This One Time, I Made Cupcakes…

I was lucky enough to enjoy an early Father’s Day present thanks to GiftItNow.com.au and took part in a Cupcake cooking class at the Spring Food & Wine Cooking School.

While I felt a little conspicuous arriving as the only male without a partner – gents, there were LOTS of ladies present – the atmosphere is very inviting and walking in through the restaurant only made it feel a little more welcoming.

Sujata runs the cupcake class and was an enjoyable ball of energy. The recipes she shares are hers and the two we made on the night (vanilla & chocolate) were just mouth-watering. She has lots of great ideas to spice up your cupcakes and everything was well prepared for the class to bog in and make the batter (delicious in itself) and then bang them in the V ZUG ovens and wait expectantly. It’s not just about the cooking though…

While we waited for our creations to emerge from the ovens (top tip: grab one of the chocolate ones after they’ve cooled just a little – melt in your mouth amazing!) there was talk of icing, piping techniques and cupcake decoration. Not just your boring spoon of icing either – gum paste and fondant creations to be, well, as proud as you can be of your creativity. At least you get to eat your successes and failures! You’ll also get a number of other cupcakes to take home should you want to.

Cooking School boss Mark was also present, prepping food for a class the next day though was a willing sous chef to Sujata in the process and always willing to assist a bewildered man well out of his element (i.e. me). He was very proud of his concern and extremely capable – I’d love to return and attend one of his classes in the near future to further extend my limited culinary range of skills.

It doesn’t hurt that you can quaff a glass of wine from the extensive list available or enjoy a well made coffee while you cook. Either way it eases the pain.

Even though my decorating skills leave a lot to be desired I had a great time at the cupcake class, and I look forward to enjoying a few other classes soon.

Looking for a great gift idea this Father’s Day? Jump over to GiftItNow.com.au and grab Dad his own cooking class or one of hundreds of other gift certificates or experiences. He’s sure to have a great time (not a bad idea for Mum either – or anyone else for that matter!).