Course Outline of Record

Item	Value
Eff Term	Fall 2026
Curriculum Committee Approval Date	11/12/2025
Top Code	130630 - Culinary Arts (CTE)
Units	3 Total Units (Lecture Units 0.5;  Lab/Other Units 2.5)
Hours	144 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 9; Lab Hours 135)
Total Outside of Class Hours	18
Total Student Learning Hours	162
Course Credit Status	Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee	Yes
Basic Skills	Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable	No
Open Entry/Open Exit	No
Grading Policy	Standard Letter (S)

Course Description

Advanced course of pastry arts emphasizing chocolate artistry and confections, sugar work, marzipan, and decorated cakes. Students will also learn applications of cutout, stencils, and molds for decorated plated desserts and specialty cakes. This course requires the ability to perform certain physical tasks. Students should be prepared to stand for extended periods of time and to carry or move equipment weighing up to 15 pounds. PREREQUISITE: CA A126 and CA A236. Transfer Credit: CSU.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

1. Demonstrate knowledge of mixed food materials for decoration purposes and competence in planning and executing a decorated tiered cake.
2. Competence in planning and executing a decorated tiered cake.

Course Objectives

• 1. Demonstrate proficiency of tempering chocolate
• 2. Demonstrate and apply time and motion procedures while working on marble and all small tools associated with chocolate and sugar work
• 3. Solve problems in boiling and storing sugar
• 4. Develop use and skill of sugar boxes
• 5. Demonstrate proficiency in makeup and use of fondant
• 6. Develop marzipan and modeling chocolate figures and d cor
• 7. Apply technique and skill while working with chocolate and sugar d cor
• 8. Demonstrate knowledge and skill in preparation of confections
• 9. Develop and execute a plan for executing pastry artistry as used in plated desserts
• 10. Construct a specialty cake with chocolate or sugar decor
• 11. Define terminology of specialized tools and food products
• 12. Evaluate self and class accomplishments of finished work

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Lecture Content

1. Introduction to Decorative Pastry Arts
   1. Applications and Uses
   2. Identification of Equipment & Tools
   3. Identification of food medium
2. Basic Sugar Work Skills
   1. Preparation techniques of sugar and isomalt
   2. Holding and Storage
   3. Stencils and Molds
   4. Recovery
3. Quick Application Techniques
   1. Bubble
   2. Spun
   3. Rock
   4. Poured/Cast
4. Advanced Application Techniques
   1. Pulled Ribbons & Leaf Blown
   2. Fruit Blown
   3. Figures
5. Sugar Dough: Production and Use
   1. Gumpaste
6. Chocolate Artistry and Production
   1. Advanced Tempering
      1. Cocoa Butter Tempering
      2. Milk Chocolate Couverture
      3. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Couverture
      4. White Chocolate
      5. Holding and Storing of Couverture
      6. Stencils and Molds
      7. Recovery
7. Chocolate Dough Production and Use
   1. Accessories to display pieces
   2. Coverings of cakes
8. Piped Chocolate
   1. Production for plated desserts
   2. Production for decor
   3. Production for show piece
   4. Storage
9. Poured and Cut Chocolate
   1. Production for cakes
   2. Production for decor
   3. Production for show piece
   4. Storage
10. Molded Chocolate
    1. Production & Storage
11. Construction of show piece
    1. Elements of design
    2. Temperature controls
    3. Spraying
12. Chocolate Confections
    1. Principles of Truffle Production
    2. Production of freeform truffles
    3. Production of filled truffles
13. Specialty Cake Planning
    1. Market Definition
    2. Structure
    3. Building
    4. Sheet Cakes
    5. Tiered Cakes
14. Specialty Cake Production
    1. Sponge
    2. Fillings
    3. Icings
15. Cakes as Centerpiece
16. Finishing
    1. Icings
    2. Fondant
    3. Chocolate
17. Dough Garnishing
    1. Production

Lab Content

1. Wedding Cake Planning
   1. Type of wedding
   2. Location
   3. Requests
2. Cake Adornments using gumpaste, fondant, & 50/50
   1. Product Overview
      1. Tool Selection & Usage 
      2. Product Preservation & Handling
      3. Product Selections
   2. Gumpaste Flower
   3. Assorted Cake Adornments: Bows Bands Borders Cutouts
3. Enrobing fondant using a dummy cake
   1. Preparing cake dummy
   2. Coloring fondant
   3. Softening and rolling fondant
   4. Finishing enrobing process
   5. Finishing dusts on cake exterior  
4. Baking and filling cake, transferring designs
   1. Cutting layers
   2. Cake protection
   3. Construction techniques
   4. Preserving freshness
   5. Transferring of design to edible material
5. Cake icing, enrobing, and decorating
   1. Cake boards
   2. Practice of previous buttercream and fondant techniques
   3. Experimentation of appropriate finishing choices
6. Royal Icing & Flooding with cookies and cupcakes
   1. Royal icing tutorial
   2. Coloring, drying, and storage
   3. Piping techniques
7. Cake Requisition
   1. Form requirements
   2. Timing of requests
   3. Planning of ingredient and non-ingredient needs
8. Mixing and baking of wedding cake
   1. Proper use of large mixers
   2. Techniques for mixing high fat cakes
   3. Using proper measurements and ingredients
   4. Pan selection and preparation
   5. Oven choices and temperatures
   6. Cooling and storage
9. Filling wedding cakes
   1. Techniques of specialty fillings
   2. Using proper measurements and ingredients
   3. Construction of cake layers
   4. Flavor enhancers an d moistening syrups
   5. Protection and storage
10. Wedding cake adornments
    1. Independent work on individual adornments
    2. Storage and preservation
11. Finish and judge wedding cake
    1. Techniques for final assembly: Cake boards Stacking structure
    2. Enrobing and attaching adornments
    3. Displaying and presenting final cake
12. Chocolate modeling
    1. Modeling "plastic" defined
    2. Uses and techniques
    3. Under structures needed
    4. Application of use in decor
    5. Application of figure
13. Chocolate tempering for decor and show pieces
    1. Couverture chocolate vs. candy or coating chocolate
    2. Techniques of chocolate preparation for eating or displaying
    3. Tempering using direct, marble, or microwave 
    4. Application of plate designs with couverture chocolate
    5. Application of ornamental flower: Cocoa butter coloring
14. Chocolate tempering for edible products
    1. Application of bon bons with couverture chocolate
15. Isomalt sugar
    1. Defined uses; Purchase, handling, storing
    2. Boiling and coloring
    3. Pouring, molding, pulling, bubble, and rock techniques

Method(s) of Instruction

• Lecture (02)
• Lab (04)

Instructional Techniques

Lecture, demonstrations, group discussions, lab practice, videos, periodical and internet searches

Reading Assignments

Students will spend approximately 0.5 hour per week on reading assignments.

Writing Assignments

Students will spend approximately 3 hours on final laboratory project.

Out-of-class Assignments

Students will spend approximately 7 hours throughout the semester on out-of-class assignments, including Development of wedding cake design  Inspiration Board Purchase forms/requisitions Hands-on work using sugar mediums from class in modeling, molding, and piping techniques

Study Non-Contact Hours Recommended

18

Methods of Student Evaluation

• Midterm Exam
• Final Exam
• Short Quizzes
• Written Assignments
• Problem Solving Exercises
• Skills Demonstration

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

Lab participation, practical exams Quizzes, exams, written assignments, independent project Class participation

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

Proficiency is evaluated during laboratory and final independent project.

Resources Subscreen

• Textbook: Garrett, Toba. Professional Cake Decorating, 2nd edition. Wiley (2012).
• Other: . . ().
• Other: . . ().

Eligible Discipline(s)

• Culinary arts/food technology (food service, meat cutting, baking, waiter/waitressing, bartending): Any bachelor’s degree and two years of professional experience, or any associate degree and six years of professional experience.