Culinary & Cake Decorating School

Study the Art of Cake Decorating

Specialty cakes were once for weddings only, but in recent years, custom cakes in every shape and style have become the centerpieces of celebrations of all kinds. Learning how to create these spectacular show stoppers can be a profitable and creative outlet for bakers who want to widen their skillset. In ICE's Art of Cake Decorating program, you'll practice crafting your own dazzling designs, from contemporary fashion cakes to intricate hand-piped masterpieces, alongside award-winning cake experts.

Quick Facts

Duration:12 weeks

Class Times:afternoon and weekend

Tuition, Fees & Charges: $14,100

Open House Registration

Curriculum From a Living Cake Legend

ICE's 240-hour Art of Cake Decorating program was developed by award-winning Chef Toba Garrett, one of the country's most notable authors, instructors and practitioners of the art of cake design. Chef Toba has won dozens of gold and silver medals at cake decorating competitions all over the world and her work has been featured by various media outlets including the Today Show, InStyle, Pastry Art and Design, Gourmet and many more. In 2010, Dessert Professional named Chef Toba one of the 10 Best Cake Decorators in America, and she has even had her work featured by the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C.

From the Basics to Advanced Techniques

Our cake decorating courses explore the history of this intricate art, including instruction in celebrated traditions of cake design from around the world. Students will also train in various methods of contemporary cake decorating, from the basics of piping, advanced sugarwork and hand-sculpting to airbrushing, hand-painting and novelty cakes. Among the professional cake design program's many exclusive features, students will enjoy guest lectures with ICE Pastry & Baking alumnus Elisa Strauss, renowned for her custom fashion cakes, as well as ICE Pastry & Baking alumnus and owner of Brooklyn's coveted bakery Sugar Couture, Penny Stankiewicz.

Craft Your Own Award-Winning Cake

Armed with expert cake design skills, alumni of our professional cake decorating classes have placed among the highest rated cakes at esteemed cake competitions, including the prestigious New York Cake Show. One of our Art of Cake Decorating graduates won the competition's grand prize — within mere days of graduating!

Schedule & Cost

Cake%20Decorating-027-72dpi_375x375.jpg The cake decorating program consists of 240 instructional hours, taught over the course of 12 weeks. This program is part of the school's regular rotation of long-form course offerings, with varying start dates and session times. See below for further details about our upcoming start dates.

Hours: Mon.-Fri., 3-7 p.m.
Cost: $14,100
Starts: TBD

Hours: Sat.-Sun., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Cost: $14,100
Starts: TBD

Tuition, Fees & Charges Include:

All Ingredients
Uniforms
Books
Knives
Cake Decorating Tool Kit
Application Fee
All Applicable Taxes

Take the Next Step

The admissions process is the start of a lasting relationship with ICE. Your admissions representative will introduce you to the personal experience the school is known for. His or her mission is to understand your career goals, help you select the right program to fit your needs and ensure you find a class schedule that suits your lifestyle.

Why Choose ICE

You know it's in you — the ambition to pursue a rewarding career in cake decorating. Attending culinary school is one of the best ways to begin the journey. ICE is ready to help you find your culinary voice.

12 Reasons Why You Should Choose ICE

International Students

ICE is a hub of multiculturalism. We are proud to have students from over 44 countries, giving our classrooms a unique international character. New York is one of the most diverse and exciting food cities, providing international culinary students with opportunities for vibrant cultural experiences that include access to a vast array of ethnic restaurants, gourmet markets and culinary resources. It's no wonder that so many international culinary students have chosen ICE as their passport to a rewarding and successful culinary career.

Learn about International Students at ICE

Resources:

Ready to take your interest in ICE further? Speak to an admissions representative about your personal goals, start your application or download our career brochure so you can access our program information anytime.

Admissions Services

Applying to ICE

ICE Career Brochure

Art of Cake Decorating Course Curriculum

"Students will learn how to create modern cake and how to make cakes that were done 100 years ago, when the art of pipework was really at its best," said Chef Toba Garrett, Dean of The Art of Cake Decorating program, offering a sneak peek of what's in store for students of ICE's innovative cake decorating course. Over the course of 12 weeks and 240 hours of hands-on class time, students will receive comprehensive instruction in the art of cake decorating, from perfect piping and fondant to sugar flowers and airbrushing.

Courses

Course 1

INTRODUCTION TO BUTTER CREAM PIPING

40 hours

The course will instruct how to prepare several different types of buttercream as well as prepare all types of piped borders and flowers. Through repetition and practice the student will build their skills and develop confidence. Icing cakes, pressure control piping and learning food color applications are a few of the key elements to compliment butter cream use.

Course Highlights:

Preparing and using buttercream icings
Pressure control piping, cornet preparation
Basic cake borders - shells, star flowers, ballooning, zigzag, reverse shells, fleur-de-lis, garlands and rope
Intermediate buttercream piping - grape clusters, sweet pea clusters, E shells, curved shells, shells with flutes, ruffles and swags, bows, basket weave
Basic floral piping skills - leaves, rose bud, half rose, full blown roses

Course 2

INTRODUCTION TO ROYAL ICING, ROLLED FONDANT AND PASTILLAGE

60 hours

This course will introduce students to all aspects of Royal Icing, from elementary flooding techniques, flowers and lace to advanced techniques such as brush embroidery and string work. The intricacies of the advanced techniques require precision and steadiness that students will develop with time and practice. Students will also be introduced to working with rolled fondant and using it to cover a styrofoam cake and boards. They will also be introduced to different methods for preparing pastillage and use these to create plaques.

Course Highlights:

Outlining and flooding techniques
Royal icing flowers such as cherry blossoms, forget-me-nots, primroses, violets, and daisies
Royal icing pipe work including Swiss dots, Cornelli lace and oval borders
Advanced royal icing techniques such as brush embroidery, drop, Oriental and Australian string work, Lambeth pipework, freehand embroidery, and intricate filigree lace

Course 3

ADVANCED ROLLED FONDANT AND HAND MODELING

40 hours

This course will introduce students to the more advanced techniques of rolled fondant including ruffling, drapery and ribbons. Students will also utilize hand skills to practice different writing techniques and marzipan modeling.

Course Highlights:

Advanced rolled fondant techniques for ruffling, drapery, smocking, crimping and tassels
The art of writing: alphabetic practice utilizing various mediums as well as greetings on cakes and sugar plaques made out of pastillage and gum paste
Hand modeling using marzipan and chocolate
Preparation and finishing of upscale decorated cupcakes and cookies

Course 4

SUGAR PASTE FLOWERS AND AIRBRUSHING

60 hours

This course covers all aspects of preparing a wide assortment of sugar paste flowers. Students will be introduced to the basic equipment needed, coloring techniques, petal dusting and floral arrangement. Basic airbrush designs and airbrushing techniques for basic flowers will also be covered.

Course Highlights:

Gum paste blossoms, buds and foliage as well as gum paste flowers, including roses, carnations, daisies, lilies and cymbidium orchids
Airbrush techniques

Course 5

CONTEMPORARY CAKES

40 hours

In the final course of the program, students will focus on hand-sculpted cakes and novelty cake preparation, which will round out their skills as advanced cake decorators and allow them to utilize all of the elements and techniques covered throughout the course. The students will also complete their final project: creating and presenting a grand finale of cakes and sugar artistry.

Each student will be responsible for four (4) projects:

Three-tier cake (Styrofoam) iced in royal icing or rolled fondant and beautifully decorated in a classical or contemporary style
Floral spray (made up of a variety of sugar flowers)
Pastillage card or plaque with a handwriting greeting
Six decorated cookies or cupcakes

Toba Garrett

Dean, The Art of Cake Decorating

Kathryn Gordon

Co-Chair, CAPS program

Chef-Instructor, Pastry & Baking Arts

Penny Stankiewicz

Chef-Instructor, Pastry & Baking Arts

Blue cake with pink gumpaste flowers from the ICE Professional Cake Decorating program Cake artist Toba Garrett is the leading Chef Instructor for the ICE Professional Cake Decorating program White cake with white and purple gumpaste flowers from the ICE Professional Cake Decorating program A swan tops a cake decorated in the ICE Professional Cake Decorating program Black and gold cake with bright pink flowers from the ICE Professional Cake Decorating program A student puts the finishing touches on a graduation cake in the ICE Professional Cake Decorating program Orange cake with gold detail and orange and red gumpaste flowers from the ICE Professional Cake Decorating program A student practices brush decorating techniques in the ICE Professional Cake Decorating program A pink cake modeled after a designer handbag in the ICE Professional Cake Decorating program A student works with fondant in the ICE Professional Cake Decorating program Petit fours prepared by Toba Garrett, chef instructor of the ICE Professional Cake Decorating program A cake decorated in the style of the Great Gatsby from the ICE Professional Cake Decorating program An Alice in Wonderland themed cake from the ICE Professional Cake Decorating Program A white and gold foil cake with gumpaste flowers from the ICE Professional Cake Decorating Program A cookie that is decorated to say Eat Cake for Breakfast from the ICE Professional Cake Decorating Program A blue-silver cake with white flowers from the ICE Professional Cake Decorating Program

The Most Critical Connections of Your Career Are Often Right Next to You.

Tour the classrooms at ICE and you'll see diversity of age, experience, background and goals. Your classmates will come from all over the United States and around the world.

Some are at the start of their careers, studying at ICE to become executive pastry chefs or to open their own bakeries and cafés. Others have already worked in the industry and want to sharpen their skills in pursuit of better opportunities.

ICE Cake decorating graduate Genelle Beaton shares her experience at ICE

"I learned everything I needed to know about cake decoration, from the basics of buttercream to techniques of airbrushing, sculpting and designing contemporary cakes. Today I can say I have learned from the best and now have the confidence to do great things as an ICE graduate!"

Genelle Beaton

Professional Cake Decorating, '14