Presentation
Formulate in order to create. Build identity in the restaurant dessert
Contemporary restaurant pastry demands understanding the why behind every preparation, mastering formulation, applying technique with judgement and developing well-founded creativity.
The Master’s in Restaurant Pastry and Sweet Cuisine is aimed at professionals who want to think the dessert, not reproduce it. A unique program focused on the restaurant dessert, which turns technique into method, formulation into a creative tool and practical learning into confidence.
Why will this Master’s transform your career?
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Formulate in order to understand and create: you will learn to answer the why of every recipe, developing the judgement needed to analyze, adjust and create your own preparations, adapted to different products, contexts and professional realities.
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Creativity with a technical foundation: you will work with technique, product science and formulation as a support to develop coherent, viable desserts with their own identity.
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100% practical methodology: you will learn by doing, through workshops, challenges and real projects. You will design a dessert menu, a formulation project, a dinner-event and a Final Master’s Project, facing real work contexts. The program is completed with a Learning Journey to Paris and professional internships in restaurants or pastry workshops, reinforcing the direct connection with the professional world.
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Leading faculty and learning environment: you will learn from pastry chefs and leading professionals in sweet cuisine, in the Basque Culinary Center environment, an ecosystem that fosters practice, knowledge exchange and connection with the reality of the gastronomic sector.
- Real professional development: on completing the Master’s you will be able to formulate, create and argue your technical and creative decisions, adding immediate value in professional kitchens, workshops or your own projects. You will have acquired a solid, transferable working method, applicable throughout your professional career.
Why take this master’s
1 - Specialisation in restaurant pastry and sweet cuisine: You will become a highly specialized professional, prepared to take on strategic roles in restaurants, hospitality or gastronomic R&D.
2 - Technical mastery applied to sweet cuisine: You will master avant-garde formulation techniques, new textures, sensory structures and physicochemical processes.
3 - Knowledge of trends and innovation: You will learn current trends in the sweet world, aligned with innovation, conceptual coherence and the evolution of gastronomic proposals.
4 - Learning with leading professionals: You will train with recognized experts in pastry and sweet cuisine, with access to masterclasses delivered by leading professionals.
5 - 100% practical methodology · Learning by doing: You will apply an advanced educational model, based on practical learning and environments that simulate the real work of a restaurant.
6 - Team final project: Together with your team, you will design a sweet tasting menu as the Final Master’s Project, which you will present to a panel of industry experts.
7 - State-of-the-art facilities and equipment: You will have access to cutting-edge facilities, adapted to the development of innovative pastry proposals and equipped with the latest technology.
8 - Connection with the current sector: You will take part in conferences, exhibitions and specialized congresses organized by the Faculty, broadening your experience and professional vision.
9 - Application in real professional environments: You will complete internships in fine-dining restaurants or in leading pastry workshops, applying what you have learned in real contexts.
10 - International professional network: You will become part of Basque Culinary Center, a pioneering academic institution in gastronomy with a solid international network of chefs and professionals.
11 - International Learning Journey: You will experience a three-day Learning Journey in a leading city of the sweet world, visiting emblematic workshops and innovative spaces to connect with the professional reality of the sector.
What skills you will develop on this master’s
Master classic and avant-garde techniques: Apply creativity and precision in restaurant pastry preparations.
Understand raw materials: Explore in depth their derivatives, properties, pairings and innovative applications, including spices, flowers and other ingredients.
Acquire a solid foundation in formulation: Understand the interaction between ingredients and techniques, and apply processes of innovation and creativity in sweet cuisine.
Design your own pastry proposal: Create a menu of sweet preparations aligned with the demands of contemporary gastronomy and guest expectations.
Career opportunities
Upon completing the Master’s in Restaurant Pastry and Sweet Cuisine you will be able to develop as:
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Pastry chef in gastronomic restaurants
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Pastry chef in a workshop with a technical and creative approach
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Dessert manager or head of the sweet section
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Entrepreneur in your own pastry or sweet cuisine projects
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Collaborator on development and innovation projects in sweet cuisine
In addition, you will become part of the Basque Culinary Center ecosystem, a professional network that drives opportunities, continuous learning and growth within the gastronomic sector.
Study program
- Sensory analysis
- Culinary chemistry
- Sustainability
- Food quality, safety and hygiene
- Dining room and service
- Restaurant management
- Personal skills development
- Raw materials: eggs, dairy, sugar, flours…
- Basic creams and fillings
- Light and dense sponge cakes
- Mousses and derivatives
- Glazes
- Ice creams and sorbets.
- Restaurant desserts:
- The concept.
- Flavor.
- Balance.
- Textures.
- Petit fours:
- After a dessert.
- Different presentations and staging.
- Spices, aromatic herbs and flowers in the sweet world.
- Contemporary techniques:
- Foams: fat-based, gelatin, starches and albumins; hot and cold.
- Airs: dairy and fruit bases, lecithin and sucrose esters.
- Gelatins: basic gelling agents, gelatin, kappa, agar-agar and iota.
- Thickeners: modified and native starches, gums and algae.
- New machinery in the restaurant.
- Updated fermentation techniques as new gastronomic trends.
- Other products: obulato, liquid nitrogen, dry ice and quicklime.
- Pairings in the sweet world.
- Creativity and innovation in the restaurant dessert:
- The evolution process.
- Starting points and the dessert’s thread.
- From thought to plate.
- New trends.
- Decontextualisation of ingredients.
- Vegetables as a creative model.
- Bean to bar
- Chocolate tempering
- Bonbons, truffles and ganaches
- Chocolate as a differentiating element in a dessert
- The concept and principles of formulation
- Ganache formulation
- Ice cream and sorbet formulation
- Sponge cake formulation
- Mousse formulation
- Flour, seeds and grains, yeasts and seasonings. Water and fats
- Traditional doughs: brisée, choux, puff pastry
- Preferments
- Fermentation techniques
- Viennoiserie
Throughout the Master’s, each working team, made up of 4 or 5 students, develops a gastronomic menu focused on desserts and composed of 12 courses. The project is structured in several phases, from conceptual design to technical execution, always with the support of the teaching team.
The final result is presented in a dinner service before a jury composed of industry professionals, guest chefs and Basque Culinary Center lecturers, who assess both the technical result and the creative proposal and the gastronomic experience.
On this Master’s, internships take place in both national and international companies. You will have the coordinator’s guidance to evaluate options and adjust expectations. It is important to bear in mind that internships require three months of full-time dedication. If you have a senior profile, you will be able to validate previous experience.
These internships take place in leading establishments at national and international level:
- Leading restaurants in restaurant desserts.
- Pastry shops and workshops.
- Catering companies.
- R&D units in the food industry or other businesses where students can develop their skills.
Who it’s for
The Master’s in Restaurant Pastry and Sweet Cuisine is designed for professionals seeking to specialize in the creation and development of haute cuisine desserts, combining technique, formulation and creativity.
This Master’s is for:
- People with training in gastronomy, pastry or cooking —vocational training, technical studies, professional certifications or higher education— who wish to refine their knowledge of the sweet world.
- Pastry and sweet cuisine professionals who work in restaurants, hotels, workshops or catering companies, and want to innovate in their gastronomic offering.
- Chefs with experience in savoury cuisine who want to specialize in desserts and sweet techniques applied to the restaurant.
- Managers of workshops or pastry departments who want to update themselves with innovative trends and methodologies in the sector.
- Entrepreneurs in pastry and confectionery interested in developing their own business in gastronomic pastry.
Don’t see yourself reflected in the points above and are you interested in the Master’s?
If you have doubts about whether your profile fits the Master’s, contact us so we can assess your case and provide personalised information.
Calendar
| Periods | Dates | Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Academic period | From 28 September 2026 to 23 March 2027 | Monday to Friday, 15:00 to 20:00 (CEST) |
| Internship period | From 12 April to 11 July 2027 | — |
| Presentation of the Final Master’s Project | March 2027 | — |
*If required for academic or organizational reasons, some sessions may be scheduled in the morning.
Methodology
The Master’s in Restaurant Pastry and Sweet Cuisine is delivered through the learning by doing methodology, based on practice, experimentation and collaborative learning. This approach allows you to acquire fundamental competencies and progress toward specialized applications. The curriculum is designed in progressive phases that integrate theoretical classes, practical activities and real projects.
Key elements
- Masterclasses and seminars: classes with industry experts, covering advanced pastry techniques, restaurant desserts and avant-garde confectionery.
- Case studies and strategic analysis: exploration of the evolution of pastry in haute cuisine and its impact on innovative business models.
- Practical challenges and creative dynamics: development of desserts with their own identity, optimising creativity and production efficiency.
- Gastronomic activities: raw tastings of essential ingredients, guided tastings and practical workshops on fermentation, emulsions, foams, gels and dough stability.
- Simulations and real environments: practice in spaces that replicate the work of gastronomic restaurants and high-end pastry workshops.
Learning Journey
To enhance the learning experience, the intensive stay will conclude with a Learning Journey: a 2- or 3-day experience in a leading city of the sweet world —Paris, Lyon or Barcelona—, with visits to pastry workshops, chocolate factories and prestigious training centers.
Final Master’s Project
The program includes the development of a Final Master’s Project in a team, an experience designed to simulate real collaborative environments in the professional field. Group work makes it possible to integrate different perspectives and skills, fostering cooperation, effective communication and the management of shared tasks.
Each team will have the support of an academic tutor, who will facilitate coordination, the methodological approach and the fulfilment of the project objectives. The topic is selected according to the group’s interests and their alignment with the Master’s contents.
The project ends with the submission of a joint report and its practical presentation before an evaluation panel, assessing both the result of the work and the collaboration process and individual contributions within the team.
External curricular internships
You will be able to put your knowledge into practice and gain relevant experience for your professional career. During the process, we manage your internship, taking into account your profile and the opportunities available.
In addition, you will have an informative session and personalised guidance with the coordinator to evaluate options and adjust expectations. It is important to consider your current situation and professional goals, as internships require three months of full-time dedication, with the possibility of extension. If you have a senior profile, you will be able to validate your previous experience.
Faculty
The Master’s in Restaurant Pastry and Sweet Cuisine has a teaching team composed of chefs, researchers and experts in pastry techniques, sweet cuisine, formulation and gastronomic management.
This team combines academic experience with a practical approach, integrating lecturers from Basque Culinary Center and professionals from recognized companies and gastronomic restaurants.
Coordination
Victor de Castro
Pastry chef and Master’s coordinator
Born in Portugal, raised in Andorra and trained at a French school, he began his career at the prestigious school in Perpignan alongside M.O.F. Olivier Bajard. With 22 years of experience in the sweet world, he has worked in pastry workshops, hotels, gastronomic restaurants and Michelin-starred kitchens (Akelarre, Boroa), as well as teaching. His career has been recognized with awards such as 3rd place as Revelation Pastry Chef at Madrid Fusión 2018, Spanish Facyre Pastry Champion 2019 and the Dulcypas Award for the Best Tea Pastry in the Basque Country in 2022. Recently, he has been a gastronomic advisor on the Bake Off Spain program.
César Romero
Formulation lecturer
Expert in creation and formulation processes for all kinds of sweet preparations. In addition to an extensive career as a pastry professional and trainer, he is passionate about and curious about sweet cuisine. In recent years he has focused on consultancy work and culinary demonstrations for commercial brands worldwide. He collaborates as an associate lecturer on sweet-cuisine training programs at Basque Culinary Center.
Lecturers and collaborators
Profesor titular
Expert in creation and formulation processes for all kinds of sweet preparations. In addition to an extensive career as a pastry professional and trainer, he is passionate about and curious about sweet cuisine.
In recent years he has focused on consultancy work and culinary demonstrations for commercial brands worldwide. He collaborates as an associate lecturer on sweet-cuisine training programs at Basque Culinary Center.
Profesor del curso y tutor de proyectos
With more than 25 years of experience in the restaurant sector and 19 of them teaching in customer service, he is Coordinator of the Dining Room and Customer Service area, lecturer in different specialisations and project tutor on the Expert Course in Bartending and Modern Cocktail Making.
His knowledge focuses on the liquid world, both fermented and distilled, and he is passionate about table service and techniques for presenting dishes in front of the guest.
Profesora BCC
A graduate in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, specialized in gastronomic innovation and business development. She contributes to projects that integrate creativity, strategy and the development of new models within the culinary ecosystem.
Profesora experta
Technical coordinator of the Master’s in Restaurant Innovation and Management. She holds a PhD with International Mention in Business Administration, an Executive MBA and a Master’s in Marketing from the University of the Basque Country. Adela is currently a Research Fellow at the University of Oxford. Trained in coaching at New York University and Stanford University, she is a researcher in tourism and management, a trainer for national and international companies, a mentor for entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley and a visiting lecturer at universities in countries such as Germany, France, China, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
Coordinador y profesor del curso
Patxi is one of the most prominent figures in cocktail making at international level.
A driving force behind “molecular mixology” and “gastro-cocktail making”, he was Spanish Cocktail Champion in 2009.
Passionate about his profession, he has written two books, speaks at industry fairs, is Head Bartender at Hotel Zinema7 and Hotel Akelarre, and has his own business, Stick Cocktails. His motto is “see life through a bartender’s eyes”.
Docente del área de sala y sumillería
Lecturer in Front-of-House and Service at Basque Culinary Center. She holds a degree in Psychology and has been linked to restaurant service and sommellerie, with more than 15 years of teaching experience. Accredited trainer for Sherry and Cava wines. WSET Level 3.
The Master’s in Restaurant Pastry and Sweet Cuisine includes the participation of internationally recognized experts who bring up-to-date knowledge on innovation and trends in pastry. This teaching team may vary in each edition to ensure the best combination of specialized knowledge and innovative perspectives. Some examples are:
Colaborador experto
Author of a key book for understanding the new concepts and techniques of contemporary pastry, and owner of Sweet’n Go.
Colaborador experto
Author of a key book on the transition between pastry and dessert cuisine, Diversiones dulces, and owner of Pastelería Chocolatería Dolç in Barcelona.
Oliver Fernández y José Romero
Colaboradores expertos
Lecturers at the Barcelona Pastry Guild School.
Colaborador experto
Pastry chef for Albert Adrià at the different businesses that make up the El Barri Adrià group.
What our alumni say
Conoce a nuestros estudiantes | Máster en Pastelería de Restaurante y Cocina Dulce | David Fraga
Admission process
1. Submit your application
Register online and pay the registration fee of €150, which will be refunded if you are not admitted.
Complete the Application Presentation Questionnaire, which will allow us to get to know your profile and your interests in the Master’s. Please have the following documents ready:
- Updated Curriculum Vitae.
- 1 passport-sized photo.
- Copy of your ID card or passport.
- Academic certificate of completed studies —transcript, diploma or certificate—. Submitting certificates is not compulsory, but including them will be viewed positively if you have them.
2. Evaluation of your application
- Take part in the online personal interview with the Master’s coordinator, an opportunity to get to know you better, resolve doubts and ask questions about the program.
- Both the documentation submitted and the outcome of the interview will be assessed.
- You will receive the admission decision together with the next steps to follow.
3. Admission and place reservation
If you are admitted, you must pay 25% of the Master’s fee within the indicated deadline to reserve your place.
Notice for international students
To take a training program lasting more than 90 days, students from countries outside the Schengen area (see the list of countries) need to process a long-stay student visa in order to reside legally in Spain. The Faculty will provide each student with the documentation needed to process the visa once the place reservation has been confirmed.
In addition, the student must complete the remaining requirements indicated by the Spanish Embassy. You can consult the full process in the pre-travel procedures section.
Basque Culinary Center will provide the following academic documentation, required for visa processing:
- Enrollment certificate signed and stamped by Basque Culinary Center.
- Study program stamped by Basque Culinary Center.
- Academic calendar stamped by Basque Culinary Center.
Fees and payment
Total Master’s fee: €13,755
Payment method:
- €150 on submitting your application, fully refundable if you are not admitted.
- €3,401.25 on confirmation of admission, as a place reservation.
- The remaining amount, in 3 installments of €3,401.25, to be paid in October, December and February.
FINANCING OPTIONS - FIND OUT MORE
Would you like to invest in your professional future, but need support to do so? We have financing options to facilitate access to our training programs. If you would like more information, complete the following form.
FUNDAE FUNDING
This Master’s is partially eligible for FUNDAE funding for employees in Spain. Check the conditions and how to process the funding when completing your enrollment here.
The Master’s fee includes:
- Basque Culinary Center uniform.
- Academic materials and access to the learning platform.
- Learning Journey: transport and accommodation expenses.
- Masterclasses with guest chefs.
- Management of curricular internships.
- Issuance and delivery of the degree/diploma.
- Access to more than 5,000 references in the Faculty library.
- Registration in the Basque Culinary Center alumni service: Bculinary Alumni.
As a member of the BCC Alumni community, you have access to exclusive discounts on our programs and training activities. Below are the benefits available depending on the training you have previously completed:
I AM A BACHELOR’S OR MASTER’S ALUMNI
- 10% discount on Master’s programs
- 10% discount on Specialization Courses
- 10% discount on Intensive Courses, workshops, seminars and master classes
- 10% discount on WSET Courses (Levels 1, 2 and 3)
I AM A SPECIALIZATION COURSE ALUMNI
- 5% discount on Master’s programs
- 5% discount on Specialization Courses
- 10% discount on Intensive Courses, workshops, seminars and master classes
- 10% discount on WSET Courses (Levels 1, 2 and 3)
To benefit from the discount, if you want to take a master’s or specialization course (either online or on-site) you must complete the registration process as usual. The discount percentage will be applied to the last installment of the course and you will be notified at that time. After registering, you can let us know that you are Alumni by emailing alumni@bculinary.com. If you register with your @alumni account, this last step is not necessary. If the tuition fee is paid in a single payment, please contact alumni@bculinary.com before registering to request the discount code you need to enter during the registration process.
If a visa is required due to nationality, a type C (Schengen) visa must be requested to enter Spain.
International students must travel with the official documentation accrediting their enrollment on the course and proof of the health insurance that will cover them during their stay in Spain.
SCHOLARSHIPS AND FINANCIAL AID FOR MASTER’S PROGRAMS
Due to the official nature of the degree, students legally residing in Spain may apply for public scholarship or aid programs. International students can also seek funding and scholarships from institutions in their home countries that support studying abroad.
ERASMUS+ SCHOLARSHIPS
Students may apply for international mobility aid to complete internships in Europe under the Erasmus+ program.
EMPLOYABILITY SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS
To support students in finding employment during or after their studies, students on this Master’s will receive information on job offers received by the faculty.
During their stay they may also apply for the study-work scholarships offered by the Faculty and provide services in different departments: R&D, operations, cafeteria, etc.
