Craftsy Rocks! Class Review Part 3: Modern Piping

This is Part 3 of a little series of posts I am doing on the cake decorating classes currently offered on Craftsy.  Currently there are 4 and I have take all of them!  If you missed my last posts, I reviewed the first class I took, Handcrafted Sugar Flowers with Jacqueline Butlter, and the second class I took, Topsy Turvy Cake Construction with Richard Ruskell.  In this review I will focus on the 3rd craftsy class I took...

Modern Piping with Joshua John Russell

Cakes with intricate piping are beautiful but also labor intensive!  Piping isn't typically something you can just pick up and do.  While I feel somewhat comfortable with a piping bag, swirls and filigree where somewhat of a mystery to me!  I just couldn't figure out how to make them look flowing and even- on the side of a cake!  So, having has great experiences with the first two cake decorating classes that Craftsy was offering, I decided to buy Modern Piping (also at a discount- I see a trend here, lol).


The "course  materials" in this class include recipes for the royal icing needed for the class (both a scratch recipe and a recipe using a mix).  You also get a "Supplies & Resources" list with all of the tools and supplies needed as well as templates for each of the designs.  Joshua John shows you how to make 3 beautiful and modern cakes with different techniques, but they are all cohesive and could be used together on a dessert table.  The course covers stenciling, free hand piping, how to make "cake jewelry" and how to transfer a pattern/design to your cake.


While nothing but practice can really make you good at piping, I think Joshua does an excellent job of teaching you the techniques you need to master piped design.  I don't want to give away the material in the video, but he gives tips on how to steady yourself to keep your lines smooth and fluid.  And he shows how to transfer a pattern onto your cake... I'm beginning to think that most of those complicated designs that make your jaw hit the floor are done with the pattern-transfer method!


I have yet to try out Joshua John's Modern Piping techniques, but I think this class was worth the cost and I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning piping.  I admittedly have not taken a Wilton class, but a lot of the Wilton material I see is very basic and dated looking.  I think this class would be better for anyone interested in learning piping techniques for a "fresher" looking cake.  This class gets a thumbs up from me!


Joshua John Russell was a finalist on Last Cake Standing and has appeared on Food Network Challenge 15 times!  He turns out stunning and ornate cakes from his Atlanta based business Joshua John.  He says he most often draws inspiration from fashion, which is quite evident in his amazing work!  Check out his cakes on his website, joshuajohnrussell.com or his blog- The Fashion Caker.

There are new classes being offered on Craftsy all the time!  Some of my favorites are:

• Topsy-Turvy Cake Construction with Richard Ruskell
• Advanced Fondant Techniques with Marina Sousa
• Handcrafted Sugar Flowers with Jacqueline Butler
• Vintage Cakes; Modern Methods with Colette Peters 
• Exotic Sugar Orchids with James Rosselle
• Cake Design Made Simple: The Wedding Dress with Rachel Teufel
• Okay... there are a lot and too many to list check out Craftsy's selection of Cake Decorating Classes! 

In addition to their wonderfully produced online classes, Craftsy also offers some great free resources!

• Free Class: Modern Buttercream with Joshua John Russell
• Free Class: Basic Fondant Techniques with Elisa Strauss
• Free Class: The Hand-Painted Cake with Erin Schaefgen
• Free Recipes!

Up next is my review of Advanced Fondant Techniques with Marina Sousa!

Happy Caking :)

DISCLAIMER: This post contains affiliate links; however, all opinions are my own.