Cake decorator

You can get into this job through:

• a college course
• working towards this role
• applying directly

College

You can take a college course to learn the skills needed to do this job. Courses include:

• sugarcraft
• bakery and cake decoration
• professional patisserie and confectionary

Some colleges and adult learning centres run hobby and leisure courses in cake decorating, where you can learn useful tips and techniques.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Work

You could start as an assistant in a bakery or patisserie and do training on the job.

Direct Application

You could apply for jobs if you've got the right level of skill.

For example, you might have gained skills by decorating cakes for family or friends on special occasions.

More Information

Career Tips

If you're displaying your work online, make sure you:

• put a watermark on your images to stop others from copying them
• check copyright terms if you're using popular characters or logos in your decoration designs

Further Information

You can get more details about a career in cake decorating from Tasty Careers.

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to work well with your hands
• customer service skills
• excellent verbal communication skills
• knowledge of food production methods
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• the ability to use your initiative
• maths knowledge
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

You may need a food hygiene certificate, depending on where you work.

Day-to-day tasks

As a cake decorator, you could:

• talk to customers about their requirements
• give estimates for costs and timescales
• sketch cake designs and decorations to show customers
• bake cakes to order
• add icing, chocolate, decorations and messages
• wrap finished cakes ready for delivery
• clean work areas and equipment
• check stock levels and buy ingredients
• promote the business and keep accounts up to date

Working environment

You could work from home, at a store or at a restaurant.

Your working environment may be dusty and cool.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

With experience, you could:

• move into quality control in a bakery
• train new starters
• teach cake design in adult education centres and colleges
• start your own cake decorating business

With a good reputation, you might be able to design and make custom cakes for high profile weddings and special events, where salaries can be higher.