It's true, YouTube is now awash with how-to-bake videos of almost any cake, bread, or pastry. When I go to YouTube's Search Bar and type 'how to make Tiramisu', it brings up an almost endless list of how to make Tiramisu videos. Even famous people make videos about making Tiramisu! Would you believe Martha Stewart, Gordon Ramsey,and Jamie Oliver have all made videos about how to make Tiramisu?
Gone are the days when we had to rely on written recipes in notes or cookbooks. Nowadays, anyone who really wants to learn how to bake informally can learn through YouTube. You'll learn at your own pace and you may even decide later to open a cake shop by yourself or with some partners or investors.
In Hong Kong, to rent even a tiny shop is very expensive. A 90 sq ft ground floor shop along a fairly quiet street can have a Tenant paying HK$20K monthly! Rent is the highest expenditure of a cake shop. Ingredients are cheap and the mark up in cakes and pastries are very high, but the rent can become a heavy burden. But if you're lucky, you may be Hong Kong's next millionaire!
But if you say you need a culinary certificate to make your resume look good, then, you will have to attend a culinary school.
It's easy to buy ingredients and tools needed for baking. Best to compare prices before you buy. The price difference between stores can vary a lot. I found Mascarpone cheese in Wellcome Supermarket selling for HK$85 (for 250 grams) until I discovered there's a store called Mercato Gourmet in Wanchai that sold the same quality cheese for only HK$48.00! I use Mascarpone cheese to make Tiramisu.
If you do try to learn baking, I'd love to hear your progress. Please let me know.
