Cake decoration has been around for centuries, and people do it as a hobby. However, is cake decorating a job? If so, how much does it pay?

A job as a skilled cake decorator may be perfect for you if you have good fine motor control and creative ability. You’ll be able to make a decent amount of money depending on your skills.

Cake decorating can indeed be a job, and it entails transforming scrumptious cakes into stunning works of art that may be admired and eaten. Since cake decorating is such a delicate art, only a few can master this skill and become professional care decorators.  

If you have all these qualities, then a job in this profession can be most rewarding indeed.  That being said, there are also numerous advantages and disadvantages to following a baking career and being a professional cake designer.

Having worked in bakeries over the years and decorated numerous cakes, we'll go over everything you need to know about becoming a professional cake decorator, from the skills you'll need to the courses and qualifications required to become one!

Qualified Cake Decorators

An expert cake decorator is a baker or pastry artist who creates and embellishes baked products. They adorn cakes, biscuits, pies, and pastries with various frostings as well as other toppings, typically with distinctive designs or adaptations for customers. Retail bakeries, cafes, eateries, hotels and resorts, and catering enterprises are common places for these experts to work, and some even start new businesses at home.

What Does a Cake Decorator Do?

Professional cake designer responsibilities vary based on where they operate; however, the following are among the most common duties: 

• Applying frosting, ganache, and other toppings using industry standards
• Utilizing piping bags and points to apply florals, characters, signs, words, and other designs.
• Conducting quality control to ensure that all pastries are identical and well-decorated.
• Working with the baker and the management to come up with unique recipes and aesthetics
• Customizing orders for customers, such as embellishments with specific patterns, icing types, phrases, and colors
• Completing special orders, such as big batches or orders for weddings.
• Keeping inventories and placing orders for supplies

Certification and Education

Although you can work in the food-service sector without higher education, a two-year associate's degree in culinary arts could equip you for a position in a top cafe or specialized bakery. Modern design techniques and equipment usage are all covered in an associate's degree program. The canvas may consist of Styrofoam molds as you practice your craft. Once you've mastered skills, you can add the final adjustments to cakes.

The American Culinary Federation offers pastry arts accreditation, which needs professional experience or an undergraduate degree. You must pass both theory and practical tests to receive certification.

Salary and Job Prospects for Experienced Cake Decorators

Cake decorators earn an annual salary of $31,226 on average. Formal schooling, experience, skillset, industry, and geographical area may all influence potential earnings. For instance, cake designers who work in a high-end bakery in a cafe, hotel, or lodge, may make more than those who operate at a grocery store's sales bakery.

As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, all baking jobs, especially cake decorators, are anticipated to expand by 5% through 2029. This is significantly quicker than the state average for all other professions.

The global cakes market is also expected to grow at a rate of 3.3 percent annually from 2020 to 2027 to reach $55.78 million by 2027.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Working as a Cake Decorator

Cake decorating may be a highly creative and demanding craft if you have an artistic eye and excellent coordination. A cake decorator could work directly with customers at a gourmet store or specialty bakery, creating designs to help them envision a custom cake.

A bakery job, on the other hand, can be monotonous, requiring the application of basic icing and just a few rosettes to cakes as well as the penning of personal inscriptions.

Food-service workers in cafe and bakery kitchens experience a number of occupational dangers, including slides, falls, cuts, bruises, and burns, which is a drawback of this industry. Long hours and probable holiday labor can also make the work atmosphere stressful.

Skills Required to Pursue a Job in the Baking Industry

Becoming a skilled cake decorator necessitates the acquisition of certain skills. Let’s discuss some below:

Attention to Detail

Cake decorators must pay close attention to detail to ensure that their layouts are neat and consistent. This allows them to create magnificent designs according to the client’s requirements.

Time Management

Cake decorators should have great time management abilities since they must be able to create multiple designs while juggling other tasks throughout each shift. In addition to creating regularly planned designs, they must also meet deadlines for special orders and bespoke requests.

Innovation

These experts utilize their imagination to create amazing designs that match well with the baked delicacies they embellish. They also apply their knowledge of color, shape, and other aesthetic elements to make the products more appealing.

Independent Working Ability

Cake decorators may have to work alone to execute decorations, take special orders, manage inventory levels, and handle tools and machines. Since they are part of a bigger baking crew, they may be required to fulfill their duty independently so orders are completed on time.

Teamwork

Cake decorators must be comfortable working with other designers, bakers, clients, and management as part of a culinary team. They may cooperate with other bakery employees to discover the best ingredients and designs and interact with consumers to design cakes according to their requirements.

Organization

Cake decorators must be disciplined to keep their workplace clean, restock shelves, track materials, and set deadlines for urgent and routine orders. With this skill, their work can reach new heights, and they can be more recognized in the industry when people recommend them.