COURSE #2 - FOUNDATION BUILDING

The Versatile Baker

985 Students

A no-mess, no-stress baking system to help you consistently bake tall, sturdy and delicious cakes. Instantly cut kitchen time and ingredients list in half.

BUY THIS COURSE

1 Base Cake Recipe

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15+ Flavour Variations

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Cakes, Cupcakes, Baked Donuts

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GF, Egg-Free, Lactose Free Subs

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1 Base Cake Recipe • 15+ Flavour Variations • Cakes, Cupcakes, Baked Donuts • GF, Egg-Free, Lactose Free Subs •

Real Results From Real Bakers

  • Cross-section of a layered chocolate and vanilla cake with six visible layers, each separated by white frosting, on a cake stand.

    "Having one recipe that can be altered for most flavours is a game changer!"

    I don’t have to think too hard about process or if I have to buy loads of different ingredients for different recipes. The results are consistently good cakes which are stable and tasty. I have also used the student group to ask advice and Thao and other students are so helpful.

    Victoria Macfarlane

  • Assorted cupcakes with chocolate frosting, decorated with red cherries, colorful sprinkles, pretzels, and red and green candy decorations.

    "This course provides the perfect foundational knowledge for streamlining baking."

    I was really apprehensive to make the investment but it has really been the best decision and worth every cent. From the cake to the cupcakes, and salted caramel recipes, every time I make a DTC cake people are left truly impressed .

    Kimberley

  • A tall, multi-layered cake decorated with white roses, raspberries, lemon slices, and a white decorative topper with the text 'KT 30'.

    "Love how easy and convenient it is to make multiple recipes with the same base ingredients."

    Especially for someone like me who always tends to forget one ingredient for my shopping list haha. This saves me time while baking and planning what ingredients I need. Couldn’t recommend this course any more to beginners and just bakers in general who are sick of having 100 different recipes for every flavour!

    Tamara

  • Six cupcakes with white frosting, topped with dried orange slices, white sprinkles, and crumbled brown topping, in a white box on a table.

    "Thao has a great way of explaining and showing how to do things."

    The recipes and instructions have saved me an enormous amount of time. I managed to make a mini wedding cake, donuts, and cupcakes from the same recipe and they all tasted amazing. And I wasn’t standing in front of the stove for endless hours!

    Chalene

  • Sliced round vanilla cake with multiple layers and cream filling, placed on a white cake stand on a wooden table.

    "This course has made my life so much easier."

    I wish I had completed your course sooner. It has saved me so much time and the cakes are delicious! Now that I have the DTC recipes, I feel confident making tall cakes.

    Sabrina Guppy

  • A tall wedding cake with white frosting, decorated with lemon slices, green olives, and greenery. A floral cake topper reads 'The Barnels'.

    "This course removes the stress of hoping the cake will turn out…. as it works EVERY time! "

    I get so many compliments on my cakes but it comes down the Don’t Tell Charles method. Stress free and simple recipes with a streamlined system for great cake every time so you can spend more time on decorating the cake.

    Che Osbaldiston

  • Four slices of layered cake with cream and caramel filling, served on a floral-patterned plate.

    "BEST DECISION EVER ♥️."

    I always struggled with measuring ingredients accurately and baking perfect cake with good taste. Mine used to be dry and not tasty. I was disappointed but I took a leap and enrolled in Thao’s Versatile Baker course and never looked back.

    Gurpreet

One base recipe, endless possibilities

Sick of juggling multiple cake recipes that call for different ingredients and methods? Baking should be delicious AND easy.

With The Versatile Baker framework, every cake starts from the same reliable base so you can create new flavours with total ease and confidence.

🥚 EGGS + 🧂SUGAR + 🥛 CREAM (35% fat) + 🌾 FLOUR and BAKING POWDER + 🧂SALT

It’s time to take control of your recipes

Don’t let complex and confusing recipes discourage you from baking.

Learn baking science and a simple baking system that turns one base vanilla cake recipe into 15+ flavours plus cupcakes, baked donuts and free-from substitutions. Once you master the foundation, you can confidently troubleshoot and create any flavours you like!

  • These are the recipes we’ve already tested for you.

    ‼️ For each flavour you’ll get the cake, cupcake and baked donut recipes. Every recipe can be adapted for gluten free, egg-free dairy-free or lactose-free baking.

    ✓Vanilla, Chocolate, Red Velvet, Caramel

    ✓Earl Grey, Matcha, Chai Tea, Coffee

    ✓Spiced, Gingerbread, Carrot, Coconut

    ✓Lemon, Orange, Banana, Marble & more!

You’ll be able to:

✓ Spend less time planning, prepping, baking, and cleaning

✓ Use fewer ingredients and supplies — without compromising results

✓ Bake any format (layered cake, cupcake, baked donuts & more) one core recipe

✓ Create any new flavours you want without starting from scratch each time

How it comes together

Step 1

Buy This Course

Join 984 students inside The Versatile Baker.

Step 2

Implement The System

Learn the simple baking principles behind our base vanilla cake and discover how to confidently tweak it into any flavour you like.

Step 3

Bake With Confidence

Create whatever you want: cupcakes, donuts, or layered cakes knowing every batch will work, tastes amazing, and actually gets eaten.

Join 984 Students Worldwide

☆

Join 984 Students Worldwide ☆

Bake with Confidence

One time payment

AUD 699

buy this course

Safely pay with

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✓ Lifetime access to course content

✓ Lifetime access to Student Facebook Community

✓ Free access to future course updates

✓ Direct support from Thao

Five women standing in a row indoors, all wearing brown aprons with a white logo that says 'Donttell Charles,' smiling, with three holding smartphones and one holding a camera.

What You’ll Learn

  • Baking fresh and from scratch does not mean baking on the same day. Learn how to set yourself up for success from the beginning.

    Modules included:

    ✓ Time Management

    ✓ Food Safety

    ✓ Tools & Equipment

  • Our cake recipes are developed for tall, structured cakes and our baking system is geared towards efficient baking.

    Topics included:

    ✓ Cake structure

    ✓ DTC cakes

    ✓ Sizing system

    ✓ Serving numbers & cutting charts

  • Understand the basics of baking science in order to troubleshoot when things go wrong.

    Topics included:

    ✓Key components of a typical cake recipe

    ✓ Different mixing methods

    ✓ The stages of baking

    ✓ The role of heat and your ovens

    ✓ How to calculate batter ratio for different cake tins

    ✓ Efficiency tips for bulk baking

  • This Vanilla Cake Recipe forms the base of all other cake recipes in our baking system. It uses eggs, sugar, cream (35% fat content), flour + BP and salt.

    Topics included:

    ✓Characteristics of DTC cakes

    ✓ DTC Vanilla cake, cupcakes & baked donut recipes

    ✓ Cake cutting with different tools

    ✓ Common baking mistakes & how to fix them

  • Follow our guidelines to make new flavour development easy and simple.

    Topics included:

    ✓Walkthrough of our cake recipe development

    ✓Flavour experiment guidelines

  • These are the recipes we’ve already tested for you.

    ‼️ For each flavour you’ll get the cake, cupcake and baked donut recipes. Every recipe can be adapted for gluten free, egg-free dairy-free or lactose-free baking.

    ✓Vanilla, Chocolate, Red Velvet, Caramel

    ✓Earl Grey, Matcha, Chair Tea, Coffee

    ✓Spiced, Gingerbread, Carrot, Coconut

    ✓Lemon, Orange, Banana, Marble & more!

  • Recipes & Tutorials are constantly added to the course as Thao experiments with new projects.

    Included:
    ✓Salted Caramel Everything Course

    ✓Tom Cruise Christmas Coconut Bundt Cake

    ✓Christmas Project: Gingerbread Man Cake

    ✓Lemon, Thyme & Strawberry Cake Sandwiches

    ✓Coffee & Caramel Cupakes

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Lemon Thyme Strawberry cake sandwich-40.JPG
For web _ Tom Cruise Coconut Bundt Cake-4.JPG
A pink layered cake with white frosting and red filling, with one slice on a white plate and the rest on a cake stand, all set against a plain white background.
Two round pans of red velvet cake on a yellow surface, with a small dish of egg yolk, a scoop of cocoa powder, and flour nearby, suggesting cake baking preparations.
Chocolate cupcakes decorated with colorful candies, wafers, and pink chocolate shards, with two spoons of sprinkles on the side.
Chocolate-glazed donuts with colorful sprinkles on a white plate.
Matcha sponge cake ingredients on a pink surface, includes two sponge cake layers, matcha powder, eggs, matcha cupcakes, whipped cream, and flour.
Stack of ice cubes on a white surface with a plain white background.
Marbled soap bars on white plates with a pink heart icon in the top right corner.
Colorful stack of assorted bakery sponge cake slices on yellow surface with white background.
A slice of four-layer chocolate cake with white frosting and pink and white macarons on top.
Chocolate cupcakes decorated with swirled frosting, caramel drizzle, and colorful candy pieces topped with white chocolate shards on a wooden surface.
Pink frosted donuts topped with chopped strawberries and strawberry crumbs, with fresh strawberries beside them on white parchment paper.
Four squares of marbled brownie with black and white swirls on a pink background.
A chocolate and vanilla layered cake on a white cake board, with various baking ingredients and tools around it on a yellow background, including a banana, egg, cinnamon stick, flour, chocolate chips, and butter.
Stacked chocolate cookies with a raw egg in a small dish, a wooden spoon with cocoa powder, and a white scoop of flour on a pink surface.
Raw ingredients on a green surface, including a slice of bread, ginger, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, an egg, and small dishes with flour and egg.
Ingredients for baking, including two vanilla sponge cakes on parchment paper, eggs, black tea leaves, flour, milk, salt, and baking powder on a white surface.
Pink layered cake with white and red filling, decorated with abstract painted designs, with a slice cut and placed on a plate, and another slice on a white cake stand.
Matcha-flavored cake with a green matcha powder, a matcha cupcake, and a small bowl of whipped cream on a pink surface.
Sliced plain pound cake on a white cloth with baking tools and ingredients in the background.
A slice of chocolate cake, a whole chocolate cake in the background, a glass of chocolate milk, and a small bowl of caramel sauce on a white surface.

Real Results From Real Bakers

  • Cross-section of a three-layer chocolate cake with white filling between each layer, decorated with pastel-colored icing and sprinkles.

    "I love all the DTC recipes, I always get comments on the flavour of my cakes. "

    The recipe comes together so fast and they bake so beautiful and tall, which means less time in the kitchen baking and more time on the decorating.

    I have bought purchased most of Thao’s courses , even as a hobby baker I think they are worth the investment.

    Hannah Shepherd

  • A purple cylindrical cake decorated with purple and yellow flower-shaped icing and multicolored sprinkles on top and sides.

    “The Versatile Baker is a course worthy of investing in."

    Not only has it given me a versatility with the flavours of cakes produced in my small kitchen, but it has also given me peace of mind that all customers are buying cakes produced at the same high standard. It offers consistency throughout baking which is unmatched with any other cake course on the market!

    Olivia Ferguson

  • A tray of freshly baked mini bagels cooling on a wire rack.

    "I can’t believe that a recipe that has only 6 ingredients can be so damn delicious and versatile "

    Since signing up to DTC 3 weeks ago I have baked DTC cakes in the form of cupcakes, donuts and whole cakes nearly 10 times! I love how simple it is.

    Jaclyn Crasto

  • A slice of layered chocolate and cream cake on a glass plate and the remaining cake on a serving platter in the background.

    "I cannot recommend The Versatile Baker enough!"

    I’ve actually been baking DTC cakes since 2020 so this review is long overdue. I love that everything I need is provided in this course – flavour variations, batter weights and cook timing. It honestly makes my life so much easier and I don’t have to sit and work it all out myself. The cakes and flavours taste so good.

    Alexundra Coory

  • A tall, cylindrical cake decorated with green flowers and gold accents, with the name "Kale" written on it in gold lettering.

    “DTC’s cake system makes everything so much easier for me."

    There’s a base recipe that I can work from and it’s been amazing! I don’t need to gather so many different ingredients in my pantry, I only have to think about the few ingredients and still make extra delicious and structurally sound cake and buttercream. Thank you DTC, you’re worth it!

    Lydya Hamed

  • A partially eaten chocolate layer cake with white cream filling, decorated with green frosting and gold star ornaments, on a white cake board.

    "Totally worth the money to invest in yourself."

    The videos are really informative and easy to digest even with all the information Thao shares! It will definitely make you a versatile baker with the techniques that are taught. I throughly enjoyed this and think this is totally worth the investment to be a better more efficient baker!

    Ciena Yim

  • A round cake with a marbled blue and white design on its surface, placed on a white cake board.

    "If you are considering investing in this course, do it!"

    Wow.. this course is so incredibly thorough and detailed, you cannot doubt it has been a labour of love to create. The cakes are stable and delicious and yet so simple and easy to bake. I’m just a hobby baker but if I ever wanted to turn it into a business I am so glad I have the tools to be efficient with my time thanks to this course.

    Amy Sanders

  • Yellow cupcakes arranged on a white surface to form the shape of the letter A.

    "This course is definitely a game changer!"

    I have been struggling with my bakes and let me tell you oh boy the quality of my bakes changed not only for the better but my time and the effort put into my bakes has minimised. I also spend less time cleaning up more time with the family. Thank you so much Thao!

    Taaibah

Save Time

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Spend Less

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Create Any Flavours You Like

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Save Time • Spend Less • Create Any Flavours You Like •

Group of women in aprons smiling behind decorated cakes at a celebration.

Our guarantee

After teaching over 10,000 students worldwide, both online and in person, we’ve seen firsthand that our students achieve longer-term results from our online courses. While in-person classes are fun and valuable, there’s only so much you can remember once it’s over.

Our online courses are based off our in-person classes, but are more detailed and easy to follow. With lifetime access to lessons, you can learn at your own pace and revisit the course any time you need.

Our promise: you won’t be doing this alone. You’ll join a community of thousands of DTC students who are generous, supportive, and welcoming. And Thao is always just a message away — whether you need help troubleshooting, fresh ideas, or a bit of encouragement.

BUY this course

 FAQs

  • DTC cakes are similar in texture to butter or pound cakes, somewhere in the middle between a sponge and a mud cake. They are not too heavily dense nor too light, a perfect structure to team with buttercream.

  • DTC cakes have amazing structure, and are not only perfect with buttercream. They are also great with ganache, for carving or with fondant covers. 

  • The cupcake and baked donut recipes use the same core ingredients and method, just different oven settings and baking temperature. After all, we are the efficiency expert!

  • The course includes videos, presentations and written materials you can learn from in your own time. There’s no live component, but when you ask a question in the course or FB group, Thao (and other students) reply in real time.

  • Buttercream Cake Mastery gives you the full A–Z foundation for modern buttercream cake making. It includes baking basics and the DTC vanilla cake recipe. The Versatile Baker goes much deeper into baking science and the full DTC baking system (35+ recipes). The only overlap between the two courses is the vanilla cake recipe and some basic principles.

  • No - because recipes alone won’t give you long-lasting success. It’s the system behind the recipes that matters: understanding ingredients, technique, timing, structure, temperature and troubleshooting. That’s what creates consistent, results.

  • Yes — you get lifetime access. You can revisit the course anytime and as often as you like. If the course is ever retired in the future, you’ll be notified well in advance.

  • The written materials are in downloadable PDF form. Most of our students print these out to keep in a folder for easy access in the kitchen. The videos are not downloadable but you can access them any time via the course platform.

  • We’ve hosted our courses on Teachable since 2016.