To mark National Cupcake Week 2009, MumsWhoBake is launching a brand new programme of cake decorating classes. Aimed at mothers who enjoy baking but aren’t baking professionals, the classes demonstrate simple and effective techniques which can be learnt in just one session. Starting at only £30 per person, there are classes to suit all tastes.Whether you want to create fancy cupcakes for the school fete, fashion a breathtaking Christmas cake or simply explore your creativity with lashings of buttercream icing, MumsWhoBake has a class for you. There are group sessions, ideal for friends looking for an unusual and indulgent way to enjoy their “me-time” together. The classes take place just 30 minutes from London and less than an hour from Birmingham, in the picturesque countryside of Castlethorpe, Milton Keynes.

“National Cupcake Week is the perfect time for us to launch these classes,” comments Vicki Hoskins, mother-of-three and founder of MumsWhoBake, “So many people are intimidated by the wealth of cake decorating techniques and equipment on the market, yet we firmly believe that home baking should be fun and can even be therapeutic. Our hands-on classes strip back cake decorating techniques – we demonstrate how easy it is to create stylish cakes and how to use basic tools to achieve the results you want. What’s more, we even advocate imperfection: this isn’t about turning people into baking zombies… it’s about the enjoyment of creating something, feeling the love that goes into it and the sheer pleasure that results from it.”

Bedford mum, Joanne Young, tested out a cupcake class with MumsWhoBake in August: “Some of my mum-friends and I did the class together and it was fantastic. We all enjoyed using the equipment, practicing our techniques and, of course, leaving with a dozen beautifully-decorated cupcakes at the end. The problem now is that we’re all in competition with each other – our coffee afternoons will never be the same again!”

The classes include

• “Cupcake Decorating” – learn a variety of techniques for decorating cupcakes, including using buttercream and sugarpaste

• “Christmas Cupcake Decorating” – learn a selection of skills for creating gorgeous, festive cupcakes These classes cost £35 per person, which includes 12 naked cupcakes for you to decorate and take home with you.

• “Christmas Cake & Sugarpaste” –

www.mumswhobake.co.uk