Bake a Difference as an Icing Smiles Sugar Artist

Or as we call them... Sugar Angels!

Sugar Angels are volunteer bakers who craft beautiful treats for Icing Smiles families—completely free of charge and with no expectation of anything in return.

While they bake for Icing Smiles families on a volunteer basis, many of our Sugar Angels are professional bakers who operate their own successful businesses (and sell the same quality of cakes for $500 or more!).

These generous and talented individuals—now more than 13,000 strong—are the heart and soul of Icing Smiles and the reason we’re able to bring joy to so many families.

P.S. You don’t have to be a professional! Just check your local rules on food donations.

Sugar Angels Bake a Difference Through...

DREAM CAKES

FUN CAKES

COOKIES

Sweet treats are just the start

Being a Sugar Angel is about more than using your time and talent to make a dessert. It’s about:

Creating smiles for kids who haven’t had much to smile about
Reaching out and showing a family that someone cares
Giving families a happy memory to hold onto
Reigniting your passion for baking by seeing the impact your talent can make

Of course, being a Sugar Angel is ultimately all about giving—but, trust us, you get so much out of it, too!

Sugar Angel FAQs

Do I have to be a professional baker?

Nope! Many of our Sugar Angels are professional bakers with their own successful businesses, but not all. We welcome applications from passionate and talented bakers of all backgrounds. Please read the full Baker FAQs and then apply here.

Do I need to bake in a licensed kitchen?

Most states do not require a licensed kitchen for food donations through a nonprofit. If you are not a licensed baker, we require that you note that this cake has been donated by Icing Smiles, a non-profit organization, and was not baked in a licensed kitchen.

What do Sugar Angels bake?

Sugar Angels bake 2 types of cakes for our families: “dream” cakes and “fun” cakes.

Dream cakes are tiered, 3-dimensional or carved. They require significant labor hours, and each child is currently allowed one under our program. Families may request a theme for their dream cakes, but the design is ultimately up to the technical strengths and creative vision of the Sugar Angel.
Fun cakes do not have those elements and can be used by the family for other events. They provide us with an opportunity to utilize more of our hobby bakers or relieve the pressure on our professional bakers who have less time. These cakes are just as important to our mission.

Through our Cookie Club, Sugar Angels also bake custom-decorated cookies and ship them as a lovely surprise for families.

What is the time commitment?

That’s up to you! We send out calls to action to our list of local Sugar Angels as soon as a child qualifies for our program, which you can accept or decline based on your availability. If you have the capacity and desire to bake something while waiting for a call to action, join our Cookie Club!

How can I get involved without baking?

We’re so glad you asked because there are SO many ways to Bake a Difference without ever opening a bag of flour. Here are just a few:

Host a virtual bake sale.
Start a friendraiser.
Become an admin volunteer.
Order a Smile Pack and rep our merch.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Sign up to receive our newsletters and blog posts.

Or, simply put, talk to your friends and family about us! We’d love for you to carry our vision far and wide.

I'm a Sugar Angel and my contact info has changed. What do I do?

Thank you for helping us stay in touch! Submit your change of address here to make sure you receive notifications of calls to action in your local area.

Note: These are just a few of the Baker FAQs. Please find the full list here.

girl in unicorn hat smiling with a unicorn cake

First see what's it like...

If you’re interested in being a Sugar Angel, first of all—thank you!

Second, here a few resources to get you familiar with our program and what it’s like to bake with us:

Then read more...

While we strive to make the process as easy and rewarding as possible for Sugar Angels, we do have to follow a few practices to keep the process safe and comfortable for all parties.

We ask all prospective bakers to first check out our full Baker FAQs to understand expectations.