Baker - Cake Specialist | Cake Decorator

Role Purpose

Cake Production

• Prepare and bake cakes, sponges, bases, fillings, creams, frostings, buttercreams, ganache, glazes, icings, and other cake components.
• Produce large-format cakes, birthday cakes, celebration cakes, special occasion cakes, individual cakes, cupcakes, loaf cakes, tray cakes, entremets, and other bakery items as required.
• Follow approved recipes, production methods, baking times, portion sizes, and presentation standards.
• Ensure cakes are baked to the correct texture, flavour, moisture, height, colour, and consistency.
• Prepare fillings such as fruit compotes, creams, mousses, ganache, custards, buttercream, caramel, chocolate fillings, and other relevant components.

Cake Assembly & Decoration

• Level, layer, fill, mask, ice, glaze, pipe, decorate, and finish cakes to a high standard.
• Decorate cakes using buttercream, whipped cream, fondant, ganache, chocolate, fresh fruit, edible flowers, sprinkles, piping, writing, and other decorative finishes.
• Create cakes for birthdays, celebrations, events, retail displays, seasonal promotions, and special customer requests.
• Execute simple customised messages, names, colours, themes, and decoration styles where required.
• Ensure all decorated cakes are neat, balanced, visually appealing, and aligned with brand standards.

Bakery Support

• Support wider bakery production when required, including breads, pastries, muffins, cookies, brownies, tarts, viennoiserie, and other baked goods.
• Assist with preparation, baking, finishing, packing, labelling, and storage of bakery products.
• Work as part of the bakery team to meet daily production targets and outlet requirements.

Quality Control

• Check the appearance, taste, texture, weight, finish, and freshness of all cake products.
• Ensure consistency across all cake sizes, formats, decorations, and finishes.
• Identify and report quality issues, ingredient concerns, or production errors.
• Maintain high standards of presentation, cleanliness, and craftsmanship.

Hygiene & Food Safety

• Follow HACCP, food safety, allergen control, hygiene, and municipality requirements.
• Maintain a clean, organised, and sanitised workstation.
• Ensure correct storage, labelling, expiry control, and temperature management of cakes, fillings, creams, dairy products, and decorations.
• Follow safe handling procedures for allergens, chilled items, and ready-to-eat products.

Stock & Wastage Control

• Use ingredients accurately according to recipes and production requirements.
• Minimise wastage during baking, trimming, filling, decorating, and portioning.
• Report low stock levels, damaged ingredients, or quality issues to the supervisor.
• Support accurate stock rotation and storage.

Special Orders & Events

• Assist with special cake orders, celebration cakes, seasonal products, event cakes, and bespoke bakery requests.
• Work with the Head of Bakery on new cake designs, flavour trials, seasonal ranges, and product development.
• Ensure customer orders are completed accurately, attractively, and on time.

Required Experience

• Minimum 3–5 years’ experience as a baker, cake decorator, pastry commis, demi chef, chef de partie, or similar role.
• Strong practical experience in cake baking, filling, icing, decorating, and finishing.
• Bakery background required, with ability to support wider bakery production when needed.
• Experience with celebration cakes, birthday cakes, individual cakes, cupcakes, tray cakes, and special occasion cakes.
• Experience in a bakery CPU, hotel bakery, pastry kitchen, premium café, cake shop, or central kitchen is preferred.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong cake baking and decoration skills.
• Good piping, icing, filling, masking, and finishing ability.
• Knowledge of buttercream, fondant, ganache, cream-based cakes, layered cakes, and chilled cakes.
• Good understanding of bakery production methods.
• Strong attention to detail and presentation.
• Creativity with colours, finishes, textures, and decoration styles.
• Able to follow recipes and brand standards accurately.
• Good time management and ability to work under pressure.
• Clean, organised, and disciplined working style.
• Team player with a positive attitude.
• Able to work early mornings, weekends, public holidays, and flexible shifts as required.

Qualifications

• Culinary, bakery, pastry, or cake decoration training preferred.
• Food safety or HACCP certification preferred.
• Practical portfolio or photos of previous cake work would be an advantage.

Key Performance Indicators

• Cake orders completed on time and to specification.
• High standard of decoration and finishing.
• Consistent product quality and presentation.
• Low wastage and accurate use of ingredients.
• Compliance with hygiene and food safety standards.
• Ability to support wider bakery production.
• Positive feedback from outlets, customers, and management.