Sweet Skills: Teaching the Art & Science of Baking with Suzanne Daly and Cheryl Weise

In this episode we step into the kitchen with Suzanne Daly and Cheryl Weise, the two full-time faculty behind Madison College’s Baking & Decorative Arts program. Suzanne and Cheryl share their paths into professional baking, their specialties in cake artistry, and how they bring real-world experience to their students—both in the classroom and through the college’s student-run bakery. We explore what it means to be a professional baker versus a home baker, the impact of baking competitions and TV shows, and how hands-on learning prepares students for sweet success. And yes—pie baking tips are included!

Suzanne Daly is the Director and Lead Instructor of the Baking & Decorative Arts Program at Madison College. She earned the designation of International Certified Judge in June 2019, as both a visual and tasting judge. Suzanne enjoys helping students grow in the art of baking and decorating by being the student mentor for the Skills USA Baking & Pastry Arts competition. She is also a member of the Wisconsin Bakers Association in which she was awarded the Wisconsin Baking Instructor of the Year in 2024.

Cheryl Weise grew up surrounded by a mother and grandmothers who baked everything from scratch and were also cake decorators. Their influence led her to continue baking and decorating while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in industrial arts management with a concentration in graphic arts. She ended up as a project manager for a printing company learning the business and marketing side of a business while keeping her baking and decorating passion on the side. She became a member of the International Cake Exploration Society and became passionate about taking formal cake decorating classes from the world’s finest instructors including Nicholas Lodge, Colette Peters, Ron Ben-Israel, and Robert Hayes. As a lifelong learner she has taken over 100 classes to build on her skills. Cheryl started out teaching Wilton Cake decorating classes and did private decorating classes. She started her own licensed cake baking and decorating business, Frosted Memories, where she does cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and other baked products in 2010. She became a full-time instructor in the Baking and Decorative Arts Program at Madison College in 2017 and has loved passing on her excitement to create something out of basic ingredients.

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