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Matt Kitzmiller and Andrea Antulov participate in the cake decorating class at Madeline's Confectionary Arts Studio and Gallery in Urbana. Photo by Abby Toms

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Madeline's Confectionary Arts Studio & Gallery »
Address: 122 West Main Street Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 384-7000
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If you see a woman crafting edible flowers from a table on the sidewalk of Main Street, don’t be surprised. It’s just how Buffy Vance, owner of Madeline’s Confectionary Arts Studio and Gallery, chooses to spend a sunny afternoon. It is also a way to promote her cake decorating classes that began in March.

“I can remember when I was a little girl, I used to love to go by the bakery and watch people decorate cakes. It’s just fun to do,” Vance said, who plans to be on the sidewalk regularly. Vance said she always asks members of her classes how they heard about the class. It’s like, ‘Oh, we saw you outside,’” Vance said.

For those who choose to come inside, Basic 101 Cake Decorating is a series of three classes for $60 that teaches students how to use a pastry bag, make a rose, make a level cake and frost a cake, among other skills. The first class of the series discusses different types of icing, Vance said, and includes recipes for useful icings. By the end, students will be able to work with buttercream, fondant and gum paste.

Students who enjoy Basics 101 or already have experience with decorating can move on to Fondant Basics, which Vance said is very educational. “Most people are like, ‘Ugh, I don’t like the way it tastes,’” Vance said. “But it’s like coffee — there are so many different kinds of fondant.” The grade of fondant affects how easily it can be rolled and whether it has a chalky taste or not, Vance said. Fondant Basics costs $80 and will teach students how to work with fondant and make embellishments such as pearls, flowers and bows.

The next level of class is a gum paste class, which leads to the creation of realistic-looking flowers, Vance said. The three levels of classes have a minimum sign-up of about six people, Vance said. “You get the class feel, you get to meet people,” she said. Vance also offers Saturday workshops and private lessons by appointment. These sessions can involve anything from making white chocolate roses with the girls while sipping white chocolate martinis to a lesson on making a specific cake from a magazine.

Basic 101 is Vance’s favorite class to teach, she said. “They’ll do the rose or they’ll do a technique and they’ll pop their phones out and take a picture of it,” she said. “They’re just so proud of themselves. It’s very gratifying.” Vance said she feels her love of cake decorating is infectious in class. “There’s the beautiful show cakes and then there’s beautiful homemade cakes, but [beautiful pastry is] something made with love and care.” Vance said her love of baking came before her love of decorating, so she understands the plight of her students. “You make a good cake — I’ll help you make them pretty,” she said.