Imagine pulling a tray of golden, buttery croissants from your own oven... layers so light and flaky they shatter at the first bite.
If you’ve ever thought making laminated pastry was beyond your reach, I’d love to show you otherwise.
Join me LIVE on Sunday 21 June for my Leavened Puff Pastry online class and discover the magic behind croissants, pain au chocolat and pain aux raisins. Together we’ll mix and develop the dough, create beautiful buttery layers through lamination, shape a range of classic pastries and bake them to perfection.
What makes a live, hands-on class so valuable is that you’re not learning from a recording and hoping for the best. You’ll bake alongside me in real time, see every step up close, ask questions as they arise and gain the confidence that comes from understanding not just what to do, but why you’re doing it.
By the end of the day, you’ll have the skills, knowledge and confidence to create your own bakery-worthy pastries at home whenever the craving strikes.
🥐 Warning: your kitchen may never smell the same again.
Bookings are now open via the link in in my bio.
BakingClass LearnToBake PastryMaking
Bake Club
An online baking school based in Australia offering online resources and courses. Welcome to BakeClub!
BakeClub makes baking easy, fun, inspiring and, above all, relevant to your busy life. Founded by Sydney-based author, food editor, consultant, teacher, publisher and passionate baker Anneka Manning, BakeClub specialises in teaching not only the ‘how’ but also the ‘why’ of baking through our hands-on baking classes and online courses. Packed with invaluable how-tos, tricks and tips that will take
28/05/2026
RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Norwegian Apple Pie
When is a pie not really a pie?
Meet Norwegian Apple Pie (Eplepai) — a much-loved Scandinavian classic that blurs the line between pie, cake and crumble in the very best way. With its buttery, cinnamon-spiced topping and soft baked apples, it’s the kind of simple bake that’s perfect for these cool, almost-wintery days.
Or serve it warm for dessert in big, generous spoonfuls with lashings of cream or ice cream.
No pastry rolling. No fuss. Just pure comfort baking.
Find the recipe here: bit.ly/431s0cv
📸
Stylist
26/05/2026
This cake was made for a special birthday celebration for @muscari.au over the weekend, and it was such a pleasure to be part of it in a small way.
A slab cake with three layers of orange and pistachio sponge, soaked with a fragrant saffron syrup and filled with cardamom Swiss meringue buttercream – a combination that felt a little unexpected, but still beautifully balanced for an autumn celebration. It was finished with the most stunning flowers from @fred.made – tulips, poppies and bachelor’s buttons – which felt like the perfect finishing touch.
I love creating custom, flavour-driven cakes for special occasions – birthdays, weddings, work milestones, intimate dinners and meaningful celebrations of every size – the kind that feel personal on the day and are still being talked about long after the last slice has been served
If you have a celebration coming up and would like to chat about a cake, you’re very welcome to DM me or email [email protected].
Let’s make something memorable together.
XAnneka
Homemade puff pastry often feels far more intimidating than it actually is.
The truth is, once you understand the process – and the small details that matter most – it becomes so much more approachable, enjoyable and rewarding to make at home.
In my LIVE online class on Sunday 24 May, I’ll guide you step-by-step through the entire process so you can confidently create beautifully flaky puff pastry in your own kitchen.
And if you can’t make it live, the replay is included so you can bake along anytime.
PLUS — if you’d like to continue building your pastry skills, there’s also a 15% saving available when you book both the Puff Pastry + Leavened Puff Pastry classes together.
You’ll find the links to book in my bio.
Anneka x
BAKETIP: Silky-smooth Cheesecakes
When making a cheesecake, straining the batter before pouring it into the tin is a simple step that can make a HUGE difference to the final texture.
It will catch any lumps of cream cheese and make sure your eggs, and the other ingredients, are well incorporated, giving you a smoother batter and a finer, more even texture once baked. It works particularly well for rich, dense cheesecakes, like New York-style or Basque Cheesecakes, where that silky texture really counts.
You can strain the batter straight into the prepared tin or into a separate bowl first. And using the back of a spoon or spatula to gently press it through makes the process much quicker and easier.
If your batter contains finely grated citrus zest, skip the straining step or you’ll lose some of that fresh flavour and aroma.
And don’t forget to firmly tap your tin on the benchtop a few times before baking to help remove any large air pockets to make the texture even smoother.
18/05/2026
Homemade puff pastry has a reputation for being difficult… but most of that comes from not understanding a few key steps.
Things like:
* keeping the butter at the right consistency
* knowing when to rest the dough
* maintaining distinct layers
* understanding how the lamination actually works
Once these make sense, everything changes – puff pastry suddenly becomes much more achievable (and far less stressful than people expect).
In my LIVE online class this Sunday 24 May, I’ll guide you step-by-step through the entire process so you can confidently make beautifully flaky puff pastry at home.
And if you can’t make it live, you’ll also get the recording to revisit anytime.
PLUS – if you’d like to continue building your pastry skills, there’s a 15% bundle available when you book both my Puff Pastry + Leavened Puff Pastry classes together.
You’ll find the links to book and more information in my bio.
x Anneka
📸
Stylist
Tomorrow night’s Technique Tuesday Masterclass is all about cheesecake – and it might just be a more delicious alternative to watching the federal budget (just saying 😄!).
In this session for BakeClub & Co. members, I’ll be exploring what makes Basque, New York, Japanese and Italian ricotta cheesecakes so distinctly different, and how technique shapes everything from texture to structure.
We’ll cover ingredient ratios, mixing methods, baking temperature, water baths, that signature “burnt” crust, and how to avoid common issues like cracking, sinking and overbaking.
Whether you love your cheesecake rich and dense, softly creamy or feather-light, this masterclass will give you the understanding to consistently achieve your preferred style.
If you’re not yet a BakeClub &Co. member, you can join at any time (you can do so through the link in my bio) – and if you join before tomorrow evening, you’ll be able to take part in this session.
And if you have a specific cheesecake question, pop them in the comments below and I’ll be sure to answer them in the class!
XAnneka
22/04/2026
RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Brown Butter Anzac Biscuits
I have to admit, I’m currently having a bit of a love affair with brown butter in my baking, and this recipe is a perfect example of why. Those deep, nutty richness works so beautifully with oaty, coconuty, caramely flavours we already love in Anzac biscuits, taking them somewhere even more delicious.
These are generously sized biscuits with crisp, golden edges and a slightly soft centre – comforting, familiar, but with just that little extra depth that makes you reach for another ... and another!
Find the full recipe here and enjoy baking a batch to share in honour of our ANZACs : bit.ly/4tuWDTs
20/04/2026
Last chance to join me this Sunday (26 April) for my Shortcrust Pastry LIVE eClass!
If you’ve ever wanted to master buttery, flaky, perfectly crisp shortcrust pastry (without the stress or guesswork), this is your moment.
We’ll bake together in real time from 10am–1pm (AEST), and I’ll guide you step-by-step through the exact techniques I use so you can feel confident every time you make pastry at home.
We’ll also make a classic Quiche Lorraine – perfect for a relaxed Sunday lunch a recipe you’ll come back to again and again.
Bookings close soon, so if you’ve been thinking about it, now’s the time to jump in:
https://bit.ly/4tfnwui
Hope to see you in the kitchen Sunday!
X Anneka
PS If you’d like to take your pastry further, you might love my 3-class pastry bundle, which includes Shortcrust, Puff and Leavened Puff Pastry. Over 3 months, you’ll build your skills step-by-step as you move through each class – and it’s great value with 15% off when you book the bundle here: https://bit.ly/4vGzXAO
📸: Alan Benson
Styling: Kat Hunt
Click here to claim your Sponsored Listing.
Location
Contact the school
Website
Address
Sydney, NSW