CourseHorse Sweetheart Cupcake Class - A Sweet, Inventive Date

CourseHorse Sweetheart Cupcake Class – A Sweet, Inventive Date for Valentine’s Day

By Julianne Clancy

Dating is hard. A single, well-done date requires a great deal of ingenuity, preparation, and on-the-spot thinking. Even after many years together, coming up with ways to break the routine can take effort—especially for special occasions such as anniversaries or Valentine’s Day. Which is why CourseHorse, a website that aggregates a variety of amazing classes ranging from culinary adventures to artistic endeavors to athletic pursuits, is such a great tool for anyone looking to create the perfect night out. In preparation for Valentine’s Day, my husband and I attended a CourseHorse Sweetheart Cupcake Class, hosted by Butter Lane Cupcakes in New York’s East Village.

From the moment we stepped into Butter Lane, we knew we were in for a treat. The quaint and delicious cupcake bakery only boasts a small counter (they ice the cupcakes to order), with the rest of the storefront dedicated to a row of three tables in the back, all of which were prepped for a night of confectionary fun.

We were invited to wash up, pick a flavor station, don some aprons, and get right to work, lining the cupcake tins with paper liners. Classicists that we are, we opted for good old vanilla. My husband, I think, just wanted to keep it simple; I, on the other hand, was dying to work with real vanilla beans when we made the frosting.

The tables were already prepped with pre-measured ingredients so that even the most amateur baker could dive right in and enjoy. Looking around the room, I could tell that the CourseHorse Sweetheart Cupcake Class had appealed to a wide variety of clientele. My husband and I represented the married crowd, while the chocolate station was manned by a couple that was dating but well established, and the banana station was helmed by a pair that seemed to be still getting acquainted. I am a fairly experienced amateur baker and cook, while it was obvious others had never held a spatula. But, regardless of the length of a relationship or the familiarity with a kitchen, everyone seemed to be having a blast, chatting away and excited for what was to come.

Any class is dependent on the quality of the teacher, and I could not have been more impressed with Diana of Butter Lane. An experienced pastry chef who’d earned her apron at the prestigious Institute of Culinary Education, Diana was the perfect combination of fun, knowledgeable, and supportive. As our sugar and butter creamed together in the gorgeous industrial KitchenAid mixers and cracked eggs into a bowl with a hefty splash of vanilla, Diana roamed the room making sure we were all comfortable, doing well, and enjoying ourselves.

Each batter had slight variations in the recipes, and we had a lot of fun going around to other stations and tasting. Diana explained how the disparity in ingredients created different effects in each cake (how the number of eggs effects the texture; the ways that baking soda and baking powder act as leavening; why unsweetened chocolate is best for baking). Regardless of the dissimilarities, all of them had one thing in common: Even in unbaked form, they were fabulous.

We made every part of the batter ourselves, from mixing, to adding ingredients, to scooping the cupcakes into the pans. I had thought that we’d probably mostly be getting a demo, but the CourseHorse Sweetheart Cupcake Class was interactive to the max, part of why it was such an amazing night. We were able to feel accomplished in addition to entertained.

As the cupcakes baked, we took a break, during which Diana encouraged us to grab a glass of wine at Shervin’s Wine Bar. This quirky and cozy cafe, just a few doors down from Butter Lane, offers discounts to class attendees. It was a great way to get out of the heat of the kitchen for just a few minutes and chat about what we’d been doing and learning. Plus, the speakeasy-esque atmosphere and small but carefully-selected wine list made this a destination to which we’d gladly return.

After that relaxing interlude, we got right back to work, learning how to make a perfectly fluffy buttercream frosting. The trick is to use a little bit of cream cheese to stabilize the mix and to whip it until it becomes white, airy, and absolutely heavenly.

It didn’t hurt that we were using fabulous ingredients, like high quality chocolate and real vanilla beans. The vanilla bean, which runs about $8 to $15 a pod, added such an incredibly intense and aromatic flavor to our frosting that, despite the cost, I’m determined to use it the next time I bake.

It was almost time to frost and learn how to do Butter Lane’s signature swirled icing technique, but the CourseHorse Sweetheart Cupcake Class wasn’t going to send us home with just standard flavored cakes. We were getting to play around with six different frostings for a wide variety of tastes and combinations. We split the frostings in half and added raspberry to the vanilla one for a tangy pink fruit frosting; peanut butter to the chocolate for a sweet and salty peanut butter cup frosting; and cinnamon to the cream cheese for a Cinnabon-inspired frosting.

It was finally time to get decorating. Diana demonstrated how to gently dab the frosting onto the cupcake in one smooth motion, before dipping the spatula into the edges and twisting for that original and elegant swoop Butter Lane is known for. While we couldn’t do it as well as Diana, I was impressed at how quickly we all caught on—and how much fun each couple was having playing with different flavor profiles, frostings, cakes, and techniques.

After making a mess, getting a sugar high (eating one of the cupcakes on the spot was absolutely mandatory), and laughing a lot, we all were sent home with a huge amount of fresh, delicious, creative cupcakes that we had made ourselves. Not only was the whole class well worth the cost for how much we took home, the reward of being able to proudly share our new skills and delectable treats with our friends and family cannot be underestimated. Without a doubt, the CourseHorse Sweetheart Cupcake Class was one of the most entertaining, inventive, and memorable dates my husband and I have been on in nine years of being together. With numerous other classes offered by CourseHorse, including culinary delights like a beer tasting class and a romantic dinner for two, we’ll definitely be keeping them in mind for more Valentine’s fun or for any night we’re feeling adventurous. We’ll definitely also be back for more of Butter Lane’s incredible cupcakes—as soon as we finish all of the ones we made, that is!