BAKE 247 - Cake Decorating
BAKE 247
1.5 units
Cake Decorating
18 hours lecture, 36 hours laboratory
Prerequisite: CULAR 20 and BAKE 242.
Grading: letter grade.
Materials Fee: $50
Description
Formerly CULAR 247. This course covers advanced skills in cakes. This includes preparation of a variety of cake bases and fillings and assembly of cakes. Advanced decorating skills include working with butter cream icing, royal icing, fondant, and gum paste flowers.
Transferability
Identifiers & Codes
Department: Culinary Arts
School: Career Education
Academic Level: Undergraduate
TOP Code: 130630 - Culinary Arts
CTE Status: Yes
SAM Code: B - Advanced Occupational
CIP Code: 12.0501 - Baking and Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef.
Credit or Noncredit: Credit
Class Size Max, Units, Hours
Class Size Maximum: 24
Lecture Hours: 1
Lab Hours: 2
Credit Units: 1.5
Out of Class Hours: 2
Weekly In-Class Hours: 3
Teaching Units: 3
Total Student Learning Hours: 162
Total Contact Hours: 126
Requisites & Limitations on Enrollment
Prerequisites: CULAR 20 and BAKE 242.
Catalog Information
Formerly: CULAR 247
Grade Mode: Letter Grade
Is the course repeatable? No
Student Learning Outcomes & Course Objectives
Student Learning Outcomes:
- 1. Describe the methods used to prepare and work with advanced buttercreams, batters, fillings, fondant, and gum paste for event cakes.
- 2. Demonstrate the ability to bake, fill and decorate a cake using the following advanced techniques: piping, rolled icing, and decorations.
Course Objectives:
1. Select ingredients required for preparation of various batters, icings, and frostings.
2. Demonstrate how to prepare a pastry bag with or without a coupler.
3. Identify appropriate cake decorations prepared for specific holidays and other occasions.
4. Pipe a variety of flowers and shapes using royal icing.
5. Design a suitable cake decoration for commercial sale.
6. Prepare and cover a cake to industry standards.
7. Construct and decorate a cake with gum paste and fondant flowers.
8. Select and demonstrate use of appropriate tips for piping a variety of buttercream flowers, borders, and decorations.
9. Define and apply safe standards of food preparation and sanitation while working in a food production environment.
Course Content
Course Content:
1) Course Introduction
a) Special Tools and Equipment
i) Introduction
ii) Training
b) Safety and Sanitation Review
a) Special Tools and Equipment
i) Introduction
ii) Training
b) Safety and Sanitation Review
2 Hour(s)
2) Basic Piping Skills
a) Star Flowers and Variations
b) Shells
i) Small
ii) Large
iii) Reverse
c) Ballooning
d) Rosettes
e) Fleur-de-Lis
f) Garlands and Variations
g) Rope and Leaves
h) Roses
i) Rosebuds
ii) Half-Roses
iii) Full-Blown Roses
a) Star Flowers and Variations
b) Shells
i) Small
ii) Large
iii) Reverse
c) Ballooning
d) Rosettes
e) Fleur-de-Lis
f) Garlands and Variations
g) Rope and Leaves
h) Roses
i) Rosebuds
ii) Half-Roses
iii) Full-Blown Roses
5 Hour(s)
3) Intermediate Piping Skills
a) Grape Clusters
b) Sweet Pea Clusters
c) Shells
i) Curved
ii) with Flute
d) Ruffles and Variations
e) Swags and Variations
f) Bows
g) Basketweave
a) Grape Clusters
b) Sweet Pea Clusters
c) Shells
i) Curved
ii) with Flute
d) Ruffles and Variations
e) Swags and Variations
f) Bows
g) Basketweave
3 Hour(s)
4) Advanced Piping Skills
a) Borders
i) Top
ii) Bottom
b) Over-Piping
i) Scallops
ii) Garlands
iii) Drop Strings
c) Ruffles
d) Double Swags
e) Zigzag
a) Borders
i) Top
ii) Bottom
b) Over-Piping
i) Scallops
ii) Garlands
iii) Drop Strings
c) Ruffles
d) Double Swags
e) Zigzag
3 Hour(s)
5) Chocolate and Cream Writing Skills
a) Write the Alphabet in a Variety of Media
i) Chocolate
ii) Royal Icing
iii) Piping Gel
b) Write in Block Style and Calligraphy
c) Write a Variety of Greetings
a) Write the Alphabet in a Variety of Media
i) Chocolate
ii) Royal Icing
iii) Piping Gel
b) Write in Block Style and Calligraphy
c) Write a Variety of Greetings
3 Hour(s)
6) Royal Icing
a) Piped Flowers
i) Blossoms
ii) Violets
iii) Daisies
iv) Pussy Willows
v) Sweet Peas
vi) Primroses
vii) Pansies
b) Design Skills
i) Transfer Designs Techniques
(a) Pin-Prick Method
(b) Carbon Copy Method
(c) Buttercream/Gel Transfer
ii) Embroidered Piping Techniques
(a) Brush Embroidery
(b) Free-Hand Embroidery
(c) Cornelli Lace
(d) Sota
(e) Satin Stitch
(f) Eyelet Embroidery
(g) Swiss Dots
a) Piped Flowers
i) Blossoms
ii) Violets
iii) Daisies
iv) Pussy Willows
v) Sweet Peas
vi) Primroses
vii) Pansies
b) Design Skills
i) Transfer Designs Techniques
(a) Pin-Prick Method
(b) Carbon Copy Method
(c) Buttercream/Gel Transfer
ii) Embroidered Piping Techniques
(a) Brush Embroidery
(b) Free-Hand Embroidery
(c) Cornelli Lace
(d) Sota
(e) Satin Stitch
(f) Eyelet Embroidery
(g) Swiss Dots
3 Hour(s)
7) The Art of Icing a Cake
a) Leveling
b) Splitting
c) Damming
d) Crumb-Coating
e) Icing a Cake
i) Buttercream
ii) Marzipan
iii) Spackling
iv) Rolled Fondant
v) Royal Icing
vi) Ganache
f) Piping the Icing on the Cake (Pre-Icing)
g) Smoothing the Icing
h) Assembling
i) Stack-Tier a Cake
ii) Tier a Cake with Spiked Pillars
a) Leveling
b) Splitting
c) Damming
d) Crumb-Coating
e) Icing a Cake
i) Buttercream
ii) Marzipan
iii) Spackling
iv) Rolled Fondant
v) Royal Icing
vi) Ganache
f) Piping the Icing on the Cake (Pre-Icing)
g) Smoothing the Icing
h) Assembling
i) Stack-Tier a Cake
ii) Tier a Cake with Spiked Pillars
3 Hour(s)
8) Icings and Creams
a) Decorator’s Buttercream
b) Practice Buttercream
c) White Chocolate Buttercream
d) Swiss Buttercream
e) Italian Buttercream
f) Buttercream Icing for Roses
g) Cream Cheese Buttercream
h) Royal Icing
i) Flood Icing
a) Decorator’s Buttercream
b) Practice Buttercream
c) White Chocolate Buttercream
d) Swiss Buttercream
e) Italian Buttercream
f) Buttercream Icing for Roses
g) Cream Cheese Buttercream
h) Royal Icing
i) Flood Icing
4 Hour(s)
9) Fondant and Paste
a) Rolled Fondant
b) Chocolate Rolled Fondant
c) Modeling Chocolate
d) Marzipan Modeling Paste
e) Gumpaste
a) Rolled Fondant
b) Chocolate Rolled Fondant
c) Modeling Chocolate
d) Marzipan Modeling Paste
e) Gumpaste
5 Hour(s)
10) Rolled Icing Design Skills
a) Ruffling
b) Drapery
c) Smocking
d) Braiding
e) Appliqué
a) Ruffling
b) Drapery
c) Smocking
d) Braiding
e) Appliqué
4 Hour(s)
11) Gumpaste Flowers
a) Basic Floral Skills
i) 5-Petal Blossom with Bud
ii) 4-Petal Blossom with Bud
iii) Forget-Me-Nots
iv) Cherry Blossoms
v) Hyacinths
vi) Mimosas
vii) Ferns
viii) Leaf Blades
ix) Cutter Foliage
x) Floral Corsage Spray
b) Advanced Floral Skills
i) Classic Roses
ii) Full-Blown Roses
iii) Carnations
iv) Hibiscus
v) Tiger Lily
vi) Anthurium Lily
vii) Azalea
viii) Cymbidium Orchid
ix) Closed Tulips
x) Arranging a Round Floral Spray
a) Basic Floral Skills
i) 5-Petal Blossom with Bud
ii) 4-Petal Blossom with Bud
iii) Forget-Me-Nots
iv) Cherry Blossoms
v) Hyacinths
vi) Mimosas
vii) Ferns
viii) Leaf Blades
ix) Cutter Foliage
x) Floral Corsage Spray
b) Advanced Floral Skills
i) Classic Roses
ii) Full-Blown Roses
iii) Carnations
iv) Hibiscus
v) Tiger Lily
vi) Anthurium Lily
vii) Azalea
viii) Cymbidium Orchid
ix) Closed Tulips
x) Arranging a Round Floral Spray
6 Hour(s)
12) Cake Boards, Color Charts, Painting, and More Techniques
a) Cake Boards
b) Color Charts
c) Plunger Flowers
d) Food Color Painting
e) Crimping
a) Cake Boards
b) Color Charts
c) Plunger Flowers
d) Food Color Painting
e) Crimping
2 Hour(s)
13) Cakes and Sponges
a) Vanilla Sponge Cake
b) Chocolate Sponge Cake
a) Vanilla Sponge Cake
b) Chocolate Sponge Cake
5 Hour(s)
14) Final Exam
a) Review
b) Final Written Exam
c) Final Practical/Performance Exam
a) Review
b) Final Written Exam
c) Final Practical/Performance Exam
6 Hour(s)
Methods of Instruction & Active Learning
Instructional Method(s):
- Lecture
- Laboratory / Studio / Shop / Clinical
- Demonstration
- Discussion
- Technology
- Video Presentation
Examples: Lectures given on each topic in the listed content will be used to introduce new material, review material covered in the textbook and to present additional ideas and examples to clarify the key concepts of the course.
The chef instructor provides direction, guidance, and suggestions to assist with skill development and comprehension. Laboratory activities are designed for the practical application of course topics and concepts, and the students are expected to complete a laboratory project each time they are in the instructional kitchen.
The chef instructor will demonstrate in-lab food production (recipes, methods, and techniques) followed by student practice.
Discussions are designed to involve students in the learning process by stimulating feedback to specific course content. These discussions are encouraged throughout the class and the laboratory sessions.
Power Point presentations may be used to provide supplemental information to the lectures. Projects utilizing computer technology may be used to further assist students in comprehending key concepts.
Videos, slides, and digital projections may be used to supplement class content, enhance lectures, and provide a basis for discussion of various content issues.
Assignment for In and Out of Class
Assignment Types:
- Substantial college level writing assignment, such as: essay(s), written homework, term/research paper, and/or other (Required).
- Substantial college level reading assignment, such as: textbook, journal article(s), literature, and/or other (specify)
- Lab or field activity, product, and/or report
- Portfolio
Examples: Students are expected to complete written homework assignments from the textbook. The homework assignments for this course include reading the textbook chapters covered in the course and completing assignments related to the readings.
Students are also required to write a research paper on a course-related baking topic.
Reading assignments from the required textbook will support each lecture topic and will be assigned on a weekly basic. Readings will be required prior to material being discussed in class.
Laboratory projects will incorporate the techniques introduced in this course. Students will be given criteria for the required projects and will be required to spend their lab hours practicing and mastering the day's methods and techniques. Laboratory activity is designed for the development and mastery of baking skills.
Students are required to maintain a portfolio containing recipes, handouts, and sketches or photos of finished product for each instructional topic. The students will be building a reference guide for their future, the goal of which is to create a learning tool and reference that will serve the student within and beyond the scope of this course.
Methods of Evaluation
Written Evaluations:
- Term or Other Paper(s)
- Written Homework
Further Methods of Evaluation:
- Skill Demonstrations such as class performances(s), fieldwork, performance exam(s)
- Objective examinations, such as: multiple choice, true/false, matching items, completion
- Portfolio
Examples: Papers will be evaluated on the student's ability to research and synthesize material from diverse sources as well as on the demonstration of college-level writing quality. Timely submission is required.
Assignments will be evaluated on the accurate completion of the assignment in a timely manner.
Each Laboratory session results in a performance exam, after which the chef instructor will evaluate the finished product based upon procedures and techniques used, aesthetics (e.g. taste, texture, flavor, doneness, presentation, plating, use of ingredients, etc.), and safety adherence based on industry standards.
Objective exams will be used to evaluate a student's recall of key concepts. Portions of the exams may involve multiple choice, true/ false, matching items, and other methods of assessment.
Evaluation of the student portfolio will be based on completeness, presentation, organization, and adherence to directions provided by the chef instructor.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibilty
The Culinary Arts Department is committed to teaching that promotes inclusive, engaging instruction by incorporating diverse perspectives and accessible methods into every course element, as reflected in the Course Outline of Record.
To close equity gaps and ensure all students can participate equally, faculty engage in data-driven program planning, DEIA professional development, and analysis of Student Learning Outcomes assessment.
Regular review of course components reinforces faculty commitment to inclusion, whether online or in person, and to staying relevant and in alignment with industry standards and requirements. Course material and instruction are designed using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to foster students’ access and engagement, and to demonstrate their understanding through flexible, scaffolded progression of course skills.
Representative Textbooks and Materials
Representative Textbook:
Professional Cake Decorating. Toba Garrett. 2nd Edition. Wiley & Sons. 2012.
Explanation for book more than 5 years old: This is the best, single book and most cost-effective option that has fool-proof/iron-clad recipes as well as the detailed design, artistic, and technical information required to teach this professional subject.