There is so much talent here on CC, it is sometimes overwhelming!! I am going to school to be a professional pastry chef, but i really want to focus mainly on cakes. Have others of you gone to school for this or are you self-taught? Sometimes i feel it would have been better to just teach myself!! Exspecially right now, in class we are learning how to make soups and stocks and grill meat things i could care less about!! I wanna learn sugar art and chocolate modeling!!! Sorry just had to vent to people i hope who understand my frustrations!!

I am self taught. Don't they have pastry chef school? I think those other skills will come in handy as well though. Good luck

Hi!
I learned the basics of filling & icing cakes, doing borders, bc roses etc working at a grocery store bakery, but beyond that I have self-taught tiered cakes & all the fondant work I have done. Pretty much thanks to CC- good luck deciding what to do!

Like mbark I also worked in a grocery store bakery and learned the "basics" there. I'm self taught with the help of cc with everything else.

Hey there!

I briefly considered going to culinary school- but the closest one to me that was just pastry was 2 hours away. If I wasn't a SAHM I would have considered it. As it is, I took the Wilton courses last september to learn the basics but have learned most of what I know here on CC, youtube and lots and lots of books! I have had lots of people ask where I went to pastry school- so it's a bit satisfying to say I'm self-taught. You have to do what is best for you! I'm sure I would love the experience of going to culinary school, those other areas are definitely useful and will make you a very well-rounded chef.

I took the Wilton courses and the rest I self taught. I continue to learn a lot since I am addicted to caking and can't stop reading forums, magazines, websites etc! There is still so many techniques I want to try.

at least you didnt waste as much time as I did I was going 2 school for architectural engineering only to realize i wanted to design cakes, too bad I have no experiencee but i like living on the edge (good trait to have when im homeless lol) keep up who knows you may grow an interest in other areas of the culinary arts.

Although it is frustrating now your skills and knowledge received will benefit you immensly later down the road. I am in school as well part time as I am a SAHM with a 2 year old and another child who attends full time. Just keep telling yourself the good stuff is coming. I wish I went the culinary way a long time ago as I have been decorating cakes since I was about 12, but through the classes I have taken I have received so many little tips, tricks and knowledge that has improved my skills and taken me to the next level. And not to mention baking theory that explains ingredients in a whole new light. I also have the benefit of networking at school so any questions I have that I can't find answered online I can group some fellow students together and have a brainstorming session. Keep at it hun, it will all be worth it!!!

I understand your frustration, you want to get in there and do what you are passionate about, but if you can be patient, and finish school, it will always be something of value, and you can never go wrong with an education! (Ok - do I sound like a mom or what!)
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being self taught . Some of the best cake artists are, but since you are already in school, stick it out and finish, it will go by fast. (When you look back - course!)
Good Luck!!! I am sure you will be a great cake artist whichever you choose!

I feel what you are going through, Rhiannon1121. I am also going to Pastry Arts School and I've been learning about things that I could care less about right now, but what ksmith1012 said about being well rounded is so right. And also what CakesByLJ said is also true.

I'm also culinary school educated in pastry arts. Skills 1 was something I thought I'd never use, but those basic skills - grilling, stock and sauce making and good knife skills are good to know. And let's face it, there are more jobs on the line on the hot foods side of the biz than in the pastry kitchen. You never know when you'll need that "day job" to support your cake passion.

That said one of the best things about a culinary school education, in addition to the education itself, is the networking with pro chefs and your schools placement office. You leave with contacts for a lifetime.

I went through a two year culinary program at a community college. I did not know at the time that cake decorating was what I would specialize in eventually. I got the very basics there and am self taught beyond that, with the help of CC too. I don't at all regret Culinary school though, people will always need dinner before they eat dessert and it is nice to have some training there. But I am looking at it from where I am heading with my own life.

If you are wanting a certificate, you may have to stick it out to get letters behind your name on your jacket (which you still have to pay for to keep- I lost mine). If this program is really not the thing for you, then for sure stick with Cake Central, and you may consider looking into getting a membership with ICES, I don't have one so I don't know too much about it, but I have seriously considered it. I don't know if you can get certifications of any sort through them, but they may be worth checking out. The cost has been what has prevented me from getting the membership at this point, but if the benefits of that are greater then the benefits you would get from the program then it may be an easy choice for you. HTH!