When The World's Best Pastry Chef Cédric Grolet makes pastry, he integrates memories, emotions, and feelings into the process, but most importantly, he brings a level of knowledge you have never seen before. In his first-ever online class, he shares his complete pastry vision represented by 3 families: Fruits, Nuts, and Flowers. From French classics to modern recipes, learn how to use natural ingredients, elevate your senses, create realistic dessert finishes and re-invent countless dessert textures - so many, we lost count. Recreate it in your pastry shop or even at home!
Lesson 1: Cédric’s Journey
Discover how Cédric worked his way up from his family kitchen to open three pastry shops and be awarded the title of 'The World's Best Pastry Chef' several times. He has analyzed his triumphs and failures to bring his best-selling and most loved desserts to this class. Each of his lessons will have recipes and techniques representing the three pastry families: Fruits, Nuts, and Flowers.
Lesson 2: Cédric’s Pastry Philosophy
Embrace your vision and hear what Cédric has to share; a deep admiration of pastry, respect for nature, the study of ingredients, and creating pastry that makes memories. Step by step and emotional.
Lesson 3: RASPBERRY ROSE
The first FLOWER of this class starts with a Vanilla Ganache. Take your vanilla knowledge to the next level, and discover how to choose vanilla types depending on the ingredients in your recipe. Learn how to create silky textures in your piping ganache.
Lesson 4: Vanilla Financier
A magical feeling will envelop you when you take your first bite of this dessert! In this lesson, you'll discover when to use Financier and when to use Almond Cream in desserts.
Lesson 5: Raspberry Gel
Cedric shows us his grandmother's technique for preserving fruit with his own added twist! This entirely natural approach has become one of the main techniques in his career. A bite of this gel gives you nothing but pure, real, and natural fruit. In this class, you'll learn how to adjust the recipe according to different types of fruits and berries.
Lesson 6: Sweet Dough
The key to the perfect dough is learning to develop and use your senses to assess the dough. Cedric teaches you to flawlessly perfect every step of making the dough: selecting the ingredients, following the temperature, feeling the texture, and observing the outcome. Create a thin and delicate dough that's practically invisible in the dessert so we can focus on the raspberry and nature.
Lesson 7: Coating and Decoration
This RASPBERRY ROSE should feel like it has just been picked from the field this morning with a wet, dusty touch that whispers, "Try me!" Learn Cedric's glamorous way of coating and unleash the guilty pleasure of the Soft Vanilla Ganache, which brings simplicity, and acidic raspberry to the character and is bound together by a barely noticeable crispy Sweet Dough. True perfection!
Lesson 8: St. Honore Dough
Make this "feuilletage" in 15 minutes instead of 2 days with a new technique that Cedric discovered on his travels! It's time efficient, crispy, and lasts over time, which we can't say about the classic feuilletage that gets soggy quickly. We know that the most simple ideas are the hardest to think up, so we call this genius at PastryClass—but Cédric is too far too humble for that ;)
Lesson 9: Almond Cream
St. Honore is not the same without traditions. This Almond Cream is an essential French classic. Cedric shares how to make small 500g portions of this recipe so you can replicate it at home, despite making over 50kg weekly in his shops. Learn how to achieve flawless textures when working with smaller portions.
Lesson 10: ST. HONORE: Choux
Cédric says all chefs make choux differently, but the key to success is to start with the right recipe, which he passionately shares with you. He shows you how to train your senses so you can use only your hands and eyes to make this choux. Embrace the tips he gives about haute couture piping and how to prevent your choux pastry from losing its shape in the oven.
Lesson 11: Decoration Caramel
Cedric's goal is for us all to make caramel so thin that when people bite the choux, they instantly want another bite. Learn how to add an extra shine to your caramel decorations.
Lesson 12: Vanilla Chantilly
Cédric is all about pastry passion! He unleashes a special chantilly recipe that lasts over time and will go perfectly with the choux. Learn how to control textures when whipping a chantilly.
Lesson 13: Pastry Cream
Discover the real passion behind Cédric's work. With this St. Honore recipe, he wants to respect traditions while adding a modern twist, so you'll be delighted and surprised when you take a bite! It's a classic you love, but this special touch makes it a whole new experience.
Lesson 14: Creamy Caramel
Imagine you get a crispy caramel on top of the puffs AND a creamy caramel on the inside. Heaven! Make this creamy caramel with Cédric and learn a two-step cooking technique that will make it even softer.
Lesson 15: VANILLA ST. HONORE
Cédric is all about sharing theory and creating a meaningful experience for you and your customers. He shares his approach to tasting, saying 'people will never say again that it's too sweet, too fat or too heavy.' He explains how he goes through the evolution of his pastry every year, and after this class, you will have a new passion.
Lesson 16: Lemon Ganache
Experience awe and amazement as you fall into the first fruit-based lesson - THE LEMON. Discover how it all started for Cédric; the seasons, nature, the family, and childhood. Great ideas come from deep inside you, from your unique nature and experiences — and everyone should embrace their own!
Lesson 17: Candied Lemon
Great recipes call for handmade ingredients. Learn to make your own candied lemons and instead of the usual excessive candied sweetness, elevate the lemon's natural acidity and respect the pure flavor. Lemon has so much to give; we don't need to hide it in sugar.
Lesson 18: Lemon Marmalade
Spot the professional! Watch how Cedric makes a zero-waste recipe from fruit. Yep, really! In this lesson, we use the complete lemon: the skins, the segments, the heart, the juice, and the leftover bits. Learn how to work with seasonal fruits and create beautiful textures every single time.
Lesson 19: LEMON
Learn how to make one of the most popular desserts in the world. Every single bite will make you say WOW! Discover how to make the special coating so magical and thin and keep the heart of the lemon acidic. This dessert is like no other because the lemon tastes REAL; it doesn't taste like a cake; it tastes like fruit. And that's the only vision Cédric believes in - real natural flavors.
Lesson 20: Apple Ganache
Cédric shares the basics as we've never seen them before. Learn how to cook creme anglaise, but this time add a refreshing twist with apple juice. Get tips on cooking, resting time, and storage.
Lesson 21: Gala Apple Insert
Cédric shares his approach to preserving the fruit's real juices and natural flavors. Why is Cédric so different? Because he uses natural fruit at every stage of a recipe. No purees or preservatives, just pure fruit with freshly squeezed juices and chopped pieces. Every step is handmade and respects what nature has given us.
Lesson 22: Crystal Topping
This fruit looks like a jewel - and we know why. For the first time, Cédric shares the recipe and techniques for his glossy finish. This recipe wasn't used in pastry until he brought it from the savory world into his own kitchen. Since then, he hasn't found a better recipe to top fruit that combines so many advantages in one: completely translucent, odorless, long-lasting, no sugar, extreme shine, and protection for the dessert.
Lesson 23: APPLE
Learn the simplest way to make chocolate decorations, and finish this luxury APPLE recipe. Pick it up with your fingers, and nothing will happen to the topping. It's so real! Everyone loves this fruit; get the softest bite into this magical recipe with no gluten and no sponge, just 100% apple. Serve this dessert morning, noon, and night — the time is always right!
Lesson 24: Pistachio Ganache
Imagine replicating the Sicilian pistachio: floral, aggressive, roasted, and intense. Cédric explains how he makes nut pastes with a perfect texture and says, "I don't want to teach you how to make ganaches without defects. I teach you the opposite," and that's when we know this pastry chef is different.
Lesson 25: Pistachio Gel
Learn how to make desserts without molds and widen the horizons of your variations! You've already learned how to make an aggressive Pistachio Ganache with pieces. It's time to balance it with a smooth and feminine Pistachio Gel.
Lesson 26: Pistachio Praline
What's better than eating pistachio? Pistachio Praline! PISTACHIO dessert won't have a sponge, and there is no better way to replace the sponge than with a praline texture. Discover how to control your textures by playing with temperatures.
Lesson 27: Pistachio Crisp
For Cedric, it's always about balance and texture. Creating character through a recipe is a passionate approach to pastry; get inspired by Cédric's every move because you'll love your experience when making it yourself.
Lesson 28: PISTACHIO
The XXL PISTACHIO is a masterpiece: an aerated mousse, indulgent pistachio praline, fluid gel, a hint of fleur de sel, and a millimeter-thin coating that ties everything together. Be original and stand out from the crowd with your pastry knowledge from this class!
Lesson 29: THE HAZELNUT CHILD
Demonstrating an all-time favorite from his pastry shop, Cédric shares the recipe for The Hazelnut Child and his hack for pleasing children and adults with this updated version of the nut. Start this lesson with tips and tricks for Hazelnut Ganache.
Lesson 30: Creamy Hazelnut Caramel
This dessert is the most extraordinary dessert you will make. We can't believe how lucky we are to taste this hazelnut recipe; prepare to be wowed by the caramel you discover in the middle. It’s pleasant in the mouth but childish like candy! Learn to create emotions with your pastry.
Lesson 31: Hazelnut Praline
Learn to make your own Hazelnut Praline and Hazelnut Crisp—the real crunchy one that children love. This assembly brings many steps, surprises, and textures. Make a tangy, elastic texture at the end and realize your childish dream. This lesson may be overwhelming, but you will remember it forever.
Lesson 32: HAZELNUT
An extra special hazelnut recipe: the CHILDREN'S HAZELNUT, as Cédric calls it. This recipe will change your pastry skills forever. Bite it, taste it, and bring out your inner child. You won't need to be reminded of a special memory from your past. It will come bursting out of you as this natural nut taste explodes in your mouth. Let's play! Let's get excited! Let's create pastry hand in hand with Cédric!
Learn More
Enroll today on PastryClass and learn how to turn natural ingredients into realistic desserts with celebrated chef Cédric Grolet.
