ANGEL BAKERY

It’s not just the taste, it’s the care that goes into them. The most incredible, mouth-wateringly delicious cakes are given birth to upon the worktops of Angel Food Bakery. You wouldn’t know whether to eat them or put them on the wall. Sweet, exciting, colourful and unique: baked with an obvious adoration for cookery and topped with a creative flare that goes beyond your typical icing on the cake. The eye-catching culinary skill of the swirly buttercream crowned with sprinkles, chocolate flakes and miniature roses makes passers-by stop at the window to take pictures. For Hannah Davis, it’s just a typical day at work.

Situated in the heart of The Lanes, it’s clear that the bakery boasts the finest cupcakery in Brighton and beyond. Lucky for us, there’s Angel Food kitchen; a workspace for those eager to learn tricks of the trade from the expert herself. Perfect for bakers of all backgrounds and abilities (usually I’m a beans on toast kind of girl) the baking and decorating classes take you through all the steps you need to get a dessert that says more than just ‘scoff me’.

One of thirteen on offer, the Cupcake Baking and Décor class offers a unique insight into the culinary work that goes into each delicious cupcake. Sharing secret, inside info behind the baking process, we learnt how to create the perfect sponge mix and buttercream frosting, before Hannah took to the cupcake-stage to show us how it’s really done, décor-wise. Dunking her knife into the pink coloured buttercream, she turns the cupcake 360 degrees beneath the frosting before a quick flick of the wrist creates the buttery twirl on top: pure excellence.

Presented with 12 nude cupcakes, it was time for me to dress them. Intimidated…? Of course not. With Hannah on hand for your every need, there’s no way my frosting was going to avalanche. Filling the piping bag with peanut butter flavoured frosting, it was easy to follow her instructions and recreate one of the swirl patterns she had demonstrated. Choosing from the generous assortment of toppings in front was more than just good old fashioned fun.

Bringing out creativity in each of us, it was clear that the entire class was lost in some kind of cupcake heaven. From the crunchy texture of red, yellow and blue stars to a sprinkling of glitter on top, I really had no idea what I was doing before I entered her class. Walking out with 12 mounted cupcakes, each a marvel in itself, was an achievement not to mention a conversation starter carrying them across town. From cupcake décor to ‘fluff’ whoopie pies, the Angel Food Bakery really does open the door to some of the most beautiful baking in Brighton. Now, where to put my edible works of art, in my tummy or on the wall?

by Deborah Fairfield