Culinary School Chronicles: Mastering the Art of Cakes, Breads, and Petits Fours – Part 3

Eight intensive weeks have flown by since my last culinary school update. It feels like just yesterday I was sharing my initial experiences, and now, here we are, diving into the third installment of my professional baking journey. If you’re just joining, you can catch up on school update one and get a glimpse of what’s next in culinary school update 4.

In these past eight weeks, my classmates and I have tackled a staggering 118 recipes, utilizing a grand total of 21 pounds of butter. Before you jump to conclusions, let me assure you: 21 pounds of butter spread across dozens of students and over a hundred recipes is, surprisingly, not an exorbitant amount in the world of professional baking. Butter, after all, is the backbone of countless classic pastries, providing richness, structure, and incomparable flavor. But no, I won’t disclose where *all* that butter ended up. Let’s just say this blog is a safe, judgment-free zone for pastry enthusiasts!

It’s a strange dichotomy: I have an abundance to share, yet it feels impossible to capture the whirlwind of experiences in words. The vast array of recipes, techniques, and flavors we’ve encountered has created a beautiful, albeit overwhelming, blur. Days melt into weeks, and the constant influx of information swirls in my mind, manifesting in dreams where I’m endlessly piping “Happy Birthday” or conjuring perfect pastry cream in my sleep – sometimes, it feels like my arm might actually fall off from all the whisking!

Given how swiftly time has passed, the reality of culinary school drawing to a close is becoming increasingly palpable. And, I must confess, that thought stirs a profound sadness within me.

What will become of the incredible friendships I’ve forged with my fellow aspiring chefs? How will I cope without the daily guidance and inspiration from my favorite instructors, who have become mentors? What about the exhilarating pace of learning and creating that has become an integral part of my daily routine? And this vibrant city, New York, which I’ve grown to adore and explore through its rich culinary landscape?

But the question that weighs most heavily on my mind, the one that truly keeps me pondering, is:

What will I do after graduation? The future is a blank slate, and while exciting, it’s also a source of daily contemplation. I’m open to any and all suggestions, ideas, or wisdom you might have to offer!

But for now, let’s shift our focus from existential questions to the truly delicious: what I’ve been actively BAKING!

Oh, there’s so much to talk about, so many incredible creations! Let me take you on a culinary tour of the diverse world of cakes, the satisfying craft of bread making, more elaborate cakes, and the delicate artistry of Petits Fours.

The Sweet Beginnings: Exploring Cakes

Our introduction to the cake unit was a delightful progression, starting with classic loaf cakes. We learned to master the art of a perfectly baked Chocolate Swirled Pound Cake, which incidentally, is one of my absolute favorite photos from the entire course. We also perfected a bright Lemon Pound Cake, brimming with zesty flavor, and indulged in rich chocolate fudge cupcakes. It was a gentle easing into more complex baking, allowing us to build foundational skills.

Yes, cupcakes! You can bet I was as excited as a child on Christmas morning. The sheer joy of decorating these miniature delights was almost overwhelming. Trying to contain my enthusiasm proved to be a #fail!

One of the fascinating practical tips I picked up was the secret to achieving that perfectly straight slit down the middle of a loaf cake. It’s not magic, but pure technique! After about 15 minutes in the oven, chefs actually open the oven door and carefully slice the top of the cake with a knife. This controlled cut ensures a beautiful, even crack as the cake continues to rise. My childhood dreams of baking being purely magical were somewhat crushed, as it turns out, magic only exists in Harry Potter. #dreamscrushed

And then there are sponge cakes, like the delicate génoise. Here, the challenge is understanding that leavening isn’t solely about the creaming method or chemical agents. It’s about incorporating air through whipped eggs, where those tiny bubbles are the primary leaveners. Mmm hmm, just air. It’s pure science, not magic (as proven above!), and remarkably easy to deflate if you’re not careful. Not that I’d know anything about that… 😉

Throughout all this cake making, we’ve continually squeezed in piping practice, because apparently, elegantly piping “Happy Birthday” is a pastry chef’s new best friend. I’m still hoping for a new friend, perhaps one who doesn’t demand such precise calligraphy!

But fear not, for whenever the piping drills got too intense, the Flourless Chocolate Cake came to the rescue! This rich, dense delight, adorned with delicate chocolate meringue sticks and a sprinkle of cocoa nibs, was truly #ooc (out of this world). And with the blink of an eye, and just one more meticulously piped “Happy Birthday,” we transitioned to the wonderful world of bread!

The Art of Artisanal Bread Baking

If you thought I was excited about cupcakes, brace yourselves! Bread is more than just a food; it’s a profound weakness I’ve nurtured since birth. My mom can certainly attest to my lifelong love affair with warm, freshly baked bread. Right, Mom? Right.

This entire bread unit can essentially be summarized with one ecstatic utterance: OMGITWASSOGOODICANHARDLYBREATHE! The sheer variety and quality of the breads we produced were astounding. It was a true immersion into the foundational elements of baking.

Quick Breads: Speed Meets Flavor

Much like with cakes, we started our bread journey with quick breads. Chef Jürgen, with his characteristic precision, was quick to inform us that they aren’t called “quick” because they’re made quickly in the kitchen, but because they utilize chemical leavening agents (like baking powder or soda) instead of the slower, organic leavening process of yeast. While chemical leavening *does* mimic yeast action in less time, the distinction felt like splitting hairs to me. Whether it’s the speed of preparation or the leavening method, the outcome was consistently delicious scones, fluffy blueberry crumb muffins, and fragrant lemon poppyseed muffins.

Exploring Yeast Breads: A World of Texture and Aroma

The sheer volume of yeast breads we produced in such a short time was incredible. We learned the intricate dance of kneading, proofing, and shaping to create an impressive array of baked goods. We made chewy bagels, perfectly griddled English muffins, aromatic focaccia, robust traditional harvest grain loaves, soft milk bread, and beautifully swirled orange bread. But then there were the pecan sticky buns… HOLD UP!

These pecan sticky buns are absolutely to die for. They’re crafted from the same wonderfully soft orange swirl bread dough, generously spread with an extra layer of cinnamon sugar, and then topped with the most exquisite caramel pecan concoction I have ever tasted. It just goes to show, cinnamon sugar truly makes everything better!

And then there was the beauty of Challah! Its rich, eggy, braided form is not just a visual delight but a taste sensation. And if that wasn’t enough butter and eggs for your bread cravings, we moved on to brioche – that utterly luxurious, buttery, and incredibly rich French bread. Simply divine.

However, every baker has their nemesis, and mine (not in a good way) is croissants. Despite countless attempts, I have yet to make a croissant dough without the butter layer breaking during the crucial lamination process. This skill continues to elude me, and my perfectionist tendencies are, to say the least, not pleased.

What’s truly baffling is that I can flawlessly produce Danish pastry dough, which is quite similar to croissant dough but contains more milk and eggs, making it undeniably AMAZING. The fundamental techniques of folding and rolling butter into dough are virtually the same, yet croissants remain my culinary white whale. It’s one of those complicated questions to which I simply don’t have an answer.

All I can say is, after this unit on bread, my waistline and I parted ways indefinitely.

Cakes 2: The Art of Advanced Patisserie

The exhilarating, breakneck pace of culinary school certainly didn’t ease up as we moved into the more complicated world of Cakes 2. In fact, the intricate creations we crafted in this unit made our initial cake lessons seem like child’s play. At ICC, the journey only gets more intense and rewarding.

Say hello to the Charlottes, a category of elegant, molded desserts. Above, we have the beautiful Charlotte Russe, constructed with delicate ladyfingers encasing a light and airy fruit mousse. Below, however, is the rather peculiar-looking Charlotte Royale, a dessert that requires painstakingly shaping a jelly roll into a half-sphere and then filling it with a rich Bavarian cream. While visually intriguing, I’ll be honest: it was rather… disgusting. Just keeping it real here!

The Intricacy of Modern Entremet Cakes

And if the Charlottes weren’t complex enough, behold the modern entremet cakes. These culinary masterpieces are a true testament to advanced pastry artistry.

Entremets are composed of layers upon layers of carefully balanced textures and flavors, all meticulously brought together to create one cohesive, stunning dessert. This is no small feat. Take, for example, the Chocolate Caramel Tropical Fruit Entremet (the top left and bottom right photos above). Its foundation is a delicate coconut biscuit dacquoise, a meringue-based cake, which is then layered with a creamy caramel milk chocolate Bavarian cream, a homemade vibrant pineapple compote, a light chocolate génoise cake, and finally, a layer of tangy passion fruit Bavarian cream. The entire exquisite creation is then encircled by a light, airy egg-foam cake, which is baked over a decorative yellow pâte à cornet pattern (yes, you even prepare this intricate cookie-like batter). To finish, the top is elegantly flooded with a glossy chocolate ganache and adorned with intricate decorations.

And of course, no entremet would be truly complete without a touch of edible gold leaf, adding that final shimmer and “bling.” This elaborate process, from careful construction to delicate decoration, explains precisely why these types of sophisticated cakes command prices upwards of $20 per slice. It is, undeniably, a lot of meticulous work.

We also immersed ourselves in the intricate techniques of working with fondant, learning how to color, roll, and expertly cover cakes to achieve a smooth, flawless finish. Beyond traditional fondant, we experimented with fondipan, a delightful mixture of fondant and marzipan, offering a unique texture and flavor profile.

And yes, the practice of writing “Happy Birthday” continued. A lot.

Even with the intense curriculum, there was barely enough time to assemble complex cakes like the exquisite Chocolate Caramel Roulade Cake you see above. The real challenge often came with the decoration phase: we often had less than 20 minutes to artfully finish our creations. It makes you wonder, what truly impressive decoration can one achieve in just 20 minutes under pressure?

Last but certainly not least, we perfected the carrot cake – a recipe so incredibly moist and delicious that my husband declared it the best he’d ever tasted. It was such a hit that I simply had to adapt it into these delightful carrot cake cupcakes for home baking.

Petits Fours: Tiny Bites of Pure Delight

For all my friends and eager recipients who were expecting “tiny cakes” when I promised them Petits Fours, let’s clarify the definition! In the culinary world, Petits Fours are essentially anything you can savor in one or two delightful bites. This broad category encompasses an incredible variety of miniature treats.

So, those delicate macarons? Petits Fours. Savory, cheesy gougères? Petits Fours. Even fluffy, artisanal marshmallows? Petits Fours. The scope is wonderfully expansive, allowing for endless creativity in miniature form.

Some of these tiny delights were incredibly intricate. I can’t even begin to imagine the labor involved in preparing 40, let alone 1000, for a grand party or event. Take, for instance, those exquisite little boat-shaped ones on the far left of the tray pictured above: Chestnut Barquettes. The process is a testament to French pastry precision.

First, you meticulously press pâte sucrée (sweet pastry dough) into tiny molds. Then, you pipe a minuscule amount of rich classic almond cream into each, and bake them to golden perfection. Next, these delicate shells are filled with a smooth, flavorful chestnut cream, which is then skillfully shaped with an offset spatula to achieve that beautifully tapered, elegant form. And because all that wasn’t quite enough work, the final step involves carefully dipping each barquette into a glossy chocolate glaze, being extra precise to ensure no glaze touches the delicate pie crust. I know. The French. Their dedication to perfection is truly incroyable.

For an entire week, I was surrounded by Petits Fours – more than I could possibly show you here, more than could ever fit on our trays. The sheer volume and variety were astonishing, to the point where I just can’t even with the petits fours anymore! (In the best possible way, of course.)

Concluding Thoughts on My Culinary Journey

This is where I’ll leave you for now, having shared a glimpse into the intense, challenging, and incredibly rewarding journey of these past eight weeks at culinary school. There’s always so much more to show and tell, but I’m sure I’ve stretched your attention span as much as I’ve stretched my own in recounting it all!

For daily glimpses into my kitchen creations and the delightful sweet and savory treats I encounter around NYC, be sure to follow me on Instagram. And if your appetite for culinary school updates remains unsated, you can always revisit my previous posts: the First and Second Culinary School Updates. Stay tuned for more delicious adventures!