How To Become a Cake Artist
Decorating a cake is no longer a hobby. It has turned into an alluring profession that many are practising. We are living in time and age, where many feel like being artistic and creating cakes that are no less than artwork.
If in your heart, you harbour the desire to become a cake artist, then you are not alone. This blog will answer all your questions.
Who is a Cake Artist?
A culinary professional who transforms conventional cakes into a piece of art is a cake artist. They adorn their cakes with figurative elements inspired by real-life imagery; thus bringing to table a cake that is an edible piece of sheer beauty that eating it should be a felony.
From a bread confection to elaborate designer cake, to work of art-- cakes have had a journey of transformation. And as more and more cake artists are entering the field, cakes have become synonymous with edible work of art and creativity.
As many of you are curious to learn the tips and tricks of a cake artist, we are outlining the steps that will guide you on the path of becoming a cake artist.
1 Education and Training
The first step in the process of how to become a cake artist is to gain culinary education training. Many colleges and universities offer culinary courses like basics of baking and decorating desserts, a program in pastry arts, etc. Depending upon the nature of the culinary course chosen by you, the duration of the training can be between 6 months to 2 years. In a course having a comprehensive curriculum, you will learn additional skills like:
• Working with chocolate
• Creating shapes using fondant
• Designing cake centerpieces
• Learning various types of frosting
• And more.
2 Certification
Basic culinary education will teach you the art of baking a cake. If you want to expand your knowledge and wish to create a masterpiece, earn a certification. There are several certifications that an aspiring cake artist can undertake, such as cake decorating certification, certified pastry culinarian, cake decorator’s certificate, etc. It is advisable to gain your certificate from a renowned institute such as the American Culinary Federation, Retail Bakers of America. Reputed institutions provide more exposure to the field of cake decorating. Also, they have a balanced curriculum that provides both theoretical and practical knowledge and have experienced teaching staff. Hence, your horizons will expand, and you will learn more.
3 Experience
“ Experience is the teacher of all things.” To excel at your work, it is imperative to gain experience. Get associated with bakeries, restaurants, hotels, wedding cake speciality shops, or any other place of work related to baking to gain experience. The real-life experience will help you hone your skills and craft. It is one of the best ways to show your creativity and to experiment. You can also work (for your own) bakery where you can put into practice cake artist tips that you have learned during certification and training.
4 Speciality
Some cake artists choose to take a step further and find their niche. Several cake decorators work only with wedding cakes while some artists love to adorn photo cakes with their creativity. Find your niche. What resonates with your soul, sculpting confections that look like architecture designs or treating cake as a blank canvas and painting it.
5 Qualities
It takes creativity to create a breathtaking cake! Therefore artistic abilities, patience, and understanding of the art are the qualities that make a cake artist the world’s best cake artist. Once you take this profession, you will be required to work closely with clients, cater to their needs, and present to them with a cake that is one of its kind.
While visual appeal is crucial, taste and flavour are just as important. Great cake artists ensure that the cake tastes as good as it looks. We hope these steps help you embark on the journey of a cake artist.
