Cake Baking Classes and Schools
Cake baking classes may be taken as continuing education courses at community colleges or as part of a certificate or degree program in baking and pastry. Read on for information about what you can learn in such classes.
What You Need to Know
If you're interested in pursuing a career as a dessert or pastry chef, you can choose from certificate or associate degree programs in order to study cake baking. Certificate programs may run anywhere from nine months to two years, while associate's degree programs last two years. These programs are meant to prepare you to begin working as an entry-level pastry chef upon completion.
<table border="1"><tr><td><b>Classes</b></td><td>Types of cakes, cake decorating, fondant icing, cheesecake, food safety, classical pastries</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Schools</b></td><td>Cooking academies, community colleges, technical schools</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Online</b></td><td>Online programs are not available because of the need for hands-on experience</td></tr>
</table><h3 id="section---WhatDegreeProgramsAreAvailable">What Degree Programs Are Available?</h3><p>Associate degree programs typically last two years, and they sometimes include an externship, through which you'd gain real-world experience working in a professional kitchen or bakery. An associate degree program may suit you if you plan to one day return to school for a bachelor's degree in a related subject like culinary administration, hospitality or business. These programs include general education requirements like English and math in addition to hands-on baking courses, and they may emphasize business skills that are particularly helpful to professional pastry chefs.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatAboutShortTermOptions">What About Short-Term Options?</h3><p>Students who are looking for a short-term class in cake baking may find opportunities at a community college. Additionally, students can also find certificate programs like a Certificate in Baking and Pastry. This could take up to two years to complete.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatWillILearn">What Will I Learn?</h3><p>A beginner's class may focus on the fundamentals of baking, including the basic types of cakes and the ways in which the ingredients work to create desired effects. Other popular topics for novice classes include cake decorating and holiday cake baking.
</p><p>Baking and pastry programs at professional cooking schools cover topics ranging from nutritional studies to wedding cake baking and dessert presentation. You may take a whole course in fondant icing or cheesecake, or you may study baking with chocolate. Common to all programs are courses on food safety, classical pastries and introductory baking techniques. A certificate program may cover the following topics:
</p><ul><li>Contemporary dessert design
</li><li>Sanitation
</li><li>Cost control
</li><li>Purchasing
</li><li>Generating ideas for cakes
</li><li>Foundations of baking
</li></ul><h3 id="section---WhereCanIStudyCakeBaking">Where Can I Study Cake Baking?</h3><p>Programs are offered at professional cooking academies and at some community colleges and technical schools. The study of cake baking doesn't translate well to online learning since students need hands-on practice with ingredients and kitchen equipment, so you'll want to look into on-campus programs. If you're a casual learner on a budget, you might want to check the course listings of your local community college before venturing into the world of cooking schools, which can be more expensive and less conveniently located (most are found in major cities). The following are just a few schools that offer cake baking classes:
</p><ul><li>New England Culinary Institute (Montpelier, VT)
</li><li>Kendall College (Chicago, IL)
</li><li>The Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park, NY)
</li><li>Luzerne County Community College (Nanticoke, PA)
</li><li>Louisiana Culinary Institute (Baton Rouge)
</li></ul><h3 id="section---HowCanIAdvance">How Can I Advance?</h3><p>If you've been working in bakeries and want to advance your career, you might want to complete one of the above-mentioned degree programs at an accredited cooking school. Positions for career advancement might include head baker at a restaurant, bakery or catering company. The business skills typically included in a degree program may also help you open your own cake baking shop.</p>