Jeanette Crumb has been recognized for her work - two years ago, she came in second place for advanced cake decorating at a Connecticut cake show for her four-tier cake covered in fondant with flowers on every layer.
Jeanette D. Crumb, of Belchertown, is making pearls out of fondant during her cake decorating class at Top Floor Learning in Palmer. PALMER – Jeanette D. Crumb can make cupcakes look like ghosts, witches and spiders.
And, she can make cakes with intricate designs including trees, pearls and flowers.
Crumb, of Belchertown, teaches at Holyoke Community College, Holyoke Creative Arts Center and at Top Floor Learning here, where she recently wrapped up a class on cake decorating. A new class is expected to be offered in Palmer early next year, and the next class at Holyoke Community College is slated for the end of February.
“It’s just so wonderful when you see folks make their first rose. They get so excited,” Crumb said.
Crumb – an appropriate name for a baker – got into cake decorating 10 years ago, and enjoys teaching others. She started off as a decorative painter, then moved from the canvas to cakes. She is following in the footsteps of her father, a former Navy cook who decorated all her birthday cakes when she was growing up.
Crumb was busy teaching her students on a recent weeknight at the Palmer Public Library, where Top Floor Leaning is on the top floor. All the supplies were out – already made cakes, ready-to-use rolled fondant, gum paste, and tools to make designs such as pearls. One of her students was her 92-year-old mother, Genevieve Story, of Ludlow.
Amber L. Roberge, of Palmer, said she was drawn to the class because there’s only so much she could teach herself on the Internet. She said she has enjoyed learning how to make flowers out of gum paste.
"You needs hands-on,” Roberge said.
“I like the class,” chimed in Maria Nunes, of Ludlow.
“Plus, it’s local,” Roberge said.
Crumb explained that a lot of the cake decorating materials can be found at craft stores such as Michael’s or AC Moore. She also instructed her students how to make their own homemade fondant out of marshmallows and sugar.
Crumb would wet her fingers before she touched the fondant so she could make it more pliable as she rolled it into lines. She also sprinkled some cornstarch into the molds they were using, so it would be easier to get the fondant out of them.
She explained that gum paste is used for more intricate designs, such as flower petals. But it gets hard, unlike fondant, so specific tools are used to shape it. Gum paste also is a sugar mixture, Crumb explained.
In previous classes, she taught them how to make designs with buttercream frosting, such as piping, borders, leaves and roses. She said fondant, which has a “smooth look,” adheres to the buttercream frosting.
Crumb has been recognized for her work - two years ago, she came in second place for advanced cake decorating at a Connecticut cake show for her four-tier cake covered in fondant with flowers on every layer.
Her students are familiar with the show “Cake Boss” on TLC, which features the staff of Carlo’s Bakery in New Jersey. As she rolled fondant into a mold to make a pearl border, Nunes revealed that she saw the show’s star Buddy Valastro when he came to Symphony Hall in Springfield in January for his “Bakin’ with the Boss” tour.
Nunes said she is eager to put a new twist on her baked goods, thanks to the class.
“With the holidays coming up I want to be able to make a different kind of cake,” Nunes said.
“Nice, Maria, nice,” Crumb said as she watched Nunes work.
Crumb offered six classes at Top Floor Learning, which ended Nov. 8. The cost was $85, plus a $20 kit.