Hands on Elana Pastry fundamentals

Layer Cake Fundamentals

Are you ready to master elaborate cakes for your next celebration? Layer cakes don’t have to be complicated — they just need good structure, balanced flavor, and a few reliable techniques. In this 6-hour hands-on class, we’ll break down every component of a great cake: mixing methods, crumb structure, fillings, frostings, assembly, and decoration.
You’ll bake tender cake layers, and make a complementary filling and Swiss meringue buttercream. Then learn how to stack, fill, crumb-coat, and decorate a polished 6-inch cake to take home.

What to Expect

Hands-on mixing and baking of cake layers
Make silky-smooth Swiss meringue buttercream and a seasonal filling
Learn to level, stack, fill, crumb-coat, and decorate a small celebration cake
Learn some cake decoration basics, including piping methods and decor techniques
Discussion of mixing methods, cake structure, and common troubleshooting
A 6" cake (enough to feed 10-12 people) and a detailed recipe packet to take home
Coffee, soft drinks, and lunch included; additional food and beverages available for purchase

Please let us know about any food allergies at checkout. Vegan and vegetarian lunch options available. This class includes wheat, dairy, almonds, and eggs. We are not able to accommodate gluten allergies in our flour-filled teaching kitchen.

Who This Course Is For

Beginners who want to learn core cake-building skills
Intermediate bakers looking to refine technique and consistency
Anyone preparing to bake cakes for birthdays, events, or special occasions

What to Bring

Just yourself – all ingredients and materials are provided

Recipes

Almond Sour Cream Layer Cake
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Seasonal Filling (varies by session)

Meet Your Instructor
Elana Berusch is a baker and food scientist who loves to play with her food and push the boundaries of pastry. She believes that baking can and should be accessible to anyone who has the desire to learn, and strives to demystify recipes and techniques that seem intimidating. When she's not baking, Elana can be found hosting silly parties for friends, doing arts & crafts, or gardening.

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Cancellation and Refund Policy

Please read our policy

Due to limited seating, we request that you cancel by email or phone at least 24 hours in advance to receive store credit. This allows us the opportunity to fill your spot. When you cancel within this window, we will send you a one-time coupon code so you can rebook another class. We do not offer refunds. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before class, or no-shows, will forfeit the full payment and are not eligible for store credit. We reserve the right to cancel a class for any reason, though this typically only occurs in rare situations such as instructor illness. If this happens, you may choose between a full refund or store credit to rebook.

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Late Arrival Policy

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Our classes begin promptly at the scheduled start time and many recipes start immediately with steps that build on one another. Because of this, any participant arriving more than 15 minutes after class begins will not be admitted. Late arrivals cannot be refunded, credited, or rescheduled. We are not able to catch guests up, restart instructions, or have participants join partway through the process.

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Liability Acknowledgement and Waiver

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We want you to have a safe, fun, and delicious time in our kitchen. Cooking and baking involve certain risks—things like working with sharp tools, hot surfaces, and handling food. By joining our classes, you agree to take care while participating and to follow all safety instructions from our team. Rebel Bread, its owners, instructors, and staff can’t be held responsible for any injury, illness, loss, or damage that may happen as part of the experience. By attending, you agree to participate at your own risk and release Rebel Bread from any liability to the fullest extent allowed by law.

I understand and accept the risks involved in cooking and baking activities

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