Strawberry Cream Cake
Cake pans in the Hoffman Test Kitchen

Spring Cake-Baking with Brian Hart Hoffman and Zoë François

Birmingham, Alabama
March 24–27, 2023

$3,250 single occupancy (1 baker/1 hotel room)
$3,000 each double occupancy (2 bakers in 1 shared hotel room)
$3,250 baking participant plus non-baking guest (1 baker/1 non-baking guest/1 hotel room)
If you’d like to bring a non-baking companion with you, we invite them to join you for the welcome reception in our test kitchen at no additional cost.
Commuter pass: $2,250 (No hotel room included. Available for Birmingham residents only.)
Virtual pass: $399 (Full payment due at time of registration.)

Led by Bake from Scratch editor-in-chief Brian Hart Hoffman and cookbook author Zoë François, this weekend of cake-baking will equip you with techniques and tips to bake better layer cakes, Bundt cakes, vertical cakes, and stunning one-layer cakes. From the layers to the frosting, we’ll cover properly creaming butter and sugar to build volume, baking even layers, tips for cooling and assembly, and, of course, decorating. You’ll also walk away knowing how to make American, Italian, and German buttercreams.

You have two ways to join: in person and virtually. All attendees will receive a recording of all baking class sessions.

What’s Included
  • Hotel accommodations in Birmingham
  • All baking classes
  • Welcome wine reception, lunches, farewell toast
What’s Not Included
  • Airfare/travel to Birmingham
  • Airport transfers
  • Some meals
What’s Included
  • Hotel accommodations in Birmingham
  • All baking classes
  • Welcome wine reception, lunches, farewell toast
What’s Not Included
  • Airfare/travel to Birmingham
  • Airport transfers
  • Some meals
What’s Included
  • Access to all baking sessions
  • Moderation during all baking sessions with the ability to ask questions and interact with Bake from Scratch team
  • Recordings of all baking sessions
What’s Included
  • Hotel accommodations in Birmingham
  • Welcome wine reception
What’s Not Included
  • Airfare/travel to Birmingham
  • Airport transfers
  • Some meals

Please note all 24 spots of this baking retreat must be filled by February 1, 2023 for the retreat to take place. Don’t wait! Register today.


Have a question about this baking retreat? Contact us.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT

If you’d like to register, please email events@bakefromscratch.com.

Reservations will be taken in the order in which we receive emails. 


Friday, March 24, 2023
Arrive in Birmingham and get settled into the Elyton Hotel, located in downtown Birmingham, just a few blocks from the Bake from Scratch test kitchen. We’ll have an early evening wine reception in the test kitchen so you can meet our team and your fellow bakers. Dinner will be on your own with our list of top restaurants to try while you’re in Birmingham.

Saturday, March 25, 2023
Day 1 in the Bake from Scratch test kitchen: We’ll bake our way through a variety of cake recipes. Lunch, tea, and coffee will be provided, and class will run from 9 a.m. until approximately 4 p.m. Dinner will be on your own with our list of top restaurants to try while you’re in Birmingham.

Sunday, March 26, 2023
Day 2 in the Bake from Scratch test kitchen: We’ll bake our way through a variety of cake recipes. Lunch, tea, and coffee will be provided, and class will run from 9 a.m. until approximately 4 p.m. Dinner will be on your own with our list of top restaurants to try while you’re in Birmingham.

Monday, March 27, 2023
Departures on your own.

Happy Baking Retreat participants


Accommodations in Birmingham
The Elyton Hotel is located in a historic bank building in Birmingham’s bustling downtown area. Walk out the doors and you are steps away from the city’s vibrant restaurant scene, art galleries, boutiques, theatres, and more.

Booking
The full price of the retreat is due at booking. We accept payment by American Express, Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, and Amazon Pay. Trip prices are in US dollars.

Travel to and from Birmingham
Guests are responsible for getting themselves to Birmingham and to the Elyton Hotel on Friday, March 24, when the retreat commences. Guests will be responsible for getting themselves from the Elyton Hotel to the airport or their next destination on Monday, March 27. Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport is located a quick 5 miles away from the hotel.

Costs
The price of the trip includes all hotel accommodations, all baking classes, some meals, and the welcome wine reception.

Single-occupancy, double-occupancy, baking participant plus non-baking participant, and virtual rates are available.

Your credit card will be charged by Hoffman Media, the parent company of Bake from Scratch.

Cancellation
Since the trip is nonrefundable, we suggest buying trip insurance.

If you don’t purchase travel insurance, you agree to indemnify us against any charges that might otherwise be covered by your insurance. You further agree that we are not responsible for any costs of cancellation or costs related to COVID-19. Due to COVID-19, there may be limitations relating to activities. Certain services and amenities may be reduced or unavailable as a result of changing circumstances. Please know that we are working closely with our partners to plan and execute a safe baking retreat for our guests, but there is an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 when traveling. By booking this baking retreat, you acknowledge and assume these risks associated with travel. 

We reserve the right to cancel this retreat if fewer than 24 participants have signed up by February 1, 2023. We will send an email confirmation to all participants when this number has been met. If Bake from Scratch initiates the cancellation, we will refund all payments. Please note that we will be monitoring travel advisories related to the COVID-19 pandemic closely.

Have a question about this baking retreat? Email events@bakefromscratch.com.

Brian Hart Hoffman
Buttercream Icing


Can I extend my stay at the hotel?
If you’d like to inquire about additional nights at the hotel, please email events@bakefromscratch.com.

I live in Birmingham. Can I attend and not stay in a hotel?
Please email us at events@bakefromscratch.com if you are a Birmingham resident and would like information on a commuter package.

Is breakfast included?
Coffee, tea, and pastries will be provided each morning.

Are children able to attend this retreat?
All participants must be 18 years old or older to attend this baking retreat.

What should I plan to wear during baking classes?
Comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes. Long hair should be pulled back. Aprons will be provided.

Are the baking classes hands-on?
Yes, all baking classes will be hands-on.

Is this retreat better-suited for professionals or home bakers?
Our retreats are geared for passionate home bakers, but professionals are always welcome.

Will we have any free time?
You will have some free time in the evenings to explore Birmingham.

I want to bring my travel companion, but they don’t want to participate in the baking classes. What can they do?
We invite your non-baking companion to the welcome reception in our test kitchen. While you bake, your travel companion can explore Birmingham on their own.

What will the virtual experience be like?
Virtual participants will be able to view all instruction during the baking classes. They will also be able to ask instructors questions and chat with other virtual participants.

What if I can’t join virtually for all the sessions?
We will send recordings of all the baking classes to all participants within one week of the retreat.

Buttercream Icing
Happy Baking Retreat participant

SPONSORED BY

Bel Gioioso