Skip to main content

Baking

Are you ready to turn your passion for baking into a career? If you love spending time in the kitchen perfecting cakes and pastries, then our one-year baking certificate is the next step to take you to the professional level.

Experience or not, you will learn the ins and outs of the modern bakery from production of breads and doughnuts to cookies and specialty cakes. Learn from and work alongside some of the region’s top pastry chefs in our Inland Northwest Culinary Academy.

You’ll leave this program knowing how to operate the most current bakery equipment and machinery, order bakery supplies and equipment, compute the cost of a finished bakery product and implement creative merchandising displays. You will mix, proof and bake breads, sweet goods, rolls, pies, cakes and variety breads. And you’ll become an expert in preparing and applying icings and filings to cakes, pies and pastries. You will also gain real experience in the student-run bakery on the SCC campus.
 

Detailed Information

There is a 50-pound lifting requirement for this program. In addition to tuition, some classes have lab fees for chef uniforms, decorating tools, and textbooks. You will also be required to obtain a Spokane County Health Card, which is currently $10. For more information, please read our Books and Tools list.

  1. Operate equipment and machinery in a modern bake shop.
  2. Mix, proof and bake breads, sweet goods, rolls, pies, specialty cakes and variety breads.
  3. Prepare and apply icings and fillings to cakes, pies and pastries.
  4. Order bakery supplies and equipment.
  5. Weigh and measure product ingredients, and properly portion finished baked goods.
  6. Implement creative bakery merchandising.
  7. Compute the cost of a finished bakery product.
A minimum 50-pound lifting requirement is required for this program.

Breaking Ground on Your Pathway


Plan Your Courses

Meet with our counselors to customize this plan just for you. You can also search the quarterly schedule for class days and times.

Placement

Math placement is not required for this program.
English placement is not required for this program.

This program prepares students for employment in independent, specialty bakeries and professional cake decorating environments. The certificate provides practical and theoretical training in personal hygiene in the baking industry, baking machinery usage, and production training in the baking of artisan breads and pastries. Students learn decorating, including proper piping procedures, tube usage, flower creation and decoration, color mixing and design principles.

Students must complete all courses with a 2.0 grade or better before advancing to subsequent quarters.

Program Map for

Print/Download

Choose program map:

Total Program Credits: 45


Program Courses

First Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
BAK 101
Introduction to Baking and Pastries  
1
BAK 110
Artisan Breads  
5
BAK 111
Pastries  
7
HM 112
Hospitality Mathematics   1
3
Total Credits
 
16

Second Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
BAK 120
Special Occasion Cakes  
2
BAK 121
Tortes and Gateau  
3
BAK 130
Sculptured Cakes  
2.5
BAK 131
Rolled Fondant  
2.5
BAK 248
Wedding Cakes  
3
CUL 115
Foodservice Safety and Sanitation  
3
Total Credits
 
16

Third Quarter

Course ID
Course Title
Credits
BAK 288
Cooperative Education Work Experience (No Seminar)   2
7
CUL 256
Hospitality Writing  
3
HM 130
Human Relations  
3
Total Credits
 
13

1 This course may be substituted with any course or combination of courses approved by the instructional dean.
2 BAK 288 may be substituted with BAK 266 and 267 for 7 credits.

Estimated costs for completing this program

 
WA Resident
Non-Resident
International
Tuition
$ 4,772
$ 5,744
$ 10,911
Books
$ 502
$ 502
$ 502
Course Fees
$ 445
$ 445
$ 445
Institutional Fees
$ 336
$ 336
$ 1,597
Total Costs
$ 6,055
$ 7,027
$ 13,455

Costs for completing a degree or certificate can vary. For more information about costs, visit our How Much Does it Cost? page.

  • Katie Anderson
    Katie Anderson
    Commercial Baking Instructor
    A.A., Art Institute of Seattle
    Katie.Anderson@scc.spokane.edu
    509-533-8682
  • Curtis Smith
    Curtis Smith
    Culinary Arts
    A.A., Spokane Community College; A.O.S., Culinary Institute of America; Additional study Whitworth College
    Curtis.Smith@scc.spokane.edu
    509-533-7451

Have a question? Let's hear it.

Anne Mayer

Workforce Transition Specialist
Anne.Mayer@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-8191

 

Janet Breedlove

Program Coordinator
Janet.Breedlove@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-7283

 

Jeff Brown

Division Dean
Jeff.Brown@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-8882

 

John Yoon

Academic Counseling Liaison
John.Yoon@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-7356

 

Landon Johnston

Academic Counseling Liaison
Landon.Johnston@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-7190

 

Neesa Guel

Pathway Specialist
Neesa.Guel@scc.spokane.edu
509-533-7005