The Rough Draft Cake

The Starter Series

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In this class, we’re tackling the rough draft stage of every cake—the crumb coat! Learn how to stack, level, fill, and seal your cake for a smooth, sturdy foundation.

I’ll walk you through every step so your cake stays straight, stable, and ready for decorating. Remember, this stage isn’t about perfection—it’s about structure and confidence. 💪

Need support or want to share your progress? Join our Facebook community, The Piped Peony Academy, and meet fellow cake-lovers who get it.

Every masterpiece starts with a rough draft—let’s build yours! 💛

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The Starter Series

Welcome!

Welcome to The Starter Series, perfect for beginners eager to learn buttercream flower piping. This guided learning experience features 17 classes where Dara walks you through each step, from preparing buttercream to mastering essential techniques. By the end of The Starter Series, you'll have mastered the basics and be ready to create stunning buttercream flowers with confidence. Ready to start your piping journey? Join us in The Starter Series and watch your skills blossom!

22 chapters

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The Starter Series

Blooming Buttercream: Making, Reconstituting & Troubleshooting

In this class, you'll discover the secret recipe for Dara's famous Blooming Buttercream! Dara will guide you through each step, making it a breeze to recreate this mouthwatering, flower piping buttercream. Plus, she's got some fantastic tips to help you troubleshoot any hiccups along the way. Get ready to become a Blooming Buttercream pro with Dara by your side! Download the Buttercream Temperature Guide.pdf and the Whipping Guide.pdf files.

32 chapters

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The Starter Series

American Buttercream

Life is sweet, and so is American Buttercream. With a 2:1 sugar-to-butter ratio, it’s quick to whip up and tastes divine.

9 chapters

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The Starter Series

Vegan Buttercream

Today's video will show you how to make delicious Vegan Buttercream, proving that being Vegan doesn't mean missing out on scrumptious desserts.

8 chapters

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The Starter Series

The Tunables

Unlock the secret to creating stunning buttercream flowers in our Tip Tuning class! Join Dara as she shows you how to use needle-nose pliers to narrow the openings of your piping tips for more realistic petals. Follow her easy, step-by-step guide to piping buttercream flower petals that look so real, you'll have to resist the urge to water them!

13 chapters

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The Starter Series

Fill, Squeeze, Twirl, Pipe & Repeat

In this class, you will discover everything you need to know about the basics of flower piping. From twirling your flower nail, to lefthanded flower piping, to knowing which end of the piping tip to use for petal edges, you'll learn it all here! Master these simple techniques and unlock your potential in creating stunning buttercream flowers.

14 chapters

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The Starter Series

Piping Tips Types & Tip Positions

Get ready to dive into the wonderful world of piping tips! In this class, we'll cover all the different categories of tips and show you how to position them to create stunning buttercream petals that come to life with movement and flow. Please refer to our Piping Tip Categories and our Piping Tip Position & Petal Compass Guide .

12 chapters

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The Starter Series

The Core Petals

You’ll learn how to pipe just about every kind of flower with the Piped Peony Academy. We’ll cover the core petal types and how to get started. Accompanying PDF Downloads: Core Petals

8 chapters

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The Starter Series

Anatomy of a Buttercream Flower

Let’s make something beautiful! In this video, we’ll learn the fundamentals of piping buttercream flowers. Accompanying PDF Downloads: Anatomy of a Buttercream Flower

10 chapters

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The Starter Series

Practice Made Simple: The Piping Nook

In this class, Dara walks you through a fast, under-30-minute Starter Series session designed to transform how you practice flower piping. In this class, she introduces the “Piping Nook” system—a grab-and-go container stocked with everything you need (buttercream, tips, bags, nail, spatula, paper towels and a simple practice plan) so that short, focused sessions become effortless. By the end, you’ll understand why progress beats perfection, how to avoid practice pitfalls, and exactly how to set up your own Piping Nook to make every 10–30-minute practice count.

22 chapters

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The Starter Series

What’s Next?

Congratulations on completing The Starter Series! The What's Next Class is designed to conclude your journey through the basics and guide you on what to tackle next. In this class, Dara provides advice on how to continue honing your skills.

8 chapters

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