Pastry Arts

What Will I Study for a Degree in Pastry Art?

ECC offers stackable certificates on the pathway to the Pastry Arts AAS degree. 

The first certificate in the series is Baker. You will participate in hands-on learning activities for accurate measuring and portioning. In Baking Fundamentals 1, you'll learn to make pastries, including muffins, pies, tarts, yeast bread, and custards. Baking Fundamentals 2 will introduce you to puff pastry, mousse, cakes, petit fours, and cookies. In the yeast bread course, you'll focus on yeast doughs and explore products like croissants, Danish, brioche, and focaccia. You will also learn cooking techniques and be introduced to the hospitality industry. 

The Bakery Supervisor certificate includes hands-on learning in European-style tortes and petit gateaux for students who complete prior classes. You will be introduced to Bavarians and Charlottes, building on your knowledge of mousse. You will learn the skill of tempering chocolate and use that skill to make chocolate bonbons and confections. You will gain supervisory skills for the hospitality industry and complete a food safety course. This will earn you the ServSafe Manager Certification.

The Pastry Arts Degree will take you through each of those certificates. You will move through a course focusing on Advanced chocolates and bonbons, frozen desserts, entremets, and plated desserts. The capstone project, Savour the Semester, is a student showcase where you'll combine all your skills into a final dessert. It's an opportunity to create a dessert you can be proud of. In Bakery Operations, you’ll prepare for pastry kitchen work by producing desserts for Spartan Terrace, Spartan To-Go, and events. You will be able to see what you have learned in the production classes put into action in these classes. You will learn additional skills in hospitality management. 

There is also a separate certificate: Decorative Pastry. This certificate focuses on cake decorating skills, including buttercream and fondant techniques, and is separate from the Pastry Arts Degree. Learn skills to create cake embellishments like gum paste flowers, marzipan figurines, and chocolate or sugar centerpieces. This certificate enhances your cake decorating skills and prepares you for a successful career as a professional cake decorator.

For more details on the curriculum, Please refer to the ECC Catalog.

What Careers Are Involved with Pastry Art?

A career in Pastry Arts offers creative and skilled professionals many opportunities. This field combines artistry with culinary techniques, leading to roles that involve crafting exquisite desserts and baked goods. Here are some career options within Pastry Arts:

• Executive Pastry Chef: This position specializes in creating desserts, pastries, and confections in restaurants, hotels, or bakeries. The primary role of an Executive Pastry Chef is to oversee the pastry cooks and create and develop new recipes and dessert menus for larger operations.
• Baker or Specialty: Baker Focuses on accurately measuring and baking bread, cakes, and other baked goods in bakeries or commercial pastry kitchens.
• Cake Decorator: Specializes in designing and decorating cakes for weddings and celebrations.
• Chocolatier or Confectioner: A person who precisely tempers chocolate for candies and sweet treats, working in candy shops or food production facilities.
• Pastry Sous Chef: Assists the pastry chef in managing kitchen operations, preparing desserts, and leading a pastry team.
  Bakery Merchandiser: Researches and uses packaging trends to market products. Promotes baked goods for special occasions and holidays. Uses cross-merchandising to promote multiple items. Utilizes social media presence to promote baked goods to boost sales and production.
• Food Stylist: This person uses food styling techniques to create food photography that is used in magazines, social media, menus, websites, textbooks, and more. 

ECC also offers culinary and restaurant management certificates. These certificates teach technical skills in classrooms and industry-equipped labs, preparing you to meet workplace needs and career goals.