Move over Food Network. Fox Valley Technical College has some talented Baking and Pastry students ready to put their skills to work.

Nine students recently completed their final project for Advanced Cake Decorating. It’s the last class students take before earning their technical diploma in Baking and Pastry Production.

A typical final project is a two-tier cake. This year, perhaps because nothing is typical in 2020, gingerbread was a new element added to the assignment. Students had to incorporate both gingerbread cookies and gingerbread cake as well as demonstrate their decorating techniques.

The students also explored with filling flavors that would pair well with gingerbread cake. The final submissions included cakes with everything from cranberry and apple to caramel and coconut.

“This class, in particular, really adapted to the situation,” said Jen McClure, pastry/culinary instructor. “Because of the number of students, we needed to get creative in how we set up. I had a decorating room with half the class and a baking room for the other half.

"They would switch off every week. Bake the cake, decorate the cake. Bake the cake, decorate the cake. The students handled it well.”