Since visiting King Arthur Flour in Vermont a few years ago on a date day adventure for lunch, I’ve always thought it would be fun to take one of their baking classes.
So when I noticed they were having a 3 day British Baking Classics course in the middle of winter, I asked The Girl if she’d be interested in going with me and she was {of course she was!} so I signed the two of us up.
I chose the British Baking Classics class because it pretty much covers all our favorites; scones, Bakewell tarts, Victoria sandwich, English muffins, sticky toffee pudding, Chelsea buns, and savory meat pies and scones.
On the first day of the baking class though, we tackled Bakewell tarts and Victoria sponge.
The Bakewell tart itself was very easy to make, however The Girl and I thought the tart could have used a little more jam than the recipe specified.
The almond filling was really nice.
But unfortunately all our tarts were overbaked* and didn’t look anything like the King Arthur photo on their website {a light bake with sliced almonds on top which were not provided} so we were both pretty disappointed with how our Bakewell tarts turned out.
*Everyone’s baked goods go into the oven on a giant rolling rack and are baked at the same time by the assistant in the class.
While powdered sugar can cover up the way something looks, it can’t cover up a dry, overbaked taste. 🙁 I think I’ll try the recipe again at home though because the Bakewell tart recipe reviews online are really good.
After the Bakewell tarts, we moved on to the Victoria Sponge {cake}. Which visually turned out better, but in my opinion it too was baked a little too long and turned out a bit dry and somewhat flavorless compared to the sponges we’ve tasted in Great Britain.
Granted, Victoria sponge is more dry and dense than the cakes we’re used to here in the US {almost between a pound cake and a yellow cake}, but still, there was something that just wasn’t quite right about it.
The online reviews for the King Arthur Flour recipe average a 4 out of 5, so maybe I’ll try making a Victoria Sponge again at home and use Mary Berry’s Victora Sponge recipe instead and see if it turns out better.
So if I’m being completely honest, day 1 was a bit of a bust in my opinion. But who knows, maybe I’m just a cake snob.
Our instructor and classroom setting was great, and we had a good time so we’re looking forward to day 2 which is Chelsea Buns, English muffins and sticky toffee pudding.
Have YOU ever taken a cooking class before? If so, what kind of class did you take and how did it go?
~Mavis
BethC. says
My husband and I did a pie baking class at King Arthur last year. It was a one day class and it was awesome! Beware of the store-very easy to drop $$ there.
Patti Vanderbloemen says
I am a bit bummed by this posting…perhaps the person in charge of baking should have set the timer a few minutes early.
Years ago, I took a very intensive French cooking class from a local caterer who was trained at The Cordon Bleu. In the beginning, it was way out of my comfort zone. But the techniques I learned have stuck with me for years now.
I have not had the opportunity to take any additional classes, but I would jump at it if available!
Hope the remaining days reveal better bakes!
Pam F. says
I’ve done a baguette class at King Arthur and was pretty disappointed. We did the whole class and then the instructor announced, “but without our special ovens, you won’t be able to recreate this at home.”
Ps They should give you some sort of store credit for those baked tarts. I would’ve been horrified if I’d had to hand those back to class participants.
Donna says
I agree to the PS. 🙁
J in OH-IO says
I have taken a few classes at Sur La Table store – sugar cookies, bread, and pizza. I enjoyed all of the classes, but do not use any of their recipes for what I make now. I did learn techniques (rolling dough beneath my hand for rolls) and about new ingredients (powdered egg whites) for frosting. I still use the supplies I bought in the store to use at home (off set spatulas for spreading frosting, small spatulas, bread board scrappers, and cookie cutters).
Currently, I use Alton Brown’s recipe for cut out sugar cookies and roll them out on powdered sugar instead of flour and they turn out great every single time (I use store bought frosting because that is what my family likes). My HH gifted me 3 cooking classes at a local farm/cooking school and they were fun and I enjoyed cooking on their professional stoves. I haven’t used any of those recipes either, but I enjoyed the experience. I guess once I find a recipe I like I stick with it.
Happy you and The Girl are able to do this British Baking experience at King Arthur Flour together and I appreciate you sharing it with us! Thank you!
Teri says
I’m surprised they left out the almonds for the over baked tarts. Did the teacher not notice?
Marianne says
Just remember, you learn more from failures and mistakes then you do from instant success! No knowledge is ever wasted and time spent with your daughter is ever wasted!
Tammy says
It sounds like a fun class to take with your daughter!
So much of good home cooking and baking is not precision but intuition. I would say you definitely have the intuition to deviate from a recipe to make a recipe turn out! I’m surprised they throw everything in the same oven and don’t let the participants watch the oven and take their own baked goods out. That would be frustrating!
Elle says
I signed up for an Indian (India not native) cooking class. Well I’ll be danged if it wasn’t “sit in the audience and watch me” class. It ended at 945 pm and we were supposed to stay and eat dinner??????? This girl goes to bed at 8pm for my early workday. So disappointing.
Torry says
That was a cooking lecture, not a cooking class. I think I would have requested my money back!
Mrs. C. says
Several, including a week-long artisan bread baking class with Jeffrey Hammelman at King Arthur Flour. It was great, and I hit the road with literally a trunk full of bread and sacks of flour.
Bonnie says
You are right, it looks nothing like the picture….Maybe the next class is better and you can glean some hints while you are there enjoying time with your daughter.
Christine says
I took a really comprehensive ramen class at ICC with Hiroko Shimbo and while I got a lot out of it, it was also chaotic. Having taught a fair number of cooking classes myself, I wonder if its even possible to have a large group class with more than one element that goes smoothly. At this point, I have a hard time taking the value proposition of cooking classes very seriously.
debbie in alaska says
I am actually VERY surprised they returned the cakes that over baked without acknowledging it or apologizing. That’s a throw away and try again in my book and when people pay to take a course by professionals you expect more. Mistakes happen – but take responsibility for it. Hoping the next two days are better! Also I would have asked for the almonds … but I’m obnoxious like that — or more accurately I’m assertive like that. I would have been nice about it but no way I would have let that slide.
Taryn says
I took a vegan holiday cooking class once that I loved. We learned to make the most amazing mushroom gravy that I still use all the time.
I hope day 2 is a success and they make things right for yesterday’s mistakes.
Torry says
Taryn, could you share that recipe? I have a vegetarian friend, and I would love to surprise her with a really good recipe!
Pam says
Sounds amazing! We eat a plant based diet but in our neck of the woods there’s little interest in vegan cooking:(
Fifitr says
Hi Mavis, I’m really hoping days 2 and 3 turn out better because from the look of the class so far you’d be better off propping up your Mary Berry book and just going for it – you are a very good cook after all. It doesn’t sound like you’re getting ‘authentic’ British recipes to me at all.
Anyway, to stick my oar in, the secret to a good Bakewell tart is plum jam, definitely not raspberry or anything else, not too much of it, a deep layer of frangipane, and cooking very lightly with almonds on top which should not colour – so a low, slow cook. It should be moist enough to eat without the addition of cream and is at its best served just warm. I grew up quite near Bakewell and the ladies who bake there would have thrown those burnt tarts back in the face of the instructor!
Also a Victoria sandwich, while not as light as an angel cake, should still be pretty light and delicate, and sandwiched with raspberry jam, not a load of cream. I prefer mine with cream and strawberries personally, but if you’re looking for traditional British baking… A lot of the Victoria sandwiches you might buy in a cafe in the UK are more robust and denser textured than they should be because they’re made to keep a longer time than one you bake at home might.
Fingers crossed the rest of the recipes are more authentic (and not cooked until dry and burnt).
Lori says
My daughter signed us up for a baking class. It was one of her Christmas gifts to me. She likes the idea of giving gifts that benefit her. It was a homemade pasta class. We learned how to make 3 different kinds of pasta; bow tie pasta, spaghetti, and tagliatelle pasta. We learned how to make a sausage mushroom Ragu, and a bolognese. We had a great time, learned a lot. We keep saying we want to do another class. It was done at Sur la Table. Wonderful instructors. Class of 6 students.
Molly Jo says
that sounds like a class I would LOVE!
Sue D says
The recipe I use to make a Victoria sponge I got from a British edition of Women’s Day magazine back in ‘86. They did a 4 or 5 page spread on ‘What’s for Tea?’ geared mainly for feeding the kids after school. I tried a Mary Berry recipe, but found it a bit too dry.
Sandy C says
I took Chinese Cooking Classes in Boston. Learned how to use the Wok and got many recipes. I’m still using my Wok for a lot of meals today!!
Catherine says
I took a 4 day cheese making class a few years ago and it was so much fun. I still make cheese today.
Years ago my Mom and I would take one-day cooking classes through adult education. We learned to make tamales, tortillas, sopa de arroz in one class. Another we learned to make English tea sandwiches and accompaniments. We also did a class on working with Phyllo dough and made baklava and other items. I still use all these recipes and remember my time with my mom died 26 years ago. Precious memories.
Melissa says
I took an English tea party class with 2 friends and at the end of class we had a tea party. It was very fun and I still use some of the recipes.
sandyf says
I took a few baking classes at Blackmarket Bakery, in CA. Life changing and the best class I have ever taken, in fact, I liked it so much I started working at the bakery. And eventually became a class assistant. Changed my life and the owner became a long time, great and trusted close friend. Mine En Place!
Blackmarket Bakery: https://www.blackmarketbakery.com
All butter, sugar, eggs & lots of love thrown in. I became a better baker, gained lifelong friends and only gained a few pounds.
Check them out if you are ever in CA. We would love to have you!
Mavis Butterfield says
Holy cow, everything looks wonderful!!! And those tarts! I’d have to buy one of everything.
Ashley says
My husband and I did a baking class at a B&B near Jackson, NH for our anniversary a million years ago.
It was amazing! One-on-one, seasonal, still some of my go-to recipes!
It’s under new management now, but something I would totally do again!
sandyf says
spell correct: Mise En Place it should read.
Cindy Brick says
You are going to give us recipes for all of these, aren’t you??
We had our first Bakewell tart in Ireland, at a rock shop near the Cliffs of Moher. I was fascinated. (Their tea was pretty good, too.)
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes. As soon as I tweak the ones that need tweaking and can bake them at home in my own oven. 😉
Elizabeth says
They should have never returned those tarts to the students like that. the tarts are completely burned! I am not one to make a fuss but if a tut tut and a hard stare didn’t work I do believe it would be appropriate to have a word with the instructor.
Gina says
What the heck? Sounds like the girl rolling all the cakes into the oven took a nap on the job! I hope day 2 is better for you and The Girl!
Angela Muller says
Hi Mavis,
Back in the day, I took a four week cooking class with the Italian Chef, Giuliano Bugialli at his Townhouse in Manhattan. For years I read about him in Bon Appetite Magazine, and when one article mentioned his classes in NYC, I signed up! What an adventure! I loved it so much, I took it every Spring/Fall for five years. Sadly, Giuliano is no longer with us, but those times are welded into my heart!
Beverly says
I have wanted to take a class at King Arthur for many years since I first visited them more than 15 years ago. Alas, I live so very far away, I just bake at home!
Jen says
Beverly, they have live zoom classes you can take.
Jen says
I have taken a KA pizza making class and bread baking class. Both were wonderful! Sorry your experience hasn’t been the same so far. I have also taken a local (Lancaster PA) French pastry class taught by a French pastry chef. It was amazing! I hope your next two days are better!❤️