Spokane Community College teaches baking through the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy, the college’s culinary and baking school on its Spokane campus. Its one credential in the field is the Certificate in Baking: Professional Pastries and Specialty Cakes, a four-quarter program built around bread production, cake decorating, and work in a student-run retail bakery.
The current program version began in Fall 2026 and totals 56.5 credits. Students move from artisan breads and laminated doughs in the first quarter to specialty, sculpted, and wedding cakes in the second, then run bakery production before finishing with plated desserts alongside culinary students. Details below come from the Community Colleges of Spokane online catalog for Fall 2026 and the district’s 2026–27 tuition schedule.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| School | Spokane Community College |
| Location | Spokane, Washington |
| Credential | Certificate in Baking: Professional Pastries and Specialty Cakes |
| Credits | 56.5 credits (Fall 2026 program version) |
| Length | 4 quarters |
| Start terms | Fall, winter, or spring |
| Program home | Inland Northwest Culinary Academy |
| Financial aid | The college lists the certificate as financial aid eligible |
Baking and Pastry Program Options
SCC offers a single baking credential. The college’s Baking program page describes it as a one-year certificate, and the program data the college publishes lists four quarters with entry in fall, winter, or spring. Culinary Arts, a separate AAS, is the related degree option at the academy.
Certificate in Baking: Professional Pastries and Specialty Cakes
According to the SCC degree description, the certificate prepares students for independent and specialty bakeries and for professional cake decorating. Training covers hygiene in the baking industry, bakery machinery, artisan bread and pastry production, piping and tube work, flower creation, color mixing, and design principles.
Students must earn a 2.0 or better in every course before moving on to the next quarter, and the college states a minimum 50-pound lifting requirement. A March 2026 college news article notes that the final quarter now includes gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan baking.
Curriculum and Baking Courses
The Fall 2026 course sequence runs 16 credits in the first quarter, 15.5 in the second, 13 in the third, and 12 in the fourth. Required courses include:
- Introduction to Baking and Pastries, and Artisan Breads and Pastries (12 credits)
- Special Occasion Cakes, Tortes and Gateau, Sculptured Cakes, and Rolled Fondant
- Wedding Cakes
- Retail Bakery Operations and Production (7 credits)
- Introduction to Baking and Pastry Arts (9 credits), covering plated desserts, petit fours, entremets, ganache, and ice cream
- Foodservice Safety and Sanitation, and Kitchen Management and Purchasing
- Hospitality Mathematics, Hospitality Writing, and Human Relations
The third quarter places students in the program’s retail bakery, where they prepare items for the display case and learn barista skills. The catalog allows Hospitality Mathematics to be replaced by another dean-approved course, and Retail Bakery Operations may be substituted with BAK 267 or BAK 288.
Tuition and Additional Costs
The Community Colleges of Spokane 2026–27 tuition schedule charges Washington residents $136.14 per credit for the first 10 credits and $67.18 per credit for credits 11–18. Out-of-state U.S. citizens pay $184.74 and $69.37 per credit. SCC adds a $20 registration fee, a technology fee of $4 per credit up to $40, and a $40 comprehensive fee each quarter, which comes to $100 per quarter at these credit loads.
The estimates below apply those rates to the four quarters in the published course sequence. They also include the course fees the district lists for 2026–27 for the required BAK and CUL courses, which total $1,654.40, led by an $812.45 nonrefundable fee for Introduction to Baking and Pastries:
| Program | Credits | Estimated in-state tuition and fees | Estimated out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking: Professional Pastries and Specialty Cakes Certificate (4 quarters) | 56.5 | $8,608 | $10,589 |
Textbooks, uniforms, knives and tools, transportation, and living costs are not included. The fee list shows no amount for Retail Bakery Operations and Production, so confirm whether a fee applies. International students pay a higher rate.
Course fee amounts come from the district’s 2027 lab and course fee report. The program page also points students to a books and tools list and says a Spokane County health card, currently $10, is required.
Admissions and Financial Aid
New students apply to SCC, complete placement as needed, attend the Bigfoot First Steps orientation, and then register. The program map notes that students must apply and be accepted into the baking program before taking its courses, so contact the academy early. Entry is possible in fall, winter, or spring, and the college posts deadlines each term.
SCC’s program information lists the certificate as eligible for financial aid. Students start by filing the FAFSA or WASFA, and the How to Pay for College section covers grants, scholarships, and other funding.
Career Preparation and Transfer Considerations
SCC lists baker, bread baker, cake decorator, commercial baker, and in-store baker as potential positions. The program outcomes include operating bakeshop equipment, ordering supplies, costing finished products, and planning bakery merchandising, which suit retail and production settings.
The certificate is a workforce credential and is not designed for transfer. Students who later want a degree should ask an advisor which courses, such as sanitation and kitchen management, could also count toward the Culinary Arts AAS.
Who May Find This Certificate a Good Fit?
| Student goal | How the program may fit |
|---|---|
| Focus on cakes and decorating | A full quarter covers occasion, sculpted, fondant, and wedding cakes |
| Gain retail bakery experience | The third quarter is spent producing for the student-run bakery |
| Start without waiting for fall | The college lists fall, winter, and spring entry |
| Learn allergen-aware baking | The final quarter adds gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan techniques |
Questions to Ask Before Applying
- How do I apply for acceptance into the baking program, and how many seats open each quarter?
- What does the $812.45 fee for Introduction to Baking and Pastries cover?
- Is there a course fee for Retail Bakery Operations and Production?
- What minimum grade or GPA applies to the support courses?
- What are the bakery lab hours each quarter?
- Which certificate courses would apply to the Culinary Arts AAS?
Program details and costs can change. Confirm current requirements with Spokane Community College before applying.