Would it be fair to say, there aren’t too many things worth getting early out of bed for, on a cold Saturday morning? Well, I can name one now, and it’s currently sitting on my kitchen counter and I still feel the need to sneak a peek at it every so often, disbelieving that I managed to create it. People’s heads were turning when I walked down the street with it. Someone even stopped dead in her tracks and swivelled her head around like Linda Blair did in The Exorcist. I kid you not.

No, I haven’t suddenly acquired plastic surgery and now bear an uncanny resemblance to Giselle Bundchen. The extra plump smile on my lips isn’t even collagen, but chocolate ganache. I’ve just spent the most wonderful Saturday in Planet Cake’s workshop, learning how to make an ‘Exploding Star’ cake as part of their Basics 101 course.

Under the careful guidance of Handi Mulyana, the twelve of us managed to replicate what had been demonstrated to us in stages, whilst learning a few extra things in the process. For starters, mistakes can often be creatively hidden with the careful placing of an extra sugar star or positioning the cake in the right way. Also, these kinds of cakes are very hands-on. By the time the cake comes to the table as a slice on a platter, it has been handled (or groped) for at least a couple of hours (six, in our case), from the trimming and icing of the cake to the kneading, applying and smoothing of the fondant. Kind of off-putting, when you think about it. That’s not to say, you can’t now look at a cake and appreciate how much effort has gone into it’s creation.

If you have the time and an interest in crafts, I would definitely recommend you try one of Planet Cake’s classes. They are a little pricey, but worth every cent, in my opinion. Paris Cutler was on hand at all times, chatting to everyone present. She regaled us with stories about her cake experiences during our lunch break (they served a wonderful lunch of pasta and salads, and later in the afternoon, tea and a selection of friands) and her enthusiasm for all things cake related was like a bug that the rest of us at the table caught.

While I was in Balmain, where Planet Cake is located, I took the opportunity to visit the legendary bread and pastry store, Victoire and also popped into a patisserie that was new to me, Adriano Zumbo. The latter is a slender shop with displays of mouth-watering pastries and elaborate slices of cake behind glass. Locals queue politely upon entering the shop and most seem to already know what they want without having to peruse the selection. I leave with a long brioche and custard number, but a small part of me also wanted that equally long finger of a chocolate eclair and a handful of those sugar encrusted pastry snails. Maybe I’ll leave those for next time.

Meanwhile, I also have a loaf and tart from Victoire to contend with, and of course, that deeply chocolate Expoding Star cake that’s in the kitchen. Once the novelty wears off (hopefully in less than a week, which is how long the cake will last), I might finally be able to convince myself to cross that pristine fondant barrier and sink a knife into it.

Planet Cake
106 Beattie Street
Balmain 2041

Adriano Zumbo Patissier
296 Darling St
Balmain 2041

Victoire
285 Darling Street
Balmain 2041