On April 29 – 30, Emily Kelley, a 2011 BHS graduate, and current lead fondant decorator, at a large bakery in Morristown, New Jersey, shared her talents and expertise with my Family and Consumer Science classes. Emily taught FACS classes the basics of decorating a two-layer cake, using buttercream icing. She showed students basic decorating techniques such as making rosettes, borders, swiss dots, and lettering. Emily also taught students how to work with fondant to create flowers and bows to add extra detail to cakes and desserts. Students were given 6 cupcakes each to demonstrate the various techniques Emily shared.
Emily also visited BHS art classes to share how art is a big part of her occupation. Her cakes are edible works of art. The students enjoyed hearing about Emily’s job and how she received her specialized training through a non-traditional approach. Rather than study at a culinary school, Emily arranged an apprenticeship (or internship) at a bakery in Florence, Italy, that specialized in weddings cakes. After her first summer, the bakery owner asked her to come back the following summers to work. Emily learned invaluable skills through this hands-on training. When she moved to New Jersey after graduating from Indiana University with a B.S. in fine arts, her excellent artistic skills with cakes earned her a job doing what she loves.
Emily emphasized to students that real-life experiences, like apprenticeships and internships, can develop skills for future careers. She also told students about the importance of finding a career that they enjoy.
As a culminating activity, this week Baking and Pastries classes are baking and decorating cakes for a cake decorating contest. BHS students and staff will vote on the best decorated cakes from each class.
