`One of the reasons making cakes is satisfying is that the effort required is so much less than the gratitude conferred," writes Nigella Lawson in her recent book on baking, How to be a Domestic Goddess. "Everyone seems to think it's hard to make a cake (and no need to disillusion them), but it doesn't take more than 25 minutes to make and bake a tray of muffins or a sponge layer cake, and the returns are high: you feel disproportionately good about yourself afterwards." The "Sweet Temptation" cake course run by the National Bakery School doesn't dwell much on the endorphic rush its students might experience, but it does promise to give participants "a sound understanding of the fundamentals of baking", and the endorphins may well follow.
The cake-making course is aimed at mature students (those over 23 years of age) and it is possible to sign up now for the next course, which begins in September. The course is modular in structure and there are four modules in all. Each module currently costs £70, but fees will be going up next year. The course is offered three times per week (including a Saturday morning) and each module lasts five weeks. The course is designed by professionals, but it's aimed at the amateur baker - and no previous experience is necessary.
The course is designed to give students a taste of cake-making from around the world and covers familiar favourites such as Irish porter cake as well as gateaux from France, Austrian torten and American cheesecakes. The first module concentrates exclusively on festive baking and covers traditional yuletide "must-haves" such as Christmas cake, mince tarts and plum pudding. Module two deals with "classic cakes" and includes Madeira and Dundee cakes as well as sponges, roulades, creams and custards. In module three, students get to grips with party treats such as mini-quiches and sausage whirls, meringues, brownies and profiteroles while the advanced fourth module deals with the big guns of the cake world: sacher torte, strudel, millefeuille and devil's food cake.
The National Bakery School is part of the Dublin Institute of Technology and the cake-making course takes place at the Bakery School's HQ in Kevin Street. The school operates to the highest professional standards and all students have to be properly attired. A white coat/chef's tunic and appropriate head covering are required. The college has these items for sale. For more information, contact the National Bakery School at (01) 402 4676.
