Flourish
a cake decorating + photography retreat
Today, Laura and I are elated to announce details for our third annual cake decorating + photography retreat: Flourish, which will take place from June 11-14, 2026 at the heart-achingly beautiful Red Clover Ranch in Wisconsin. We couldn’t be more excited to spend another restorative and creative weekend there.
Here is what you need to know:
The Basics
Who: This year, we are inviting creatives looking to spend a weekend connecting to nature and replenishing their creative energy. We’ll practice nature-forward, organic cake decorating and capturing the present moment through photography. Confident beginner and Intermediate bakers who are experienced in assembling a layer cake and want to level up their decorating skills are welcome, as are people with a lens of some sort (iPhone or DSLR) and an interest in learning more about light, color, and composition.
What: A three-night retreat on a ranch in the Driftless Region of Wisconsin to explore the interplay between nature, baking, and art. On the agenda: decorating gorgeous sheet cakes, eating local food prepared by an amazing chef, discovering local heritage grains, exploring wild apple orchards, studying light and color, eating s’mores around the campfire, and lots of relaxing.
Where: Red Clover Ranch
When: June 11-14, 2026
The Details
We’re still dreaming up the itinerary, but here are the highlights:
A foraging walk through the beautiful grounds of Red Clover Ranch to gather materials to decorate and style our sheet cakes;
A shortbread tasting-filled seminar on local, heritage grains;
A still life photography workshop;
A tour of the local farmers’ market;
An advanced cake decorating workshop; and
Stargazing over the fire, swimming, and unwinding in the sauna.
We’ve decided to keep it intimate and open up 12 spots this year. Early bird ticket sales open today, November 17, and prices will go up on January 2, 2026. Ticket sales will close when the spots are full. We sold out months in advance last year, so don’t hesitate to take advantage of early bird pricing!
Tickets are sold as either single or double rooms for you to enjoy some solitude or relive summer camp with a buddy. You can find more information about the beautiful cabins here!
This year, we’ve also decided to offer one reduced-rate scholarship for a pastry kitchen assistant. The assistant will still participate in all retreat activities and workshops, but will be dipping in and out a bit to assist Emily (that’s me!) with facilitating the cake decorating workshops. The application for the scholarship will open on December 1, 2025, so keep your eyes peeled for more details!
To secure your spot for a weekend of magic, please visit WeTravel.
Here’s what folks from previous retreats have said:
“Dappled was such a magical, restorative experience. I learned a ton AND relaxed in a beautiful location—hands-on and hands-free, in all the right ways. I came home with a full stomach, glorious photos, and a delicious cake. What more could I ask for?”
“Every element of this retreat was genuine, intentional, and restorative. From outstanding food and hospitality of the RCR team to Laura and Emily’s deeply approachable expertise in baking and photography, it was exactly what I needed. A perfect experience for curious, creative folks to learn, connect, and rest.”
“Emily and Laura are incredible teachers and masters of their crafts; it was a joy to learn from them. I definitely recommend this retreat to anyone looking for a low-key and delicious adventure in a beautiful setting.”
“It was such an honor to be at the retreat from Emily and Laura. I cannot think of the last time I had more fun - sitting in nature, swimming in a creek, being surrounded by such thoughtful people, and letting myself get back into photography, and learn so much about local food & flora. Huge thanks again to Laura and Emily for all the love and hard work they poured into making this retreat happen. I have never met more magical teachers!”
FAQ
Do I need to have experience in cake decorating, baking, or photography to attend the retreat?
This year, we are welcoming confident beginner and intermediate bakers who have experience constructing a layer cake and have some basic knowledge of cake decoration, but want to refine and practice their decorating skills. We will be focusing less on baking and construction and spending more time digging into decorating—and you’ll still go home with recipes! We’ll explore whimsical, nature-inspired cake decoration from the perspective of co-creating with our environment.
We’ll cover:
Piping skills to create endless designs using a variety of piping tips.
Utilizing the extra surface area of a mini sheet cake to act as a landscape (or a cake scape, if you will)
Adding vibrant color to your cake using natural ingredients
How to safely decorate with edible flowers and plants
Composing a photograph thoughtfully
Using light and color to tell a story
Additionally, we are encouraging attendees to bring a camera or a cell phone with a camera to use in the photography workshops. Fancy equipment not required (we’ll bring some for you to experiment with!), but bring a curious eye and a passion for color!
What does the price include?
The cost of the retreat is all-inclusive:
lodging for three nights
all meals from Thursday dinner through Sunday morning brunch, including a welcome cocktail/mocktail and coffee/tea
instruction in advanced cake decorating from Emily Spurlin, a James Beard Award–nominated pastry chef
instruction on capturing storytelling in photography from Laura Scherb, an internationally published cookbook photographer
all baking tools, supplies, ingredients, photography props and tools
excursions to farmers markets, antique stores, and nature walks to forage for props and flavor/decor components.
a few extra surprises. ;)
Tell me more about where I’m staying.
Unwind and recharge on 79 acres of woodland and pasture in the Wisconsin Driftless. Nestled in a valley and surrounded by forested ridges and ridge-top fields and wild orchards, Red Clover is designed to nurture minds, bodies, and relationships.
All guest cabins offer easy access to the bathhouse, which is inspired by Japanese and Scandinavian design. The bathhouse includes two full bathrooms, an outdoor shower, and an electric sauna. It also houses a screened-in porch with a summer kitchen, and lounge area. The property now includes a brand-new swimming hole!
We love facilitating these retreats and are so excited to host another. We hope to see you there! As always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reply to this email and let us know.
