With the look of food being as equally as important - if not more - than the taste thanks to Instagram, TAFE NSW Kingscliff has announced the introduction of a cake decorating short course.

For hobby bakers and complete novices, the one day Statement of Attainment in Cake Decorating will take place on 8 November.

According to Seek.com, there is estimated to be a 16.7 per cent increase in the need for pastry chefs over the next five years so a career move into baking would be well-timed.

As the summer party season approaches, TAFE NSW in-house patisserie and retail bakery teacher Teri Jorgensen, has offered her tips and tricks for the upcoming trends in cake decorating and the types of techniques students will learn in the new course:

• Drip cakes have been on trend for the past few years and they show no sign of going away. The easy to achieve look is effective and fun with minimal effort required. The effective look makes for a fun and professional quality end result.
   
• Forget taking out your level and ensuring the icing on the cake is perfectly even, texture is in. The trend of textured cakes allows for freedom of expression and less angular edges. Sweeps and swirls are making a comeback, much to the relief of the avid baker. These are achieved with being a little more lax with the spatula than we have in times gone by.
   
• Metallic finishes are in for the summer season, with gold flecks sparkling throughout the icing taking the crown for one of the most pinned types of wedding cake on Instagram.
   
• Piled high is another trend not going away with anything from ice cream cones, lollipops and popcorn used to achieve this look. Finding whatever sweets tickle your fancy to fashion into the sides and tops of your cake will achieve this, with the more colour, the better.
   
• Call it funfetti or a piñata, the inside of a cake is just as important as what’s on the outside with M&M’s, skittles and fondant all popular goodies to ooze out of a cake once it’s cut open.

For more detail on TAFE NSW courses, face-to-face or online, visit www.tafensw.com.au or call 131 601.

Media contact: Sarah Lievore, TAFE NSW Media Officer, sarah.lievore1@tafensw.edu.au