CTE Program Culinary Students Showcase Holiday-Inspired Desserts

As the holiday season approaches, Bladensburg High School Career & Technical Education (CTE) culinary arts students are sharpening their skills with a festive twist! Under the expert guidance of local pastry chef Kandi Jones, owner of Mix'nSweetz Bakury, students explored the art of creating holiday-inspired desserts.

From mastering the perfect frosting consistency to learning professional-level decorating techniques, aspiring chefs gained hands-on experience in crafting cupcakes and cakes that look as good as they taste.

“In many culinary programs, the artistry side of cake and cupcake design isn’t heavily covered,” said Jones. “As a professional specializing in three-dimensional cake art, I wanted to give back to my community and ensure that PGCPS students develop a strong foundation in this skill set. These experiences help them decide which part of the culinary industry best suits their talents and passions.”

Ivory Rosier, CTE Instructional Supervisor, highlighted the transformative power of these experiences.

“Opportunities like these allow students to learn directly from industry experts—not only to see what’s possible but to understand how they can achieve it,” said Rosier. “I encourage parents to start conversations early about their children’s dreams and interests. PGCPS CTE programs provide invaluable pathways to help students pursue their goals.”

If your student dreams of exploring culinary arts or other high-demand fields like culinary arts, IT, computer science, construction, healthcare and more, now is the time to act!

The CTE application window is open through December 13. Learn more and apply today at www.pgcps.org/cte

Recreate the cupcakes made by culinary students with this recipe!

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe 

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 cups of sugar
• 3 tsp of baking powder
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil or butter
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup of water
• 1 toothpick

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF (176ºC) and prepare a cupcake pan with liners
2. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large mixer bowl and combine. Set aside. 
3. Add the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and eggs to a medium bowl and combine. 
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat until well combined.
5. Slowly add the water to the batter and mix on low speed until well combined. Scrape down the bowl's sides (as needed) to ensure everything is well combined. 
6. Fill the cupcake liners halfway and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. 
7. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool for two minutes. Then, transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling before serving.