Cake decorator
Design and decorate wonderful cakes to celebrate birthdays, weddings and other special occasions.
About the job
What it's like
You would design and decorate wonderful cakes to celebrate birthdays, weddings and other special occasions.
You would cover the cakes in icing and decorate them. You might add messages and names written in icing or chocolate or sugar paste decorations like flowers or models of a bride and groom.
If you work for yourself or for an independent bakery you would:
Meet people to find out what kind of design they’d like
Draw sketches to show them your design
Calculate the ingredients needed for the size of cake
Bake the cake in time for the event
Make fillings
Create decorations and fix them to the cake
Write names and messages on the cake
You would set up and clear away the baking equipment and would need to keep the fridges and equipment clean and hygienic. You’d check the ingredients you have in stock and make sure you have enough or order more.
If you were self-employed you’d also need to promote your business and manage accounts.
You might work for a large bakery or supermarket, where you’d work in a team of decorators. You’d put pre-baked cakes together and then add pre-made decorations, icing and models to the cakes.
Hours
In a full-time position, you would work up to 37 hours a week over five or six days. This could include shifts and weekends. If you were self-employed, your hours would depend on the number of customers you have. The amount of work usually changes with the seasons. Holidays such as Christmas and Easter are very busy times. The wedding season, typically April to September, is another busy time.
Environment
In a bakery, you would usually do your job in a cool room to stop the icing from melting. You may need to wear a uniform including a hat. Some self-employed cake decorators have their own shop, others may work from home.
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
Like the sound of this career?
Browse courses in Scotland related to 'Cake decorator'
Select qualification level(s)
Other careers that you might like
Baker
Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
Food and drink
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- cake decorating
- food safety and sanitation
- baking
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- time management
- managing resources
- developing a plan
- attention to detail
- working with numbers
- innovative
- designing
- creative
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Art and Design
Health and Food Technology (Home economics)
Hospitality: Practical Cake Craft (Home economics)
Hospitality: Practical Cookery (Home economics)
Foundation Apprenticeship: Hospitality
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
There are no formal qualifications required to enter this role but qualifications and experience in baking, pastry or cake decorating will be of value.
You might study part-time at college to gain a specialist qualification such as cake decoration and production.
You can enter some National Certificate, National Qualification or National Progression Award courses (SCQF 2-6) with no formal qualifications but most courses ask for National 4/5 qualifications (SCQF level 4/5).
You can enter Higher National Certificate in Professional Cookery: Patisserie (SCQF level 7) requires National 5 qualifications and one to two Highers or relevant industry qualifications such as Bakery and Patisserie Gold.
Employers may ask you for photos of your recent work to see evidence of specific techniques such as icing modelling, cake sculpting or experience of decorating certain types of cakes such as wedding cakes.
The Elementary Food Hygiene Certificate from the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) may be of value.
Find the right course for you
Browse courses in Scotland related to 'Cake decorator'
