that I am exaggerating, but to me cake decorating would send me into blind panic, so a cake-decorating course taught by Peggy herself offered the perfect solution to what was becoming a bit of a sticking point in my culinary world.

Even looking at the photos of the cakes I was to decorate en route to London my state of mind was such that I found myself having one of those strange moments. As I stared at the picture I half snorted and half laughed out loud at the very idea of me producing something half as pretty. Consequently the other passengers all bunked down, staring even harder at their phones and newspapers as I colored up in total embarrassment!

Well as you can see from the photos my cakes were not the disaster I was expecting. I really needn’t have worried.  Peggy was just lovely.  Her explanations were detailed and simple. Each process was broken down into small steps, she was fantastic as a tutor and clearly really enjoyed teaching. 

The class had people from all over the world.  Indeed there were two ladies from Italy, another lady traveling back to Tenerife and another taking her cupcakes to Hong Kong.   Although we all made the same cupcake  .. everyone was individual and styled slightly differently.

In the space of a day I learnt to be far more confident making my sugar craft flowers. I used fondant for the very first time and got some brilliant tips and techniques with the royal icing.  Peggy’s ways are shared as fun, informative, and with the practical demonstrations followed by being able to do the same ourselves it was the perfect learning environment. 

I certainly didn’t feel half as stupid as I thought I would and was in reality I was far better that I could have imagined. I just needed to be shown how to do certain things better and the one to one time with Peggy was great.  She made sure she spent time with everyone -  which I thought was really professional.

I had a moment to ask Peggy about how she became on of the countries leading cake decorators.  You can listen to what she said here.

I met another blogger called Rebecca who has Cupcake Cavern and she wrote a much more detailed how to guide in her lovely blog you can read it here.

Now I’m not saying that I am amazing yet but I feel so much more confident that I may even consider decorating my own Christmas cake this year.

And for a chance to win Peggy’s latest book click here.

The Peggy Porschen Parlour address is 116 Ebury Street, Belgravia, London SW1W 9QQ
Tel +44 (0) 20 7730 1316. Or you can visit the website at www.peggyporschen.com