Happy first week of November to you! I hope the fall weather is treating you well and that you have (some) Halloween candy left. I'm eating the teeniest of Twix (or three) as I write this! #TreatYoSelf
Not too long ago I posted about Disney Springs – a complex on Walt Disney World property with a wide array of restaurants, entertainment, and shopping for tourists and locals alike. It's a quick ten-minute drive from my house, so we frequently go to lunch or the movies for some weekend fun. One day while booking a lunch reservation, an experience caught my eye. A cake decorating class at Amorette's Patisserie.
“What in the (Walt Disney) World is that?”
Is that what you were thinking? That's what I thought at the time, too! Well…let me tell you about it…
Amorette's Patisserie offers five cake decorating classes a week for up to fourteen guests per session. Three of the lessons feature their traditional Mickey Mouse confection – chocolate cake and mousse with orange pate de fruit. The other two are “Pastry Artist” choice which could be a seasonal option or another beloved Disney character in cake format.
Umm…yes…please…sign me up!! Welp…I tried to reserve my spot, but with such a small class size I had to make a reservation SIX MONTHS in advance! But trust me when I say it was worth the wait and the relatively hefty price tag ($149 plus tax for two guests).
The Art of Disney…and Pastry
It was an early Sunday morning when Nicole, my best friend, and blogger behind An American Introvert in London met me outside of Amorette's. We were quickly met by a Pastry Artist and whisked (not with an actual whisk!!) inside our “classroom.” We were offered a beverage to sip while we waited for our class to begin. Mmm…Bellinis…
Our Pastry Artists leading our experience – Ally and Lauren – gave us their culinary (and Disney) backgrounds, as well as the story of the Amorette sisters that started the pastry shop – one being an artist and the other a pastry chef. The sister's influence is seen in the store's decor, as well as the intricate pastries behind the bakery case.
Glaçage, Glaçage, Glaçage
And then it was time to commence the decorating!! Each table was provided their dome-shaped cake covered in creamy Italian buttercream, as well as Mickey's ears, buttons, and tail made of white chocolate.
We were then given a pitcher of deep red glaçage to pour over the cake. Glaçage is also known as “mirror glaze.” The key ingredient? Gelatin. The result is a glaze that is incredibly shiny that also provides a seal to keep the cake moist (sorry…I hate that word, too, but it is contextual here.)
The Mickey cake required three coatings of glaze. After each coat, the cake was taken away to “chill out” in the fridge for a bit. During the “cooling off” period, we painted Mickey's ears, buttons, and tail with paint made of colored cocoa butter.
Cool insider information – the molds for Mickey's ears were designed by Disney Imagineers!
Let Them Decorate Cake!
After we were finished with the cake glazing and the painting of Mickey's “parts,” it was time to put it all together. Black strips of fondant were provided to create the belt. Honestly…I sucked at putting Mickey's belt on and broke it in two different sections. Ally and Lauren asked if I wanted to try to “belt him” again. I said I'd like to keep it “authentic” with the imperfection. Doesn't he look good???? A little-broken fondant is charming, right? Right??!!
That Oh So Special Disney Touch
Amorette's over-delivered the Disney magic! We had a blast decorating our cakes while learning new facts about the pastry shop. They also allowed us to store our cakes in their fridge while we walked around Disney Springs. We were also given a “thank you” card, a Mickey-shaped brownie, and macarons with our cake. This was a first class experience from start to finish…and totally worth the wait!!!
What are your favorite Disney memories? This is definitely going to be high up on my list! Let me know in the comment section below!
Work Hard. Play Hard. Drink Chard.
Laurie
P.S. I brought the cake to work. It's gone. My co-workers are happy and so am I!
