A Sweet Life Cakery

I can't stop talking about the amazing past few days I have spent learning from such amazing talent.  Every now and then I need a mental break and have to take time away from everything and everyone so I can regroup my thoughts and revitalize my inspiration.  I spent the past three days, Friday through Sunday in Orlando at a continuing education class with Marina Sousa.  Those of you familiar with Marina's work know she has been on several Food Network Challenges and has held her own earning the top prize for her stunning cakes.  This long weekend was everything expected and more.

I know many people have asked how I learn to do the cakes that I create.  While it is true I have a degree in culinary arts, to specialize in cakes is no easy feat because you have to be able to make your vision come to reality in cake.  It's an art really.  Pick your medium; mine is cake.  Don't get me wrong, I love pastries and I am a bread freak too but cake is definitely my medium of choice.  Well before I attended culinary school I created cakes.  Culinary school was the icing on the cake so to speak.  It enabled me to learn from talented chefs.  What I gained was invaluable.  My thing is that I like to know about the details and inner working of the business and how ingredients function so I can maximize how to apply them.  I learned these things while in culinary school.  Once I graduated, it was a whole different story.  I realized that pastry artists and cake designers are not always so ready to give advice and pointers.  Some designers are almost protective of their tips and tricks as if someone is going to clone their art.  When it comes down to it, no matter how we try, each person has a style to their designing cakes, almost like a finger print.  A cake I create even if using a design someone brings to me will always turn out different because it is like a signature, no one will do it exactly the same.  So, long story short, I continue to take classes to improve my skills and gleen something from other artists perspectives.  It helps me keep my inspiration fresh.  The best advice I can give is never stop learning.  If you can take at least one thing from what you learn from another person, you have gained so very much.

This past weekend was certainly no exception to my advice above.  As soon as I saw Marina's name on the list of coming classes, I was quick to sign up.  She is very down to earth, funny and certainly a humble soul.  She had no problem offering advice and pointers.  I think alot of us in the class probably wore her out with our questions, how-to's and of course questions about how she dealt with the pressure of time while doing cake challenges on the Food Network.  I really enjoyed the time we had in class.  She is talented and very humble about her skills.

The following are some photos of what we did in class.  This took place at Chef Ewald Notter's School of Pastry Arts in Orlando.  If you have not been there or are interested, look them up on the web.  You will not be dissapointed in their professionalism and the amazing talent you learn from.

Thanks again of course to Chef Notter for offering such brilliant classes, to the helpful staff and students who cleaned up after our crazy mess and of course Marina Sousa for sharing your insight and inspiration.

Below is a photo of Marina and I in front of the cake I created.  The cake was inspired from the colors of clothing designer, Lilly Pulitzer.  Marina will probably forget my first name but she will remember me as Lilly for the cake design.  (LOL, inside joke)  I had a hard time at first coming up with the design but sat on my lunch break and used crayons and colored pencils to draw out the design concept which I tweeked from her master design for the class.  She had no problem with all of us adding our own special touches to our cakes. 

Below is yet another familiar face from former Food Network Challenges.  He is an extremely talented chef.

Below is another photo of my cake design.  I had a crazy fun time creating it.  It was tiring, however.  Can't wait until the next class I can take.  It's not easy work but it's a mental release for me without a doubt.