SUMMER 2014 SPECIAL SECTION

SUMMER 2014 

MAGAZINE 

THE Information Source for Home Bakers & Sugar Artists 

Baking For Brad’s Wedding: 

Marina Sousa talks celebrities, Craftsy 

and counterfeit cake products 

SPECIAL SECTION 

From This Cake Forward 

Planning a beautiful future for 

you & your business 

Sugar Flower Arranging 

A tutorial by the amazing James Rosselle 

2014’s Top Wedding Cake Trends 

Insights from Elizabeth Solar 

Insticaketion 

A gallery of designs to 

instigate your next masterpiece 

$14.99 US EAN SUMMER 2014 

WWW.EDIBLEARTISTSNETWORK.COM

Table of Contents 

FEATURES 

22 Competing on the Rachel Ray Show 

by Dana Herbert 

Dana shares his experience and tips. 

28 Blessed by Nuns, Approved by Oprah 

by Michele Howard 

The unique and continuing journey of Marina Sousa 

and “Just Cake” 

26 The Chef Coat 

by Amelia Carbine 

Should you buy a chef’s coat 

Check out what Amelia has to say. 

35 From This Cake Forward... 

Tips, tutorials, and articles to help make your business 

thrive happily ever after! 

36 Top Wedding Cake Trends for 2014 

by Elizabeth Solaru 

Find out what’s hot for 2014. 

70 Insticaketion Gallery 

Feel free to ooh, ahh, and use these delectable designs as a 

launching pad for your own works of art. 

82 Grow Your Customer Base Online 

by Theresa Happe 

Learn how to boost your website to the top of Google. 

88 Michigan Sugar Art Showcase 

by Gary Silverthorn 

Entrants of all skill levels competed for over 

$20,000 in cash and prizes 

On The Cover 

She’s designed cakes for Brad Pitt, 

Cher and a slew of others, but 

celebrity baker Marina Sousa is as 

friendly and down-to-earth as they 

come. Read about her “blessed” 

beginnings, breaking news and 

exciting plans for the future in this 

enlightening, in-depth interview. 

www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 

3

Summer www.edibleartistsnetwork.com Issue 2014 

Editorial 

Joanne Prainito 

Creative Director & Founder 

joanne@edibleartistsnetwork.com 

Cheryl Naughton 

Publisher & Founder 

cheryl@edibleartistsnetwork.com 

Michelle Burden 

Editor 

info@edibleartistsnetwork.com 

Columns 

Amelia Carbine Chef Charity 

Ken Fehner Theresa Happe 

Dana Herbert 

Ruth Rickey 

James Roselle Gary Silverthorn 

Elizabeth Solaru 

Contributors 

Maria Genna 

Louise Scofield 

Joshua Simpson 

Sarah Myers 

Mari Senga 

Shaile Socher 

Table of Contents 

DEPARTMENTS 

12 Ruth’s Truths by Ruth Rickey 

14 Facebook Tips from Ken 

34 Free Baked with Chef Charity 

85 What’s New, What’s Hot 

92 Incredible Edible Art From Around The Web 

TUTORIALS 

6 Wonder Woman Tutorial 

by Maria Genna 

16 Chinese Tree Peony 

by Shaile Socher 

44 Couture Mini Bridal Cakes 

by Louise Scofield 

50 Sugar Flower Arranging 

by James Rosselle 

56 Simply Gold 

by Chef Joshua Simpson 

60 Baroque In Chocolate 

by Mari Senga 

64 Victorian Steampunk Wedding Cake 

by Sarah Meyers 

Editorial Offices 

P.O. Box 870614 

Stone Mountain, GA 30087 

Advertising 

Cheryl Naughton 

404/838-8375 


Production 

Samantha Laskowski 

Graphic Designer 

sam@samldesign.com 

Subscription Services 

To subscribe to the magazine please 

visit www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 

Edible Artists Network Magazine is published 

4 times per year by Edible Artists Network, LLC., 

P. O. Box 870614, Stone Mountain, GA, 30087. 

Copyright 2014 by Edible Artists Network, LLC. All 

rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced 

in whole or in part without written permission. For 

reprints of any article please contact the editor. 

4 www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com

Wonder Woman 

Tutorial 

By Maria Genna 

Materials 

Needed: 

• Blue sugar paste 

• Skin colored sugar 

paste 

• Red sugar paste 

• Yellow sugar paste 

• Blue, black, red & 

white food powder 

• Edible alcohol 

• 28cm base of cake 

made of polystyrene 

• Polystyrene pellet 

3cm 

• Toothpicks 

• Sticks of 25cm 

• Rolling pin 

• Small brush 

• Scalpel 

• Silicone brush 

• Dresden tool 

• Ball tool 

Maria Genna of MG SugarCake is an award-winning Italian cake designer who has 

gained international recognition for her amazing character sculptures. She is 

perhaps best known for her endearing sculptured cakes of Disney® princesses, but 

took home silver from the 2013 Cake International show in Birmingham, 

England for her stunning cake inspired by her love of classical art and the famous 

painting by William Bouguereau, “Cupid and Psyche as 

Children.” Today, Maria continues to design, and 

teaches classes in sugar sculpting and color to 

students throughout the world. 

The necessary colors. 

DOWNLOAD 

THE PDF 


face 

1. Start with an oval shaped portion of the flesh gumpaste and create indents for the eyeballs. 

2. Continue shaping the chin and cheeks. 

3. With the help of the shaper form the outline of the nose. 

4. It is better to redraw the eyebrows with a spatula & after define the base and sides of the nose. 

5. Draw the mouth using a tool with a silicon tip, redrawing the lips, then make small side holes to make 

a smile and to create the central protrusion of the lips. 

6. Make holes to create nostrils and from the base of the nose flatten the entire contour of the mouth in 

order to highlight the lips. 

7. Draw the outline of the eyes with a spatula. 

8. Finish shaping the imperfections. Tighten the temples and contour the lips. 

9. Crop the excess paste to define the jaw. Use the tip of a tool to spread her lips and create a space 

that will contain the teeth. Insert some white gumpaste to create the teeth. 

10. Cut the eye area with a scalpel and remove a piece of the paste and replace it with white color 

paste to create the eyeballs. 

Background Image © freshidea - Fotolia.com 


7

11. Use the blue food powder diluted with edible alcohol and draw the eyes directly on the white 

paste, making first a circle and then fill it in. With the black color design the center of the pupil and 

the outline of the eyes (blurring the powder on the eyelid to emphasize makeup) and the eyebrows. 

12. Now dilute the red food powder with edible alcohol and create the lips. 

13. For the lashes add a touch of black sugar paste. 

Legs 

1. Roll out a long and narrow cylinder using flesh gumpaste and cut it in half to create the legs. 

2. Shape each cylinder to look like legs and bend them to create the knees. 

3. Roll out a long and narrow cylinder using red gumpaste and cut it in half diagonally for the feet. 

4. Continue shaping and cutting the gumpaste to create the ankle and toes and to define 

the shape of the foot. 

5. Attach the boots to the legs using a bit of water to adhere the surfaces. 


Bodice 

1. To create the shorts, start with a blue ball of gumpaste and press on one side with the palm of the 

hand thinning one part and continue applying gentle pressure at the base to create the holes where 

the legs will attach. 

2. Attach the legs. 

3. Use the polystyrene ball to create an indent in the top of the shorts. We will attach the torso here later. 

4. Using a skin color ball of gumpaste shape the torso and neck. 

5. Now define the shoulders, collarbones, and the breasts. You can use a spatula to better delineate 

the details of collarbones and the breast. 

6. At the base of the bust use the ball tool to create a cavity for the polystyrene ball. 

7. Insert the ball. 

8. Place the bust on the previously formed shorts. 

9. Secure the bust to the base using a wooden stick inserted diagonally. 


9

10. To create the dress roll out a thin piece of red fondant and drape it over the figure. Trim the edges 

around the neckline, and the shorts and remove the excess of the paste. 

Arms / Hands 

1. Roll out the arms and cut into two. The diagonal surfaces will form the hands. Proceed in thinning the 

wrists with your fingers a little above the edge of the hand. 

2. Using your Dresden tool shape the hands and fingers. 

3. Create the elbows and shape the arms as shown. 

Dress Details 

1. Using yellow gumpaste create the crown, the edge of the bodice, belt and finish of the boots. 

2. Paint the stars on the shorts using white color powder diluted with edible alcohol. 


Hair 

1. Use the black gumpaste to create the hair. For the tufts on the forehead make cylinders, flatten 

them, cut them out and paste them from the center of the forehead, causing them to fall to the sides 

of the face. Shape as you like with a spatula & create waves to create an effect of hair in the wind. 

2. Create and place the crown. 

1. Form a disk of white sugar paste, cut it out with a 

pastry cutter and place it over the cake. 

2. Finish covering the whole cake with whipped 

cream to create strokes the clouds and leaving 

a space at the top area for placing Wonder 

Woman. 

Finish The Cake 

Chocolate Cake with Chantilly Cream and Strawberries 

Ingredients 

Paste: 

125g of raising flour 

130gr of flour 

50g of dark chocolate 

400g of sugar 

200g of margarine 

200g of milk 

100g of dark chocolate 

80g of white chocolate 

120g eggs (2 eggs) 

Filling: 

30gr of flour 00 

1 sachet of vanilla 

200ml of whipping cream 

200g of strawberries 

250ml of milk 

50g of powdered sugar 

1 egg 

Cover: 

400gr of sour cream 

60gr of powdered sugar 

1 sachet of vanilla 

100gr of white sugar paste 

1 baking pan of 15 cm 

Preparation: 

Warm up in a small pan over low heat, 

the milk, the butter and sugar. Then add 

the white chocolate and dark chocolate 

chopped into small pieces, turn gently 

with a spatula until the chocolate is 

completely melted to keep it from 

sticking to the bottom of the pan. Pour 

the mixture in a bowl, add the flour, cocoa 

and previously sifted baking powder 

and mix everything until the mixture is 

homogeneous. 

Then incorporate one egg at a time and 

then let the mixture to rest for 15 minutes. 

Pour the mixture on a baking pan greased 

with butter and dusted with flour and 

bake at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes. 

Check the baking of the cake by inserting a 

toothpick in the center and if pulling it out 

it remains dry with no residue of the paste 

then the cake is cooked, let it cool and 

then churn out and then cut to form three 

discs of the same height (1cm). 

Filling: 

In a saucepan combine the milk, butter, 

sugar, eggs and flour and cook over low 

heat stirring with a whisk for the entire 

cooking time to prevent it from sticking to 

the bottom of the pan and to avoid lumps, until the cream is not solidify 

in the desired consistency. 

When ready pour into a bowl and let it cool completely. 

Whip the cream with the powdered sugar and then incorporate it to 

the pastry cream and mix vigorously with a whisk. Let it rest in the 

refrigerator for 30 minutes. 


11

Ruth’s Truths 

Branded 

by Ruth Rickey 

Once you decide that you want to do 

cakes for profit, what do you do next 

You select a name. Sometimes you 

have a logo created. You decide what 

types of orders you want to take. You 

set up a web page or Facebook page 

for advertising. Is that all there is to 

it Not really. To run a successful 

business, you need to establish a 

business identity. The very same goes 

for those of us who teach for a living. 

Several years ago, my friend Becky 

Rink told me that I was good at the 

Art of Shameless Self Promotion. 

She clarified that she meant it as a 

compliment. I started thinking about 

what she meant and I realized that 

it was because I had branded myself 

and my classes well. When you come 

in my class, my name is on the silpats. 

My logo is on the instructions. My 

instructions are in a glossy folder 

with my logo on both sides, so that 

when students walk out with it, they 

are advertising me and my classes. I 

always wear stylized chef coats, which 

have become my uniform. I stick to 

the things that work for me. It makes 

me more identifiable personally and 

it helps as I promote my classes. 

Similarly, I had a logo for my bakery. 

I used distinct colors in all my 

promotions. I printed stickers for 

my cake boxes. I printed brochures 

that kept up that look. And my shop 

had an identity for certain types of 

cakes and sweets. I made sure that 

it was easy to know what we made, 

so people knew if we were the right 

shop for them. 

How do you start promoting your 

business Facebook seems to be the 

easiest for most of us. You can set 

up the business page and ask your 

friends to like it. That gets you a 

start. You can have a promotion that 

when customers come in to shop 

and “check in”, they receive a gift or 

discount. If you are a home baker or 

run an appointment only business, 

the check in won’t work for you. At 

my bakery, we would upload a month 

of cake photos at a time. While 

people enjoyed looking at those, no 

one ever shared a single photo. It did 

not help us reach new customers. 

Lately, I’ve watched what others 

do. Pink Cake Box will write a blog 

about one cake and share it. Several 

of my bakery friends will post a 

single picture with a story about the 

cake or they will tag the reception 

location. Moves like this DO reach 

new customers. It makes it easier for 

people to feel connected with you 

and they can more easily share a 

single photo. 

If you google the information, you 

can find out the best times to post on 

Facebook and what has the greatest 

reach. You can also link your Twitter 

and Instagram accounts to Facebook. 

I personally do not like the complete 

linking like that. If I follow someone 

on one format, I usually follow them 

on all. If I see the exact same wording 

in every post, I tune it out and become 

less likely to even read their posts. I 

strive to use different words for each 

post on any social media site, even if 

the picture is the same. 

As much as many of us hate hashtags, 

they make a huge difference when 

people are searching for cake bakers. 

Think about the key words that 

people might search and add those 

into your posts. 

Social media can be your friend 

when used properly. Keep your posts 

short and positive. Keep your brand 

identity in the forefront of your mind 

as you promote your business. You 

determine what others think of you 

and your bakery. 

Ruth Rickey is a Certified Master Sugar Artist, Instructor, Judge and author of the 

SugarZen blog. The former attorney closed her successful bakery to teach 

around the globe. www.RuthRickey.com • www.SugarZen.wordpress.com 


Ken is the owner of The Social 

Gloo, a new media marketing 

company specializing in 

social media management for 

business. Visit Ken online at 

www.thesocialgloo.com, 

www.facebook.com/TheSocialGloo 

or on Twitter @LordSocialMedia 

Are You Frustrated 

By Ken Fehner 

With Facebook 

Have you noticed you are getting 

less and less response to posts 

you make on your Facebook 

business page Well, I just 

want you to know that it’s 

not you…it’s Facebook. 

I’m hearing reports 

that Facebook is only 

showing posts to one 

or two percent of 

pages fans. (I can’t 

verify this myself 

but, I have read it in 

several blogs.) 

I know this can be 

discouraging since 

you’ve invested your 

time, or as I like to call 

it your “social currency,” 

doing all the right things like 

posting several times a week, 

making sure you have a good mix 

of topics and asking your fans plenty of 

questions. But, let’s be fair, Facebook employs 

over 6,000 and those people need to get paid. 

Think of it this way, when your local TV or radio 

station first went on the air, did they offer free 

advertising to their clients for four years I don’t 

think so! 

Enough of the negative…let’s think positive. This 

is going to clear out a bunch of businesses that 

were just on Facebook because someone told 

them it would be good for their business and it’s 

free. These are the same businesses that make 

every post all about them and never really 

bothered to engage their fans. That properly 

describes about half of the small businesses on 

Facebook. That’s great news! And, they won’t 

be missed. 

So, what do the rest of us do Well, 

for the past two and a half 

years, I’ve been buying ads 

on Facebook. Many of 

the accounts I work with 

hadn’t gotten a new 

like in months. Shortly 

after I started an ad 

campaign for them, 

the likes started 

flowing in. Facebook 

ads really work! And 

Facebook lets you 

track everything, 

so that you can 

quickly fine tune 

your ad campaign. I 

recommend checking 

Facebook Insights often 

and checking the quality of 

the people liking your page. 

This may take a little time, but 

you can fine tune your results to hit 

your target audience. Remember, like 

everything on social media, it’s about the quality 

and not the quantity. 

You can run your campaigns right from your 

page using “Promote Page” or “Boost Post.” 

But, I prefer to use the Ad Manager because you 

have more features and more control over who 

sees your ad or boosted post. The best news is 

that it is all very affordable. Big companies will 

continue to pay large amounts to reach their 

national or world market while small businesses 

can also participate on a local level. When you 

try it I would love to hear about your results. 

You can reach me via email at 

Ken@TheSocialGloo.com. 

Good luck everyone! 


A Tutorial 

by Shaile Socher 

DOWNLOAD 

THE PDF 

Chinese Tree Peony 

Supplies & Tools 

• Wire 20g, 24g 26g, 

• Gumpaste pale Lemon 

Yellow (Americolor) 

• Tear drop cutters (Ateco) 

• Egg white, Crisco, 

cornstarch 

• Silk Veining tool (Jem) 

• Dusting Colors Cosmos, 

Pink, Magenta 

(CK Products) 

• Yellow Cornmeal 

• Yellow Cotton Thread 

• Flat angled paint brushes 

(Michaels craft store) 

• Green floral tape 

• Celboard 

• Celpad 

• Rolling Pins 

• Plastic flap 

• Pallet knife 

• Steamer 

• Apple or avocado trays 

Stigma 

Step 1 

Roll a small pea size ball of 

gumpaste into a pointed 

tear drop. Insert a hooked 

26g wire dipped in egg white 

into round end molding 

around the base to thin out 

slightly. (You will need 3) 

Step 2 

Shape the tip into a point 

inching one side flat from the 

tip to about half way. Curve 

that flat piece over slightly. 

Stand in Styrofoam to dry 

completely. 

16 www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 

Background Image © setory - Fotolia.com

Stamen 

Step 3 

Wrap yellow cotton 

thread around 1 

finger about 25-30 

times. Put a hooked 

26g wire around 

one end pinching it 

together. (you will 

need 3 groups or 

you can purchase 

ready made 

stamens) 

Petals 

5 petals for the first 2 layers 

& 7 for the last layer 

Step 4 

Wrap ¼ width white 

floral tape from the 

top over the hooked 

wire down a way. 

Cut the thread in half. 

Dip the ends into egg 

white then into yellow 

cornmeal gently 

shaking off excess. 

(Note: leave some in 

clusters stuck together). 

Allow to dry. 

Step 5 

Roll out gumpaste on grooved celboard fairly thin. 

Cut the petals out and place under plastic sheet 

while working on them. Insert a 26g wire dipped in 

egg white. 

Step 6 

Work on the celpad using the thinner end of 

a Dresden tool to pull the edges out fringing 

the tips. Add texture to the entire petal with 

Silk Veining Tool by rolling it back and forth. 

Do not widen the petal 


17

Step 7 

Place the petal along the edge of the celpad to work on the 

frilled edges with the Silk Veining Tool. Roll it back and forth in 

small sections working along the edge of the petal to frill. This 

will smooth out the roughness of the fringed edges. 

Step 8 

Lay the petal on an 

apple or avocado 

tray shaping each 

petal to show 

movement. Allow to 

dry overnight. 

Petal Dusting 

Step 9 

Dust the tip of the Stigma with Daffodil yellow, dusting 

the rest of the stigma with prairie green. 

Add Daffodil petal dust to the base of the petals 

about half way up on the first layer only. You can add 

petal dust to the remaining layers if you choose, but 

don’t add it to the ends. They should be lighter 

in color. 


Assembly 

Step 10 

Tape the 3 stigmas together with the points facing 

out to a 20g wire. 

Tape the 3 groups of stamens around the stigmas 

Step 11 

Tape the petals from small to large in groups of 

5 per layer with half width floral tape. 

I have always been artistic creating things with a lot of 

detail. By chance I ended up in cake decorating taking a 

class for fun. It was at an ICES convention I first saw sugar 

flowers which began my love of this sugar art. It took just 

one class to get me hooked then after a series of classes 

with Nicholas Lodge I continued practicing and learning 

what became my passion. I teach sugar flowers. 

You can reach Shaile at www.shailesedbileart.com, 

www.shailesedibleart.blogspot.com or 

www.facebook.com/ShailesEdibleArt. 


19

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Competing on 

by Dana Herbert 

The Rachael Ray Show 

What better way to start off spring than with a cake 

competition on The Rachel Ray Show!! I had never 

been on the show before, and it was such a thrill to be 

invited to compete alongside two great bakers – Kate 

Sullivan and Michelle Doll – and to meet Rachael. 

The challenge Create a wedding cake for a celebrity 

client whose own design work I admire. The pressure 

was on, but it was a blast! 

The Client 

The celebrity was designer Nate Berkus, who definitely 

knows the difference between style and trying to get by, 

so I didn’t want to “just get by.” I knew it was important 

to do my research on his style and try to reflect that in the 

design. Since he often adds vintage pieces to his modern 

design work, I decided to create a modern-looking cake 

accented with vintage-inspired elements. I believe that 

vintage pieces always tell a story, so I made sure the 

elements I used would do this same. 

The Construction/Build 

As usual with TV challenges, there were only days, not 

weeks, to prepare. There was no time to order any special 

things, so it was up to us to build everything. 

I began with the base, creating a honeycomb and white 

oak design. Honeycomb and white oak are symbols of the 

heart, love and purity. I used them as a reference to Nate’s 

union with his partner, and to the foundation of his work. 

Nate, I felt, was a real fan of these and the textures they 

lent to his design and style as an artist. But honestly, I 

didn’t think this was enough. I needed something more, 

and then I found it. 

There was an article I found on Nate and his partner 

Jeremiah, with a glimpse into their beautiful home. You 

always want the person you are designing for to feel as 

if your design is theirs. You want them to be able to see 

themselves in the design, so I wanted to put something 

from their own home into the cake. The archways were 

added to the base for that purpose – they emulate 

some of the woodwork in their house. 


Background Image © blankstock - Fotolia.com

The key and lock elements served multiple purposes. They 

added to the cake’s vintage feel while also symbolizing the 

beginning of a union, and creating a home together. The 

key and keyhole can allude to so much when you think of 

relationships, so I thought they were a great touch. 

On the next tier, I replicated the pattern on some of 

Nate’s wonderful tapestries. From his seat on the show, I 

don’t think he could really see it, but when he came over 

to take a closer look, he said, “Hey, that’s my pattern!” He 

just looked at me and smiled, like, “You really channeled 

me!” It felt great that he recognized the thought that went 

into the design. 

Finally, I added some quilted elements that came from 

researching Jeremiah’s interior design work, to remind 

Nate of Jeremiah, and I finished it with a simple black 

band. Again, with Nate’s style being so modern, I thought 

he would like the cleanness of the black band. 

The Tasting 

I had a strong feeling Nate was an all-American guy, 

so I thought my famous Southern Lemon Cake should 

be right up his alley. This was a cake I had developed 

on Cake Boss: Next Great Baker. Buddy said it was 

probably the best cake of the season, and it took me to the 


23

finals. It features rich lemon layers, cream cheese icing, fresh 

strawberries and lemon curd. It’s serious. I figured if Buddy 

loved it, Rachael and Nate would too. 

I was also going to make Nate a surprise treat, and tell him 

it could be used for his wedding favors. I knew he loved Rice 

Krispies Treats®, and I was going to do a bacon-inspired one. 

Unfortunately, as it happens with TV projects, I just ran out 

of time. 

Although my surprise for Nate did not work out, 

my competitors and I were handed a surprise of our 

own when we got to the show. We found out that in 

addition to Rachael and Nate judging our work, it 

would also be judged by acclaimed pasty chef Gale 

Gand and Mr. Chocolate himself, Jacques Torres. 

Jacques Torres has been around forever (in a good 

way!). He is extremely talented and very critical on 

good cake and bad cake. It was pretty cool to put 

my cake before such a tough judge. 

I held my breath as all four judges tasted my cake. 

One by one, they gave it great reviews. Jacques 

commented that after a wedding and a big meal, 

a cake like mine was a good idea because of 

the acidity of the lemon and fresh strawberries, 

combined with the creaminess of the cake. He 

said it was the perfect “grand finale” after the 

meal. 

The audience also sampled and weighed in 

on our cakes. It was a close race. When Nate 

polled them, there was a group for each of us. 

This let you know everyone was baking from 

the heart. Kate had her signature vanilla 

bean buttercream and mango buttercream 

cake with the sugar crust. Michelle’s cake 

had a wonderful cassis buttercream. There 

were three totally different ideas, all baked 

beautifully. 

Dana Herbert, owner of Desserts by Dana, resides 

in Bear, Delaware. His client list has included Oprah 

Winfrey and Jill Biden. He has appeared on many 

television shows, including multiple episodes of 

Cake Boss following his win on TLC’s Cake Boss: 

Next Great Baker. Dana and his recipes also have 

been featured in publications including Celebrity 

Cooking, Essence, Fitness Magazine, Catering 

Magazine, Huffington Post and dozens more. In 

2013, he was named one of the Top Ten Cake 

Artists by Dessert Professional Magazine. He 

also has authored his own book, The Sweet and 

Savory Union. 

Currently, Dana is teaming up with celebrity 

chefs and bakers from around the country to 

construct a world record-breaking, 20-foot 

high, 20,000-pound, pink wedding 

cake at Caesars Palace in Las 

Vegas. The attempt to break the 

record will raise funds for Susan 

G. Komen for the Cure, 

Southern Nevada Affiliate. 

I was grateful Nate selected my 

cake as the winner. He even said 

that if “the cake thing” didn’t 

work out, I could go to work for 

him as a designer. Now THAT 

was a compliment! 


Cheetah Drape Cake 

By 

Peggy 

Tucker 

• 1 Fondant covered cake 

• 2 sheets of an Icing Images® iDesign 

(iDesigns is a program from Icing Images that allows you to select patterns 

that are licensed for edible printing. If you do not have a printer, Icing Im 

ages has made iDesigns available to everyone on a pay-per-print basis) 

• Icing Images Premium luster sheet 

• Clear DECOgel 

• Piping gel 

• Ruler 

• Paintbrush 

• Exacto knife or pizza cutter 

Products 

Needed 

Create A Simple Border: 

Welcome to the world of DECOgel. 

DECOgel is a new medium that I am very excited about. 

It is a gelatin-based cake decorating medium that can 

be melted and poured into molds or on surfaces to create 

flexible cake designs. While DECOgel has a glass-like 

appearance similar to Isomalt, it can go in or out of the 

refrigerator and freezer where Isomalt can’t. I have been 

asked if DECOgel would replace Isomalt. No, it will not, 

it simply goes where Isomalt can’t and Isomalt goes places 

DECOgel cannot. They are similar in appearance but fulfill 

different needs. 

One of the many things DECOgel does is makes beautiful 

drapes with ease unlike any other product. In this tutorial, 

I will show you how to do a DECOgel image transfer and 

create a simple drape. 

1. Cut Black Pearl Luster 

Sheet to the desired height. 

Paint back of sheet with 

piping gel (you can also use 

shortening or water). Place 

on bottom part of cake. 

2. Cut complimentary piece 

a little shorter in height from 

the iDesign pattern. I chose 

Pattern 66 which is also 

found in the Peggy Tucker 

file on iDesigns. Place on 

bottom border. 

Visit us online to get the 

rest of this tutorial 

and to learn more 

about DEC0gel! 

www.icingimages.com/decogel 


25

y Amelia 

Carbine 

I remember when I purchased my first chef ’s coat. I was 

very hesitant to buy one. To me, a chef ’s coat was a symbol 

of someone with a degree, someone who had gone to 

culinary school to become a certified chef. 

To me, the status of a chef is above that of a cook or a 

baker. Yes a baker can’t be as talented as a chef, it’s just the 

right to the title. I stick to that belief and I will never call 

myself a chef until I have proper certification to back it up. 

I used to hold the symbol of the chef ’s coat to that same 

standard. But then I realized that isn’t the case at all. There 

are many line cooks and bakers out there that have not 

attended culinary school that wear chef coats every day. It 

is a uniform. A chef ’s coat is for cake decorators as well 

and in my opinion, there should be a chef ’s coat in every 

cake decorator’s closet. 

Let’s face it, most of the time we are so focused on 

finishing the cake that we don’t have the time or the desire 

to get all dressed up for deliveries. Most of the time we 

are dusting powdered sugar and frosting from our faces as 

we run out the door. Call it underestimating how much 

work is involved, call it procrastination, call it ensuring the 

freshness of the cake…whatever you call it, we have all 

had to run out the door at the last minute on at least one 

occasion. 

For this reason, being able to grab and throw on a chef ’s 

coat as you run out the door is extremely convenient. You 

don’t have to go through your closet to decide what to wear, 

your decision is already made. You can grab a nice clean 

chef ’s coat, throw it on over your powder covered shirt, 

and suddenly you at least appear to have it all together. Just 

make sure check your hair and makeup. I have a small kit 

that I keep handy for a 5 minute freshen-up. 

We are being watched. Our clients and their friends are 

watching and paying attention. If we act and appear 

professional, we are more likely to gain the trust and respect 

of the people who are likely to be our future customers. 

Even if you make sure that you always dress nicely, a 

uniform will always stand above and look more professional 

than anything you could wear. 

Imagine putting two household repair companies side by 

side. One handyman shows up in a uniform and one in a 

dusty t-shirt. If given only a few minutes to make a choice, 

which of these two handymen would you choose to fix 

your dishwasher Whether we want to admit it or not, we 

all make decisions based on appearance. The same goes for 

cake decorators. 

A chef ’s coat can be an investment. Especially if you 

choose to purchase a custom made coat to match your logo 

and fit you properly, which I highly recommend. Is it worth 

the purchase Absolutely! It will pay for itself whether you 

believe it or not. If a client comes to a consultation and sees 

that you are dressed in a nice chef ’s coat and you present 

well, you are very likely to close an order. And not only 

will you close an order, your client will likely have more 

confidence in the professionalism that you portray and you 

will have an easier time 

charging what you are worth. 

In this industry, that is a 

big deal! 

A chef ’s coat really 

does make a big 

impact. If we 

want to be taken 

seriously as cake 

decorators and 

to be seen as the 

professionals that 

we are, we should 

be dressing the 

part. Let’s get a 

chef ’s coat in every 

cake decorator’s 

closet. 

Amelia Carbine is the face of CakeFu and the host of the popular CakeFu Masters 

Trainings. Amelia started making cakes as a hobby as moast do. The demand for her 

work quickly grew to the point where she decided to start a small business. 

Amelia’s passion for cake decorating includes a love for teaching. She has taught 

cake decorating classes for 10 years and loves to see the excitement of her students 

when they learn new tips and techniques. Her mission with CakeFu is to bring new 

techniques, tools, and information to all cake decorators. 


Sugar Art School 

Online Cake Decorating Classes 

Explore an abundant library of HD videos, 

professional photo tutorials, exclusive recipes, 

chat forums, photo galleries and more. 

24/7 access from any device 

New content added weekly 

Interactive Community - Share & Learn 

www.sugaredproductions.com 


27

Blessed By Nuns, 

Approved By Oprah 

The unique and continuing journey of 

Marina Sousa and “Just Cake.” 

by Michelle Howard 

When Marina Sousa was tasked with creating an erupting 

volcano for her fifth grade science class, she opted for different 

materials over the traditional papier-mâché. Having just 

completed a Wilton class (the one and only cake decorating class 

she’d ever take), Marina used a doll dress pan and the Wilton star 

tip to make a chocolate volcano cake. Her classmates and teacher 

were impressed with her creativity and delighted to enjoy an 

unexpected treat. Perhaps even more unexpected, however, was the 

fact that they were the first in a long list of Marina’s cake clients 

that someday would include Brad Pitt and Oprah Winfrey. 

Born in Fremont, California and raised on the state’s beautiful 

Central Coast, Marina enjoyed a childhood filled with inspiration 

and support from two creative mentors. “My mom was extremely 

creative and sewed and cooked and baked all the time,” she recalls. 

“I was sewing doll clothes at age 6, and baking right along with 

my mom and grandma.” 

Baking, though, was neither her first nor second career. At 

just 16, Marina was accepted via early admissions to the Fashion 

Institute of Design & Merchandising, and began taking classes on 

the San Francisco campus only two weeks after graduating high 

school. She studied Visual Merchandising & Space Design, and 

after earning her degree, started an internship at the city’s FAO 

Schwartz doing window displays. “It was totally fun working with 

toys and building these over-the-top displays,” she recalls. After a 

while, however, she began looking for her next adventure. 

“I’d been doing a bit of display work for Macy’s in San 

Francisco, too, and I decided to transfer with them to Los 

Angeles,” she says. “I’d always wanted to live in L.A., but I 

didn’t know a soul there and I was only working part time, so 

I decided to take a couple of classes at a junior college, mainly 

to meet people and get to know the area. I happened to take an 

introduction to theater class and fell in love with theater.” 

This new passion spurred Marina to return to school fulltime, 

and she enrolled at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia. 

There, she earned her graduate degree in theatrical production 

management. 

Following graduation, Marina began an internship with 

Universal Studios Hollywood. “My job was producing special 

events – grand openings, movie premiers, that kind of thing,” she 

explains. “I loved it, but after a couple of years, it was kind of like 

corporate anything – the higher up you go, the farther away from 

the fun part of it you get.” 

As the shine was wearing off her Universal Studios job, Marina 

was approached by a company called MediaWorks. “They were in 

entertainment advertising, and recruited me to be their director 

of production operations,” she recalls. “I was excited to have the 

opportunity to learn the post-production side of the business, so 

I made the leap. What I learned, however, was that I really didn’t 

like it very much. “ 

Having been at Universal, Marina was accustomed to working 

more than 60 hours a week, but the experience was entirely 

different. “Because I was always at an event then, I had the illusion 

that I had a social life,” she explains. “At MediaWorks, it required 

the same amount of time, but I spent the days solving everyone’s 

problems in the office and then after 6:00 when they all left, I 


stayed and did what was actually supposed to be my job. It was 

a lot of unnecessary chaos, and it made me realize that the 

entertainment industry as a whole had this self-important 

myth about it that in the grander scheme of life didn’t 

really matter much to me.” 

Ready for a break, Marina quit. “I literally left there 

without a clue what my next step was going to be,” 

she remembers. “I just decided to take some time off 

because I hadn’t not worked since high school.” It was 

in the midst of what she calls her “self-imposed timeoff 

timeline” that her cake career began. 

“I was meeting a friend for lunch in the Beverly 

Hills area, and I parked in front of a shop called 

Rosebud Cakes,” she explains. “I was fascinated by their 

windows, and I went in to check it out.” For the next 

hour, Marina and her friend examined the shop’s books, 

sampled cakes and chatted with the staff. 

“It was more than 15 years ago, so it was definitely before 

the cake explosion and what cakes are now,” she recalls. “The 

owner was Elin Katz, and she was truly a pioneer in the cake 

world. She did amazing likenesses of people sculpted out of 

buttercream. It was pretty extraordinary – nobody back then was 

doing anything close to what she was doing. Given my frame of 

reference at that point, these cakes looked like theater sets to me, 

and it was completely fascinating and eye-opening.” 

With her head spinning from this mesmerizing discovery, 

Marina and her friend finally left the shop to continue to their 

lunch destination. They were only a few steps down the sidewalk, 

however, when Marina saw a “Help Wanted” sign posted in one 

of the shop’s end windows. “I don’t know what got into me, but I 

spun around and went back in,” she recounts. “They told me they 

were just looking for somebody to work up front and coordinate 

events and logistics with clients, and I figured I could do that with 

my eyes closed.” 

Bored not working, Marina thought it would give her 

something to do while she looked for a “real job.” She walked 

out of the shop that day newly employed and within a couple of 

weeks, she was using slow periods at the front counter to learn 

decorating in the back. Two months later, she was a full time cake 

artist. 

Over the next two-and-a-half years, Marina became one of 

Rosebud Cakes’ top designers, serving Hollywood clientele that 

included Raquel Welch, Cher, Goldie Hawn, Will Smith and Jada 

Pinkett Smith, plus a host of others. She even designed the 

wedding cake for Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. 

Eventually, though, the enterprising artist set her sights on 

opening her own cake business. “I knew it was something I 

wanted to do, but because of the way I kind of back-ended into 

the business, I also knew I didn’t know anything about baking,” 

she says. “At Rosebud, I was strictly a designer. Somebody else 

was baking the cakes and putting them together, and I was just 

decorating them.” 

With respect for the “science” of baking and understanding 

that her cakes needed to taste as good as they looked, Marina 

enrolled in the Baking & Pastry Arts program at the Culinary 

Institute of America in Napa. After graduating top of her class, 

she returned to the beach community where she grew up, just 

south of San Francisco, to contemplate her next move. 

“I’d intended on going back to L.A. to open my business there, 

but after being in the wine country for a year, I found it pretty 

hard to do that,” she explains. Still, while friends and family tried 

to convince her to launch her business in her 

hometown, she wasn’t confident it would work. 

“In L.A., parents used to drop a thousand 

dollars on their kids’ first birthday cakes six times 

a day, but in the rest of the world, people don’t 

do that,” she explains. “I wanted to do higher end 

wedding cakes, but this was before cake TV and 

before cake was what it is today. I was afraid there 

just wasn’t enough of a market here to sustain a 

business like that.” 

To counter the urgings of her friends and 

family, Marina says, “I put up every excuse I could 

think of, and one of my first ones was that I didn’t 

have a commercial kitchen to work out of.” Call 

it divine intervention, the power of networking or 

just plain luck, but the issue of having no kitchen 

was quickly resolved. 

“A former classmate was teaching at my old 

Catholic elementary school, Salesian Sisters, 

and got permission for me to use their kitchen,” 


29

Marina explains. “It was kind 

of funny, because the nun who 

was my principal back in the day 

was living there in retirement, 

and she used to come into the 

kitchen and pray the rosary while 

I was baking. The nuns were 

amazing taste testers too!” 

With a place to bake and 

prayer on her side, Marina’s 

client list grew rapidly. “Friends 

and family convinced me to do 

a local bridal show. I made eight 

display cakes, set up a booth 

and the very next day, I had 32 

phone calls,” she says. “I think it 

was the right place, right time. 

There was no one else in the area 

then doing anything other than 

typical bakery cake, so I was very 

well received.” 

Marina’s mother, however, 

thought it was more than just 

timing. “My mother always 

credited my business taking off 

in the manner that it did to the 

fact that it started at the school 

and that the nuns put my first 

business card under St. Joseph’s 

statue,” she says with a smile. 

“That kind of sealed the deal for 

her. “ 

Though she was feeling 

fortunate and grateful for the 

warm welcome, Marina knew her 

place in the school’s kitchen was 

temporary. “The school was going 

to be transitioning into a summer camp in June, so I was worried 

I’d have no place to work when wedding season hit,” she says. 

Once again, though, things fell into place. “A caterer I’d met at 

a bridal show just randomly contacted me and asked if I needed 

kitchen space,” she explains. “Then the same thing happened with 

studio space – a florist I’d met had some extra room in their studio. 

Everything just kind of came together.” 

The next major move for Marina was right around the corner. 

After being in business for less than five months, she got her 

first call from Food Network. “They’d just filmed an annual cake 

competition in Beaver Creek, Oregon, and though they hadn’t 

planned it at the time, it turned out to be the pilot episode for 

Food Network Challenge,” she explains. “When they called me, 

they were casting for the very first thing to be officially produced 

as Challenge. Since it hadn’t aired yet, I had no idea what they 

were talking about, and the whole thing just sounded crazy to me. 

Yet while what the caller was talking about seemed ludicrous, 

two names were said that captured Marina’s attention: Mike 

McCarey and Collette Peters. “Even in that day, before cake 

people became pseudo celebrities, those were two very well 

recognized, established names,” she says. “So when I was told that 

they were going to do the challenge, I continued to listen, and 

agreed to do it as well.” 

For this event, timing wasn’t completely on Marina’s side. The 

pilot that was filmed in Beaver Creek aired the week before she 

was leaving for Vegas to film her 

Challenge, and what she saw in 

that first episode terrified her. 

“Mike and Collette were both 

competitors in the pilot and so 

was Michelle Bommarito who, 

at the time, was a complete 

unknown, like me,” she explains. 

“They constantly referred to her 

during the competition as the 

underdog, and she made a couple 

mistakes, which, of course, they 

highlighted, so they really cast 

her in that light. After seeing 

that, I was completely convinced 

that’s the only reason why they 

had invited me. And so I went 

into it with that mentality 100 

percent.” 

Though she says she was 

petrified at the time, Marina now 

looks back on the experience 

with levity. “My whole goal was 

just to not make an ass of myself 

on national TV,” she laughs. 

“That was really all that mattered 

to me, so when I came out on 

top, it was more of a surprise to 

me than anyone else.” 

Following that, Marina 

made six more appearances on 

Challenge, and then filmed Last 

Cake Standing. Perhaps most 

notable for personal reasons, 

however, was her appearance 

on The Oprah Winfrey 

Show. What began as a “random 

phone call” on a Friday afternoon ended with her fulfilling one of 

her mother’s prophecies five days later. 

“It was a week where we had 10 wedding cakes and I was 

going in 10 different directions at once,” Marina recalls, “so the last 

thing I expected was to pick up the phone and hear, ‘Hi, this is a 

producer from Harpo Studios.’” 

The producer explained that they were planning a show about 

reality television, and asked if Marina could be in Chicago that 

Wednesday with the “biggest and best cake” she’d ever made in her 

life. “Just something that would make Oprah’s jaw drop – that was 

pretty much all the direction we were given,” she says. 

In addition to the short turnaround time and the 10 wedding 

cakes being produced, it was a holiday weekend, and everything 

was closed that Monday. “It was pure chaos,” Marina says. “But 

how do you say no to Oprah” 

More importantly, Marina wanted to do it for her mother. 

“Before she passed, she was definitely my biggest cheerleader,” 

she says fondly. “And there was just a couple of things she always 

believed I would do in my career. One was to write a book, and 

the second was to be on Oprah. She used to start sentences with, 

‘Someday, when you’re on Oprah . . .’ so no matter how busy I was, 

there was no possibility of turning that opportunity down.” 

To make it happen, Marina called on friends, including the 

very talented James Roselle. “I certainly wouldn’t have been able 

to do it without his help,” she says. “He happened to be driving to 


Background Image © naddya - Fotolia.com

Napa that weekend for a wedding, and we had planned to meet 

for lunch on his way back, so I said, ‘How about you just come 

here instead’ He did, and we basically worked together for about 

24 hours, mapping things out and figuring out what flowers he 

was going to make. Then he went to LA and got to work. I think 

he ended up putting together about 800 flowers while I stayed 

and built the structure and got everything else together that we 

needed.” 

Getting things together on a holiday weekend, while 

challenging, proved to be possible when Marina put what she calls 

“the power of Oprah” to work. “I cannot tell you how it opens 

doors,” she laughs. “I would first hear, ‘No, we can’t do that – 

Monday is a holiday,’ and then I would say, ‘Well, here’s the deal: I 

have been invited to be on the Oprah Winfrey show,’ and I would 

have that specially cut acrylic or whatever it was I needed in two 

hours. It was craziness, but that was the only way everything came 

together.” 

After sleepless nights and lots of legwork, Marina and her 

friends shipped 17 boxes to Chicago and took more with them 

on flights there. What resulted was an incredible 11-foot tall cake 

that wowed everyone, including Oprah herself. 

Creating the masterpiece from concept to completion within 

a matter of days kept Marina so focused, she didn’t have time 

to contemplate the amazing fact that she was about to see her 

mother’s prediction come to fruition. That moment of reflection 

came just as she was about to walk out on stage, and it was one she 

will treasure forever. 

“They had built these swinging bakery doors and said they 

wanted us to ‘bust’ out of them, and I was just kind of laughing 

because I wasn’t even sure what that meant,” she recalls. “Oprah 

had just done the intro to the show, so she was on stage, on the 

other side of the doors. They brought in the announcer for the 

Chicago Bulls to introduce all of us, and as he was doing my big 

lead-up announcement, getting ready to say my name, a light from 

above me backstage slowly came on. 

“It took everything for me not to burst out in tears,” Marina 

says, “but I had to go burst out those doors instead.” When she 

did, Oprah was there to greet her, and her mom, she knows, was 

cheering her on from “the best seat in the house.” 

Though some would think that brides-to-be would be 

knocking down her door after being on The Oprah Winfrey Show, 

Marina says that’s not the case. “If anything, in my local market, it 

kind of worked against me. I was already the person who had been 

on Food Network, but when you add Oprah to that, there just 

becomes a perceived unattainability about you, I think. I listened 

to people walk by my booth at bridal shows after that, tasting my 

samples and saying how amazing they were, but then whispering 

to each other, ‘That’s the really expensive cake place,’ when in 

reality, I’m priced for my market.” 

Of course, she doesn’t regret the television appearances. “It’s 

definitely been a fun ride,” she says. And though some might 

assume her cakes are beyond their budgets, plenty of others have 

learned that while the tastes and designs are exceptional, her prices 

are competitive for her market. Her monthly cake orders range 

from just a few during slow periods, to well over a dozen during 

wedding season. 

“My goal from the beginning was to do more intricate work 

and charge higher prices, as opposed to doing a greater number 

of simpler cakes,” she says. “When I was starting off and it was 

literally just me, I had to keep things manageable and find a way to 

meet that goal quickly. I did that by establishing a minimum dollar 

order, and that has served me well over the years.” 

Marina has also added staff, which has allowed her to do more 

cakes, while teaching and working on new business ventures. “The 

first couple of years I was teaching, I was on the road about once 

a month, and it was a little overwhelming,” she says. “The past 

year to year-and-a-half, I’ve tried to reign it in a bit so my travel 

schedule isn’t quite as crazy.” 

But her limited travel doesn’t mean there still aren’t great 

opportunities to learn from Marina. This October, she’ll be one 

of 17 instructors teaching at the first-ever Cake Camp UK in 

Nottingham, England. For those who prefer to stay closer to 

home, she’ll be teaching at the French Pastry School in Chicago in 

June, and she also offers four courses on Craftsy.com. 

“My teaching experiences with Craftsy have been really good, 

and have given me an opportunity to connect with students all 

over the world and still get that teaching high without having 

to travel so much,” she comments. “Some people blame the 

online class phenomenon for the fact that it’s now harder to fill 

classes and for instructors to charge what they used to for classes, 


31

ut I don’t really think that’s fair. It’s like blaming Amazon for 

closing down bookstores. While there may be some truth to it, 

complaining about it won’t change the reality.” Online classes, she 

adds, are “just the direction the world is going.” 

In addition to pointing out the popularity of ecommerce in 

general, Marina says the industry itself is shifting. “I think the 

whole cake industry has changed pretty significantly, even in 

the last six to 12 months,” she says. “The TV shows have kind 

of run their run. The proverbial cake bubble has burst. When it 

was at its peak, so many people entered the cake market. With 

many states having cottage food laws, the barrier to entry was 

low and suddenly, everyone was a cake designer. Soon it seemed 

like anyone who could make a decent cake and get a few hundred 

likes on Facebook figured they could be a teacher. The inundation 

of custom cake decorators and those joining the teaching market 

dramatically altered things in our industry.” 

Still, Marina continues to enjoy teaching, and sharing 

her knowledge and passion for the art of cake design. She 

especially loves teaching a variety of technique-based classes, 

and encouraging her students to take those techniques and apply 

them to their own designs. “I’m not so much a fan of cookie cutter 

designs where everyone in the class is expected to produce the 

exact same thing,” she says. “I think my role as a designer and 

instructor is to encourage people to tap into their own creativity 

and find inspiration in their own surroundings, events and 

experiences.” 

Inspiration, she says, is everywhere. “Back in the day when I 

was getting started, the only real visual references we had for cakes 

were bridal magazines. And the big ones only came out once or 

twice a year.” (When one of her cakes was published in Modern 

Bride, between the pages of Sylvia Weinstock and Collette Peters, 

she adds, “It was my biggest moment ever!”) 

These days, she says, “We live in such a visual world, with 

Facebook and Pinterest and everything, there’s constant 

inspiration.” She encourages her students, though, to not limit 

their inspiration just to cake images. “I try to get them to see that 

they don’t just have to copy a cake because they see it and like 

it – they’re capable of putting together something based on other 

things outside of Pinterest.” 

Fashion, architecture and stationery are among Marina’s 

inspirations. “One of the things I love 

about working with clients is they’re always 

bringing me inspiration with their events,” 

she says. “I love sitting down with them 

and learning about their events as a whole. 

I like hearing about the venue, and seeing 

the dress, linens and stationery, and I enjoy 

the challenge of picking key design elements 

out of those things and finding a way to turn 

them into confections.” 

Her inspiration isn’t limited to details 

divulged during client consultations, though. 

“I take a lot of pictures while I’m traveling,” 

she says, “and most of my pictures are of 

windows, doors or some sort of ironwork or 

that kind of thing.” Little details on these 

architectural elements can find their way 

into her cake designs. 

“I love texture, and it’s one of the first 

things I consider when designing a cake,” 

she says. “Some of my favorite cakes are just 

white on white. I think the biggest challenge 

is to create texture with a monochromatic 

color scheme, and that could be through embossing, hand painting, 

sculpting or applique-type designs. 

“When I was in Lisbon, Portugal, I was doing a double-decker 

bus tour of the city, and there was one wall I saw that had the most 

interesting texture. All of my pictures of it were blurred because 

I took them as we passed by, so I couldn’t figure out what that 

texture was. It was really bugging me, so I sat through the entire 

bus tour again just to go back by that wall and get decent pictures,” 

she laughs. “I still have yet to make a cake with that texture, but it’s 

in my ‘to do’ file. Maybe it will make it into a book one day.” 

Like appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Marina is 

determined to write a book, just as her mother said she would. 

“I’ve been exploring this, and it’s just really a matter of carving out 

the time to do it,” she says. “I know from several friends who’ve 

gone through the process that it’s certainly not something that 

happens overnight – it’s typically a couple of years in the making.” 

Opening her retail website, she says, is part of “that master 

plan.” By creating an additional revenue stream with the website, 

she hopes to free up the time needed to work on the book. 

“I thought of the retail website after my very first Food 

Network competition, so it’s been in my head for a very long 

time,” she says. “The idea came about because I was getting so 

many emails and questions about what I was using during the 

competition and why I was using that over another product.” 

She gets the same types of questions, she adds, in relation to 

her Craftsy classes. “At least with Craftsy, we’re able to provide 

links for products,” she says. “But being able to explain the ‘why’ 

and put my own spin on it is something I’ve wanted to do for a 

long time.” 

Justcakeshop.com opened in early May, and offers visitors a 

more streamlined approach to shopping online for cake supplies. “I 

don’t try to carry every product out there,” Marina says. “I think I 

have less than 100 products on the site, but they’re all things I use, 

and I share information about why I use them.” 

Marina also guarantees that every product she carries is 

completely authentic. “Counterfeit products are rampant in our 

industry,” she says. “Inferior quality products posing as original 

items hurt manufacturers immensely. It’s disheartening, and it 

discourages innovation, but as long as people buy the counterfeit 


products, they’ll continue to be made.” 

Among the genuine, quality products featured on her new site are her designs from 

Marvelous Molds. “Those were the result of a wonderful collaboration with Dominic 

Palazzolo from Marvelous Molds,” she says. 

The collaboration was born out of Marina’s participation in the Miley Cyrus 

Sweet 16 cake competition on Food Network Challenge in 2009. “My team and I 

used Marvelous Molds’ Silicone Plastique® to make our own molds for the sugar 

beads, which we used for the chandelier effect on the cake,” she explains. “We told 

people what we used, and Dominic approached me afterwards because he was getting 

a lot of inquiries. He asked if I’d be willing to collaborate with him to perfect those 

molds. I did and quite frankly, he’s a genius in that regard. He turned those molds into 

something extraordinary. They’re so complex, they can’t even be copied and in this day 

and age, that’s kind of unheard of.” 

In addition to nine sugar bead molds, Marvelous Molds offers seven button 

molds and 15 jewel molds in Marina’s collection. More is being added to the line this 

November. . 

“I think molds are a great way to increase consistency and productivity,” she 

comments. “Back in the early days, especially with Challenge, people thought that 

using molds was an easy way out. They’re more accepted now than they used to be, 

though. 

“I think a lot of times because people are so passionate about the art, they forget 

about the money part of it,” she adds. “And a lot of us kind of give ourselves away. I’m 

a fierce advocate for being paid for your time, your work and your creativity. Any molds 

or other tools I find that can help speed up the process and increase productivity and 

my bottom line, I’m a huge fan of.” 

So in addition to using tools to your advantage, what other advice would Marina 

give to aspiring cake artists “If you want to make a business out of it, my one question 

would be, ‘Are you sure’” she says. “I think people get into it because they’re passionate 

about what they do and they don’t really realize everything that’s entailed in making a 

successful business. 

“When I was just starting out, I wasn’t surprised by all that was involved, but the 

reality was definitely a little starker than I’d hoped. You’re the person who bakes the 

cakes, washes the dishes, mops the floor, does the deliveries, goes shopping . . . it’s 

all-encompassing,” she says. “My biggest piece of advice would be to go and work 

for someone else first to make sure it’s something you’re passionate enough about to 

withstand everything that goes with it.” 

From an artistic standpoint, Marina recommends expanding your education beyond 

cake classes. “Take photography, painting, drawing and other art classes,” she says. 

“These skills are transferrable to an edible medium, and really will help you to think 

outside of the box and be able to create things people haven’t seen before.” 

And those in her fifth grade science class who delighted in her chocolate 

volcano cake would certainly agree that unique design, when executed well, is 

a goal worth striving for. 

For more advice, instruction and inspiration from Marina, look 

for her on Craftsy.com and visit www.justcakeshop.com. 

Coming This 

Summer 

A new line of cutters and 

texture mats developed 

by Marina in conjunction 

with Autumn Carpenter for 

Autumn’s new “Sweet Elite” 

collection. The collection 

will feature signature tools 

and equipment created in 

collaboration with various 

designers throughout 

the cake industry. It will be 

unveiled at the ICES show, 

happening July 31 – 

August 3 in Albuquerque. 


33

Making 

Vegan Cakes 

by Chef Charity 

Chef Charity is a Celebrity Pastry Chef and Cake 

Artist based in San Diego, CA. She specializes in 

chocolate and sugar art, with particular regard for 

wedding cakes, as well as specialty and extreme cakes. 

(Though sometimes wedding cake and extreme cake is 

redundant…) She also specializes in baking and cooking 

for those with food allergies and sensitivities. 

Please visit her at www.chefcharity.com 

It was about 1995, the first time I heard the 

word VEGAN. I heard it from a fellow 

cancer survivor, as we were discussing 

various dietary changes we could/should 

make in order to keep our various cancers 

from recurring. VEGAN WTH 

What does it actually mean 

A vegan is someone who refrains from 

eating not only meat products, but 

anything that COMES from an animal, 

or animal by-products. Let’s list some 

of those, shall we Dairy (butter, cheese, 

milk, cream, ice cream, sour cream, cottage 

cheese, yogurt, even Devonshire cream & 

gelato) eggs (of any kind from any bird), 

goats milk and cheese, and gelatin. It’s a 

fairly extreme dietary lifestyle, but people 

choose to eat this way for different reasons, 

from allergies or health to personal beliefs. 

Nevertheless, when someone needs a 

cake that is vegan . . . WOW! What are 

a baker’s three main ingredients Butter, 

eggs, sugar. That’s two out of three you 

have to cross off. Now a vegan that’s also 

diabetic and gluten free Ok, let’s not get 

carried away. (Although I’ve actually had 

a couple of orders for cakes like that.) 

Back to basic veganism . . . So what on 

earth do you do if you need to bake for 

a vegan Well, thankfully, these days we 

have lots of products within our reach to 

use for alternative baking. Cakes are not 

that tough to do vegan. I’m providing you 

with two basic vegan cake recipes here: 

one chocolate, and one white. The white 

one can be flavored in many different 

ways. Both use oil instead of butter, and 

NO eggs. They even taste GOOD! 

Vegan buttercream is a bit of a trick. The 

word buttercream is made up of two 

words that a vegan can’t have! The good 

news is, there are these wonderful things 

called vegan butter sticks that are a butter 

alternative and have no animal products in 

them. My favorite one is by Earth’s Best. 

I’m providing you with a basic vegan 

buttercream and a quick chocolate 

buttercream. One snag with using vegan 

butter sticks is that within a buttercream, 

they don’t get super hard, so it’s more like 

using an American buttercream that’s 

softer than you might be used to. 

And what about fondant Well, when 

I need to cover a cake with fondant, I 

warn my customers that fondant does 

have either dairy or gelatin in it, so they 

just need to peel it off of the buttercream 

before eating. 

I wish you the best in your vegan 

adventures in baking. File these recipes 

away, and you’ll be prepared for when 

YOU get a request for a cake that’s vegan. 

Chocolate Vinegar Cake by Chef Charity 

Dry Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 c. flour 

• 1 c. sugar 

• 3 T. cocoa 

• 1/2 tsp. salt 

• 1 tsp. soda 

Wet Ingredients 

• 6 T. extra virgin 

coconut oil, melted 

• 1 tsp. vanilla 

• 1 T. vinegar 

• 1 c. water 

(room temperature) 

Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. 

Make an indentation in the dry ingredients for each of 

the wet ingredients. 

Mix all together very well and pour into an 8x8 pan. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a cake 

tester comes out clean. 

Quick Chocolate Frosting 

Melt half a package of semisweet chocolate chips and 

2 T. vegan butter sticks together in microwave (approx. 

1 minute). Add 1 to 1 1/4 c. sifted powdered sugar, 

alternating with 1/4 c. coconut milk until desired 

consistency is reached. 

White Vegan Cake by Chef Charity 

Dry Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 c. flour 

• 1 c. sugar 

• 3 T. almond meal 

• 1/2 tsp. salt 

• 1 tsp. soda 

Vegan buttercream 

Wet Ingredients 

• 6 T. extra virgin 

coconut oil, melted 

• 1 tsp. vanilla (or 

other flavoring) 

• 1 T. vinegar 

• 1 c. water 

(room temperature) 

Sift dry ingredients into a bowl. 

Make an indentation in the dry ingredients for each of 

the wet ingredients. 

Mix all together very well and pour into an 8x8 pan. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a cake 

tester comes out clean. 

1 c. Earth’s Best Vegan Butter, 1-2 lbs. powdered sugar 

(depending on the consistency you need), 1 tsp. vanilla, 

1-2 T. coconut milk (based on consistency you need) 

Tip: to emulate a cream cheese frosting, add a few 

pinches of citric acid to get that “tang.” 


Background Image © iadams - Fotolia.com

Background Image © Alexandr Vasilyev - Fotolia.com 

Edible 

Artists 

Network 

requests the honor 

of your presence... 

From This 

Cake Forward 

Welcome to our special 

wedding section. The following 

pages featurE step-by-step 

tutorials, enlightening articles, 

product ainformation, 

and more... 


35

Top Wedding Cake 

Trends for 2014 

By Elizabeth Solaru 

The past few years has seen lots of exciting developments in the cake world with new 

techniques and tools making many designs a possibility. 

According to trend reports, weddings are getting softer, lusher and more personalised 

with pale pinks (think dusky, neutrals and antique pinks) being back in vogue. Wedding 

cakes have become an expressive medium for any couple and represents the artistic 

centrepiece of many wedding receptions. Traditional cake flavours such as Vanilla, 

Chocolate and Lemon will still be popular but these flavours will be enhanced with 

liquers, sophisticated buttercreams, ganaches, unusual conserves, purees, mousses, and 

gelees. Also, you will see hidden designs and more colour inside the wedding cake. 

Here’s a look at what we think might be the top wedding cake trends for 2014: 


Background Image © Ildogesto - Fotolia.com

Photographed at 

The Royal Exchange 

City of London 

Statement Cakes 

From tall statuesque edifices to 

upside down, gravity defying 

pieces, brides are looking for 

ways to make their wedding 

cake an unforgettable one. 

We also predict that unusual 

or non traditional cake 

shapes will also be on the 

increase and a key wedding 

cake trend for 2014. 


37

Frills, Thrills & Spills 

Frilly, soft cakes that mimic the exquisite folds, rosettes and ruffles of 

wedding dresses by designers such as Vera Wang have been all the rage 

for a while now. This is set to continue throughout 2014 and beyond. 

Metallics: Golds, Silvers & Bronzes 

Metallic touches and accents on cakes were one of the hot trends of 2013. 

Brides, you can now add a touch of one of these precious metals to the 

centre piece of your reception and continue this top wedding cake trend! 


Photographed by 

FO Photograohy 

www.fophotography.com


Cristina Rossi Photography 

www.cristinarossi.co.uk 

Bold Colours 

The pantone colour for 2014 is the 

pinky purple Radiant Orchid. Blending 

both cool and warm undertones, this 

colour has an appealing hue and can 

work brilliantly on a cake. A wonderful 

choice for any bride that adores the 

regal opulence of purple and 

wants her cake to pop in 2014. 


39

Dessert Tables 

Also called sweet tables and dessert bars, 

desert takes are a very imaginative way for 

brides to incorporate some of their favourite 

edible delights into their wedding. The dessert 

tables usually reflect the style and colours of the 

wedding and can be formal or informal. 


Photographed by Kristyn Harder Photography

Vintage Wedding Cakes 

Some may be over the trend for anything 

vintage but for true romantics like me, lace, 

roses and pearl vintage wedding cakes are just 

too pretty to do away with. In fact one of our 

most pinned cake on Pinterest is our gorgeous 

white and blush lace cake pictured here. 

www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 41 

Photographed by Claire Graham Photography

Naked Cakes 

Ideal for rustic weddings, these gorgeous cakes are uncovered and feature 

generous layers of buttercream, jams, conserves, fruit purees or curds. In 

keeping with the natural look, they can be decorated with fresh flowers or fruit. 


Photographed by Celine Chaplin Photography

Cupcakes 

Reports of the demise of the cupcake may be a little premature. 

Whilst there has been many challengers to the cupcake throne 

and these little delights may have lost their shine a little, they 

are still being requested by many brides. The fight back for 

cupcakes may be in the way they are adorned with the most 

realistic edible jewellery, sugar flowers. They can even be tiered 

so take that cronuts, donuts and macaroons! 

Geometric Cakes 

Geometric patterns on cakes has been a growing 

phenomenon. They appeal to the sensibilities of modern brides 

with their structured patterns and elegant clean lines. 

Photographed by Cristina Rossi Photography 


Celine Chaplin 

Photography 

Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium is an 

internationally renowned cake 

company with a reputation for 

creating beautifully handcrafted 

cakes that are adorned with the 

most realistic edible jewellery, 

sugar flowers, lace, pearls and 

gems. Their creations have been 

featured in numerous blogs and 

national and international publications, 

and on TV and Radio. 

www.elizabethscakeemporium.com

Couture 

Mini 

Designed to gift each guest at your Wedding with their own 

beautiful cake, individually created and decorated specially for them. 

The colours and lace trimming can be tailored to match in with theme 

of the Wedding. These Couture Mini Cakes can be presented on 

delicate vintage china plates for the small intimate wedding or on 

a large tiered cake stand for a grander affair…either way these little 

cakes with bring great joy to the wedding guest! 

Bridal 

Cakes 

Designed and created 

by Louise Scofield 

• Sugar Paste 

• Flower Paste 

• Iced 2inch Round cake 

• Garret Frill Cutter 

• Cocktail sticks 

• Non Stick Rolling Pin 

• Edible Pearl White 

Lustre Powder 

• Brooch/Button Moulds 

• Lace Ribbon 

• Edible Glue 

• Palette Knife 

• Paste Colours of your 

choice 

• Large Soft Dusting 

Brush 

• Royal Icing 

DOWNLOAD 

THE PDF 


1. Marzipan and sugar-paste your 2inch Round cake. 

Allow to fully dry before starting work on the frills. 

2. Turn your 

iced cake 

upside 

down. 

3. To create the frills, mix a little flower paste into the 

sugar-paste. Roll this out to 1 – 2 mm thickness. 

4. Use a Garret frill cutter to cut out the shape. 

5. Using a cocktail stick roll across each 

small scallop to frill the icing. 


45

6. Attach the frill to the iced cake, with a tiny amount of 

edible glue. Once the frill is secure the frills can be gently 

lifted with a cocktail stick, to enhance the frilled effect. If 

the frilled piece of sugar paste does not fit the complete 

circumference of the cake, then simply add another small 

section of frilled paste. Gently rub the join to blend the 

paste and create a smooth finish. The amount of frilled 

layers you add to the cake is personal choice, depending 

on the finished look you require. 

7. Once the frills are dry, turn the cake the correct 

way up and attach your chosen ribbon. 

8. Using a large soft brush and gentle circular motions 

dust your cake and frill with edible Pearl white lustre 

powder. It is best not to use your brush loaded with ‘dust 

powder’, as this will create a blotchy effect on the cake. 

Swirl your brush on a piece of kitchen paper before 

dusting the cake and this will ensure you only have a 

very tiny amount of dust in the brush. 

9. Use your favourite moulds to create 

a sugar brooch for the top of the cake 

and a sugar button for the side detailing. 

To create a two-tone brooch, add 

the sugar paste to the mould in two 

stages, as shown in the photos. 


10. Dust the buttons and brooches in edible white lustre powder. 

11. Create edible sugar 

paste pearls by rolling 

small amounts of sugar 

paste into crease free 

balls of paste. Dust with 

Edible white lustre 

powder to create a 

pearlised finish. 

12. Secure the sugar brooch and pearls to the cake 

with a small amount of royal icing 

13. To complete 

the Couture 

Cake Design, 

add a little sugar 

button to the 

side of cake. 

Louise Scofield is an inspirational Sugar Craft 

teacher and Cake Decorating Artist, with many 

years of experience in teaching all areas of cake 

decoration, wedding cakes and sugar flower making. 

Based in Ludlow Shropshire Louise teaches 

from her private home studio, where she has created 

a beautiful environment for students to learn. 

Please visit Louise at www.louisescofield.co.uk 


47

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Education... 

Motivation... 

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49

Sugar Flower 

Arranging 

by James Rosselle 

Have you admired the work of cake designers and also wondered how they 

do floral work Well, there is an art to arranging flowers on a cake. 

Arranging sugar flowers may not be simple. It can be intimidating, in fact 

terrifying! As we all know, sugar flowers are a labor of love. They are made 

petal by petal and are very fragile items. The sound of shattering sugar 

flowers breaks my heart. Don’t let that thought scare you. My advice, show 

those flowers who is boss. Here are some guidelines I like to follow in 

arranging sugar flowers on a cake. 

Know your materials. I like to categorize flowers. In a flower arrangement, 

you most commonly find foliage, filler flowers and larger dominant flowers. 

Foliage includes leaves, berries, and twigs. These items are used to 

compliment and accent the arrangement. Foliage can also be used as “fillers” 

and are typically added in an arrangement after the larger flowers. 

Filler flowers generally consist of smaller flowers like hydrangeas, hyacinth, 

and jasmine. These are used to fill the spaces in the arrangement. Filler 

flowers are typically the last item placed in an arrangement. 

Chef James Rosselle is a 

graduate of the California 

School of Culinary Arts in 

Pasadena and is passionate 

about where life has taken 

him. He has won all four of the 

Food Network Challenges in 

which he has competed. In 

2011, James was named to the 

“Top Ten Cake Artists” by Desert 

Professional Magazine. 

Please visit James at 

www.ellecakes.com or 

www.jamesrosselle.com. 

Larger flowers of the bunch can be peonies, roses, tulips, orchids, etc. The 

larger flowers should be the first items placed in the arrangement. I like 

to sporadically arrange and place the large flowers to set the tone for the 

arrangement. Large flowers can be arranged in bunches or close together for 

contrast or systematically placed to create harmony. 

The next idea to consider is harmony and contrast. Both are used in flower 

arranging to create balance. Harmony is when the cake design and flower 

arrangement compliment the venue and it’s surroundings. I will try and 

incorporate some of the elements of the venue in the cake design to create 

harmony. Contract on the other hand, can be achieved when the design of 

the cake and flowers are different. The contrast of the design should be done 

in a way that the flowers and cake stand out in a tasteful way. 

If you follow these simple guidelines you are sure to have a stunning design 

for every occasion. 


Background Image © artspace - Fotolia.com


Cake Created by 

Chef James Rosselle


Chef James Rosselle www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 53



Chef James Rosselle

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55

Simply 

Gold 

by Chef Joshua Simpson 

Supply List 

• 5 Tier fondant (Fondarific) 

covered cake 

• Gum paste 

• Lemon Oil 

• Glass container with lid 

• Sugar Art gold dust 

• Cornstarch 

• Confectioners Glaze 

• Ball tool 

• Needle tool 

• Paint brushes 

(flat, Rigger, soft mop) 

• Rolling pin 

• Lace molds 

• Broach mold 

• Piping gel 

Accomplished, professional chef and 

event designer, Joshua Simpson has 

experience working with a variety of 

customers – from international 

performing artists to hotels to 

convention centers. In early 2013, 

Simpson started Twisted Fig, Inc. 

to expand his creativity and services 

into new territories. Providing high 

quality products that are “stupid 

easy,” his gourmet line allows people 

with limited to advanced cooking 

skills to take basic ingredients and 

blend them with rich, full bodies 

flavors that take all the guess 

work out of meal creation. 

Visit www.twistedfiginc.com 

for additional information or 

email chef@twsitedfiginc.com 

DOWNLOAD 

THE PDF 


Step One 

Dust a nonstick work area with cornstarch. (I find 

it most useful to use a stocking and tie a knot in 

the top. This will give you a much finer dusting). 

Kneed a small amount of gum paste in your hands 

until flexible and smooth. 

(Keep covered when not in use.) 

Step Two 

Using your rolling pin, roll out the gum past paper 

thin, about the thickness of a dime. 

Step Three 

Dust your lace mold with the corn starch, and tap 

out the extra. Lay the rolled out gum paste over the 

mold and lightly press to make an indention. Using 

your needle tool cut out the shape and remove the 

excess. Place the paste back into the mold and firmly 

press into the mold to insure proper molding. Turn 

over and carefully remove your molded lace. Use the 

needle tool to help remove the lace from the mold so 

that the lace is not stretched. 


57

Step Four 

In the glass jar, mix the gold dust with lemon oil. 

(A little oil goes a long way). You’re looking for 

the consistency of a thin paint or heavy cream 

(keep covered to prevent the oil from evaporating). 

Step Five 

Using a flat brush carefully paint the lace. Taking 

care to constantly stir the gold “paint” to keep it 

consistent. Allowing drying for a few seconds 

before a second coat is applied if needed 

Step Six 

Using a soft brush, apply a thin coat of the 

confectioners glaze to seal the “paint” onto the lace. 


Step Seven 

In the glass jar, mix the gold dust with lemon oil. 

(A little oil goes a long way). You’re looking for 

the consistency of a thin paint or heavy cream 

(keep covered to prevent the oil from evaporating). 

Step Eight 

Using a flat brush carefully paint the lace. Taking 

care to constantly stir the gold “paint” to keep it 

consistent. Allowing drying for a few seconds 

before a second coat is applied if needed 

Notes: using you Rigger brush (fine point) touch up any areas that 

were missed with the gold paint. If you want more detail using # 

one or 00 tip, over pipe with royal frosting to add depth. After the 

royal frosting dries you can paint it gold. 


59

Baroque In 

Chocolate 

DOWNLOAD 

THE PDF 

By Mari Senga 

Start by making a multi-level cake board, 18 inches in diameter, 

with a 14 inch riser. Cover it in white modeling chocolate, and add a 

twisted rope border, with antique copper painted accents. Add 2 layers 

of ribbon, a lacy antique copper over a burgundy ribbon at bottom 

edge of the board, to continue the opulence. 

Bottom Layer 

Step 1 Cover a 12 inch round cake in burgundy 

modeling chocolate for the bottom tier. Then cut out a 

12-3/8 inch circle of the modeling chocolate from the center 

of the cake board, this way the cake could be sunk down in 

to the board for a cleaner look along the bottom edge. 

Step 2 Roll out white modeling chocolate 

and emboss it with a texture pin (Sweet Arts’, 

Elegance). Cut it into a 2 inch height, with 

mitered ends, so the ends would blend seamlessly 

when put together. Wrap it around the bottom 

tier, securing the ribbon to the cake with corn 

syrup, joining the seams as cleanly as possible. 


Step 3 Next, create a molded border using 2 molds 

of your choice. Repeat around the cake 3 times, securing with 

corn syrup. There were small spaces between the moldings, so I 

piped some small tip #3 royal icing shells between. 

Step 4 The antique copper details are painted with a 

mixture of orange oil (you can use lemon too), and equal parts 

Copper Penny, and Bronze dust colors. This mixture will be 

referred to as the antique copper mixture. Using citrus oil helps 

keep the luster and shine of the metallic color. 

Step 5 Add a molded white rope border to the base 

of the cake to finish. 

Middle Layer 

Cover your 9 inch round layer with white modeling chocolate. 

Using the same mold as you did for the first layer and create 

3 more impressions and place them around the cake. Fill the 

gaps with short sections of molded rope and paint the molded 

details the antique copper colored mixture. 

Small hand painted details can be added to simulate an allover 

pattern. 

A wreath of flowers was added to the top of this tier. (Directions 

for the flowers will be explained later in this tutorial). 

Add a 1.5 inch small 4 inch round separator between layers 2 

and 3 to create more space for the flowers and to create a more 

balanced silhouette. 


61

Top Layer 

Step 1 Roll out burgundy modeling chocolate and cut 

it into 6 - 2.5” wide by 6” long ribbons. Emboss each ribbon with 

a stencil of a leafy acanthus vine (I cut this stencil myself ) and 

then dust with bronze and copper penny dusts to give the same 

antique copper color. 

Step 2 Using a small ball tool create imprints just 

inside the edge of the ribbon and paint them with the antique 

copper mixture. 

Topper (Flower Bowl) 

Step 1 Make a 4 inch half ball cake, and cut off the 

rounded top 1/2 inch. Replace with Styrofoam. Cover the flat 

side with pale green 4 inch disc of modeling chocolate that is 1/8 

of an inch thick. Roll out your pale copper modeling chocolate, 

and cover the ball with modeling chocolate, overlapping the edge 

a ¼ inch. Then continue smoothing the ball to get the shape. 

I use a piece of modeling chocolate and shape to my fit the grasp 

I use, and flatten the base, then add a bit of powdered sugar, 

and rub my cake, in a circular motion. This gives me a porcelain 

smooth finish, and gets the modeling chocolate to mold to the 

cake no matter the details. 

Step 2 The foot of the bowl is made by starting with 

a 5 inch disc of modeling chocolate that is 1 inch thick and 

place it on a 5 inch round cake board. 


Step 3 Using a fondant smoother, bevel the edge 

of the 5 inch disc. Dust the smoother with powdered sugar 

to keep it from sticking to the modeling chocolate. Lift the 

smoother up 3/8 of an inch, keeping it vertical, press in on the 

edge, as you rotate the disc, and indent a 1/2 inch in to the 

edge, to create a second ledge.

Step 4 Bring your smoother in about an inch on the 

top of the disc, pressing down with your smoother, create a ¼ 

inch edge. This is where your bowl will sit. Use a small amount 

of melted chocolate to adhere the bowl to the foot, tipping the 

bowl forward slightly. 

Step 5 Roll out a 15 inch sausage of the pale copper 

colored modeling chocolate, to a 1/8 inch diameter. Cut one 

end at an angle. 

Step 6 Paint a trail of corn syrup around the 

overlapped edge of the bowl. Place the cut end of the sausage 

at the front of the bowl were it has been tipped forward. 

Attach the sausage all the way around the top of the bowl. 

When the sausage meets the cut end, use your spatula or a 

small knife to cut the remainder of the sausage off at the same 

angle. You can smooth the cut edges together with a fingertip 

dusted with powdered sugar. Let the modeling chocolate set 

up before the next step. 

Step 7 Roll out a 15 inch sausage of the pale copper 

colored modeling chocolate, to a 1/8 inch diameter. Cut one 

end at an angle. 

To learn how to make the flowers for this cake please follow this link: 

www.edibleartistsnetwork.com/tutorials-2/baroque-in-chocolate 

Or if you are a subscriber you can download the entire tutorial from the digital issue. 

Mari is best known for her modeling chocolate flowers and designs. She loves sharing her 

talents, knowledge, and enthusiasm of sugar arts at cake events, and in her classes. 

MSSugararts.webs.com 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/M-S-Sugararts 


63


Cake photo by 

Heath Blackburn Photography

Victorian Steampunk 

A Tutorial by: 

Sarah Myers of High Five Cakes Wedding Cake 

Step 1 

Cover the two hexagon tiers and 

the bottom petal tier 

with white fondant. 

Apply a texture to all sides of the 

large round and hexagon shaped 

tiers. 

I used impression mats 

from Marvelous Molds 

(www.marvelousmolds.com) to 

give these tiers texture. 

DOWNLOAD 

THE PDF 

Supply List 

• 2 – Hexagon shaped tiers 

• 2 – Graduated round tiers 

• 1 – Petal tier 

• Texture or impression mats 

• Gear print pattern printed 

on edible paper 

• 6 – Romantic silhouettes 

printed on edible paper 

• Assorted molds including 

gears, lace, keys, locks, etc. 

• Exacto knife 

• Paint brush 

• Assorted sized circle, 

square, diamond, petal, star 

shaped cutters. 

• Stitching tool 

• Toothpicks 

• Gumpaste 

• Isomalt 

• Edible glue 

• Sterling colors 

Step 2 

Airbrush the textured tiers and the petal tier. 

I started with a deep harvest brown at an 

angle to accent the details of the impression. I 

then went all over with a golden brown 

to warm it up. 

Step 3 

Allow the tiers to dry and then dust them with 

copper dust. I use Copper Penny Sterling dust 

from The Sugar Art (www.thesugarart.com). 

This color can be found in the High Five Cakes 

Steampunk Color Collection. 


65

Step 4 

Apply the gear print pattern. Cut your gear 

printed edible paper and place it directly onto 

the round tiers with buttercream as shown. 

I used a gear pattern from Icing 

Images’ iDesigns (www.icingimages.com.) 

Step 5 

Cover the tiers with white fondant. You 

should be able to see a faint outline of the 

edible image under the fondant which will help 

guide you in cutting the fondant later. 

Apply black 3/4 inch stripes of fondant and 

use the stitching tool to create detail 

along the sides. 

Step 6 

Using an Exacto knife carefully cut a “T” shape 

in the white fondant where you see the faint 

gear image underneath the fondant. 

Step 7 

Peel the sides down and secure with 

toothpicks until dry. 


Step 9 

Print 6 random romantic silhouettes on edible 

icing paper. I use Icing Images Premium 

Icing Sheets (www.icingimages.com). You can 

group the images together on one page. Each 

image should be approximately 2 inches wide. 

Step 8 

Stack all tiers and finish cutting the white fondant 

to expose the images. 

Next, adhere the icing sheet to a thin piece 

of white fondant. 

Then use the larger circle cutter to cut the 

images into 2 inch circles. 

Once all cuts are peeled back, lightly 

airbrush the tiers to create an antiquing 

effect. I used Harvest Brown. You can 

use a darker color on the edges to 

create an aged look. 

Step 10 

Using two circle cutters, one slightly larger than 

the other, cut frames for the “portholes”. 

To get a more perfect circle position the 

larger cutter first & then position the smaller 

cutter inside of the larger cutter and cut. 


67

Step 11 

Use a small round piping tip to add 

detail. Set to the side to dry. 

Step 12 

Melt clear isomalt and mix in some black color. I use isomalt 

from Simi Cakes (www.simicaakes.com) and Turkish Black 

Elite color dust from The Sugar Art (www.thesugarart.com). 

Pour the isomalt into the molds of your choosing. I used 

molds from Simi Cakes, Marvelous Molds, & Jade Eye. 

Step 13 

Roll out some gumpaste about 1/8 inch thick 

and begin making cutting out the gears. Rather 

than creating a specific pattern I use assorted 

circle, diamond, star, tips, and petal cutters to 

make my shapes. Use your imagination to 

create different shapes. 

Step 14 

To create the lace effect along the bottom of the 

cake use some black and white fondant and 

some lace molds. For the small chain molds I 

used black fondant and Elisa’s Fashion 

Accessories Mold Line (Collette and Kathy). 

For the lace I used white fondant and Earlene 

Moore’s Enhanced Lace collection from 

Marvelous Molds (www.marvelousmolds.com). 

Step 15 

Next, you will need to paint the 

gears and portholes. I use High 

Five Cakes Steampunk color collection from 

The Sugar Art (www.thesugarart.com). Paint 

the portholes and adhere the cut pictures to the 

back of the porthole using edible glue made of 

tylose and water. Paint all other accents (gears, 

accent molds, chain trim, etc.) and allow to dry.

Step 16 

Apply the lace fondant to each petal of the 

base cake. Using a tooth pick, prop the 

bottom to dry. Once set, remove the tooth 

picks. Antique the lace using brown airbrush. 

Step 17 

Create a clear lens for the portholes. 

I use DECOgel from Icing Images 

(www.icingimages.com) Allow to dry. 

Step 19 

Apply the portholes to the center of each 

panel of the lower hexagon tier. 

Step 18 

Once all accessories and isomalt 

shapes are dry, use your 

imagination and place them all over your cake. 

You can cut the sides off of some of the gears to 

look as though they are bursting out of the cake. 

The hardened gears will stick to the cake. 

Sarah Myers, a self-taught cake artist 

and the owner of High Five Cakes in 

Waverly, Ohio. I jumped into the cake 

biz with both feet back in 2010 so that 

I could pursue my love of art while 

getting paid to create masterpieces with 

food. Although I’m a relative ‘new kid 

on the block’ in the cake world, I am 

known for my work with fondant, 

Isomalt, and modeling chocolate 

where my passion for sculpting can 

sated. One of the things I enjoy most 

about my job is traveling to compete and 

teach at various cake events. 

www.facebook.com/highfivecakeco 


69

Insticaketion 

Because we know you can never have too much 

cake (well, at least in visual terms), we’ve gathered 

some of the most amazing cakes of late and are 

presenting them here in one scrumptious collection. 

Feel free to ooh, ahh and use these delectable 

designs as instigation for your own works of art. 

Then, be sure to share your creations with us at 

edibleartistsnetwork.com and on our Facebook page! 

www.facebook.com/EdibleArtistsNetwork 


Andrea “Andi” Brown 

The Yellow Rose Cakery, LLC 

www.theyellowrosecakery.com 


71

Helenna Mannila 

Clearly Cake 

www.facebook.com/ClearlyCake 


Alla Levin 

The Cake Zone 

www.TheCakeZone.com 


73

Chef Mitchie 

Mitchies Munchies 

www.mitchiesmunchies.com 


Joanne Prainito 

Edible Artists Network 


75

Krishanthi Armitt 

Cakes by Kristhianthi 

Photography by Eddie Judd 


Louise Scofield Sugarcraft 

www.louisescofield.co.uk 


77


Rosalind Miller 

Rosalind Miller Cakes Ltd 

www.rosalindmillercakes.com

Maggie Austin 

Maggie Austin Cake 

maggieaustincake.com 


79

Anna Elizabeth 

Anna Elizabeth Cakes 

www.annaelizabethcakes.com 


Julie Tenlen 

The Sweet Life by Julie 

www.facebook.com/thesweetlifebyjulie 


81

How To 

Grow Your 

Customer 

Base Online 

by Theresa Happe 

Over the years, I’ve read forum post after forum post 

from frustrated cake decorators stuck in the rut of 

providing cakes to low paying customers consisting of 

family, friends and their referrals. After they’ve made 

dozens of cakes for pennies in profit, they’re desperate to 

attract new customers outside the circle of their current 

customer base. Helpful forum members may tell these 

cake decorators to network at their child’s school, church 

and on Facebook, which certainly can prove fruitful; 

however, there’s a better way to go about drawing in 

fresh faces. 

Wouldn’t you love it if your website could serve as a 

referral machine so you could focus on your business 

These new customers will have no idea you were 

creating cakes with ornate gum paste flowers for $1 an 

hour nor will they know Aunt Betty’s cake was only $25 

because you made it for the cost of the materials. 

Whether you own a shop or a home based business, the steps are the same for improving your website’s visibility in local 

search results. Attaining high ranking in local search is very different than achieving national rankings, but there really is 

no need to rank nationally unless you’re going to earn thousands of dollars for flying across country to make a cake on 

site. In the event you do achieve that level of recognition, potential customers would be searching for you by your name. 

When I first entered the world of online search, search 

Welcome to the World of Search 

results were listed in alphabetical order. So, if your 

website’s page title began with the letter “A”, your 

website was on page 1 in Google for the particular search term that page targeted. Search has evolved tremendously 

over the past decade and the rules have changed. Luckily, attaining a high ranking locally is relatively easy in comparison 

to achieving national rankings. There are 100 billion local searches performed each month in Google. Your piece of the 

action is there for the taking when you position yourself to rank locally. 

Assess the Competition 

If you perform a search for “cake decorator” in Google, do you see local 

search results If not, your job will be much easier. How close is your 

nearest competitor If he/she is not in your neighborhood, you’re bound 

to take the top position in the local search results once you take the steps to do so. But, even if you do have nearby 

competition, you can draw in new customers and here’s how to go about it: 

Here, we will focus on getting your website found in local 

search results for keywords people type into search. There 

are steps to take both on your website and off. Note that 

there are many different attributes that come into play 

both on and off your website. This outline represents a 

simplified explanation that be broken down further into 

more detail. 

On-Page Ranking Factors 

1. Have a contact page with your company name, address 

and phone number. The URL should contain the name of 

your city. 

Example: www.mycakebusiness.com/orlando-florida.html 

2. Use keywords in your page titles, but don’t go 

overboard. The keyword should only appear once. If 

you right click on any page of your website and select 

“view source,” look for the words between the title tags 

located just below the tag on the page: Example: 

Orlando Wedding Cake Decorator 

These are the words the search 

engines use to list each page 

of a website in the search 

results. Be sure the title of 

each page is different and 

relevant to the specific 

keyword that page targets. 


3. Don’t rely on pictures alone. 

Yes, people love pictures of beautiful cakes. The problem 

is that the search engines can’t appreciate them nearly 

as much as we do. The only information a search engine 

can derive from a photo on your website is the file name 

and alt text. Written words are what get websites found in 

search for keywords and the higher the quality of the page, 

the better the page will perform. In addition to a photo 

gallery, your pages could have text that incorporates the 

keywords you want to rank for and your location. A high 

quality page should be a minimum of 300 words. In every 

niche, what is necessary to rank well varies depending on 

what the competition is doing. Take a peek at what type of 

content your competitor to get an idea. (But, please don’t 

copy the wording. This is called duplicate content and will 

hurt your website). 

Off-Page Local Ranking Factors in Order 

of Importance: 

1. Reviews – reviews by real customers where your website 

is listed online; i.e. Yelp. 

2. Citations – Your business name, address and phone 

number on important local business listing websites. 

3. Links from high quality, related and local websites. 

Citations 

Before you can take advantage of 

customer reviews, you need to have your 

citations in place. The most important 

thing to get right is consistency of your business listings. 

Your business name, address and phone number must be 

exactly the same on your website as it is all across the web. 

That means if your address is 5 Main Street on one site, it 

should not be 5 Main St. on another. If you abbreviate a word, 

do it everywhere. Every little character matters down to the 

comma, period and dashes between the digits in your phone 

number. 

A good tool for creating consistent listings, correcting incorrect listings and managing duplicates is Moz Local. There are 

other tools available online but most do not handle duplicate listings and cost more than the $49 fee for this service. The 

tool provides a downloadable spreadsheet with instructions for filling in all the relevant information for your listings on 

the 7 major listing services that provide business listings across the web. Moz.com/local 

Another important attribute of your business listing is the category. Be sure to choose the correct categories for your 

business. Once you are logged into moz.com/local, you can search by main category or keyword to find the most 

appropriate main category for your business. You may select up to 5 different categories. 

In the event you do have a lot of local competition, you can take your citation strength a bit further with some research. 

Whitespark.ca offers a tool that allows you to enter local keywords and find out where your competition is getting their 

citations. For instance, if you perform a search for “Orlando cake decorator”, you will get back a list of urls where your 

competitors for that term derive their listings in order to pursue a listing of your own on the same website. 

Co-citations are also helpful in local rankings and they are not links. Google is 

smart enough to pick up on where your business name is listed in conjunction 

with a part of your address, whether it is together with your street, the town or 

your phone number.

Once all of your business listings are in place, the 

Reviews number and frequency of reviews play a role in 

how well you rank. Here’s where those low paying 

customers can prove quite valuable. Invite them by 

email or through Facebook to leave you a review. 

Please don’t ask people who are not your customers to leave you reviews. 

Yelp has language filters in place to detect fake reviews. These websites are 

designed to be savvy enough to detect that the most likely people to review 

your service are in close proximity to your business location. 

One way you can encourage reviews is by offering a discount off the 

customer’s next cake order. If you don’t ask your satisfied customers to leave 

a review, the only reviews you may end up with are those from disgruntled 

customers. When people have a bone to pick, they are more likely to look for 

a way to get the word out. 

Links from Relevant & Local Websites 

Theresa Happe is an Internet 

Marketing Specialist and author of 

two websites dedicated to cake 

decorating, CakesWeBake.com and 

Cake-Decorating-Corner.com 

This is where most people get confused, make huge mistakes and can actually harm their websites. There is so much 

to cover on this topic that I implore you to do some reading before you embark on link building on your own. One of 

the more daunting outcomes of link building improperly is the fact that Google will now penalize your website for links 

it considers spammy or unnatural. You can end up tossing your website right out of the search results if you build too 

many links in a short period of time, too many links using keywords or attain links from low quality websites. 

Related websites: Your safest bet is to find popular cake and baking websites, provide quality content to them (perhaps 

a tutorial or tips) and let the website owners link however they choose to. 

Local websites: Perhaps your customer owns a business nearby and links to you. The geographical proximity of her 

business makes it a good local link. If you belong to the local chamber of commerce or an industrial association, those 

are good sources for links. 

One of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen repeatedly by 

owners of all different types of websites is copying the 

competition. Yes, you can learn from observing what 

your competition is doing, but keep one thing in mind: 

when you copy your competition, you copy what your 

competitor is doing right, but you also copy what your 

competitor is doing wrong. Your competitor may be doing 

well today doing those wrong things and then get hurt 

down the line when Google catches on or updates its 

algorithm. I highly recommend you familiarize yourself 

with Google’s Webmaster Tools guidelines to be aware of 

what types of behavior can get you into trouble before you 

do the damage. 

A few of the many things to avoid that I commonly see: 

• Submitting content that is already on your website or 

submitting the same content to multiple websites. Doing 

so creates duplicate content which is bad both for your 

website and the website that hosts it. 

• Creating tons of blog comments using keywords to link 

to your website. 

Caution 

• Keywords in signature links from forums. 

• “Do follow” links from paid ads. (“Do follow” links are links 

that pass page rank). 

There’s a very long list of things you should avoid doing. 

When in doubt, consult with an expert. 

If the process seems overwhelming or you feel you just 

don’t have the time, you can implement the above steps 

a little at a time or hire someone to help you get found 

in local search. The lesson I hope you take away from 

this article is that you don’t need to feel helpless about 

the condition of your customer base. And once you do 

something about it, there just may be someone living a 

mile away from you who will be very excited to find you in 

the search results the next time she needs a cake. 


What’s New 

and 

DECOgel 

Icing Images 

www.icingimages.com 

DECOgel is a gelatin-based product 

created for bakers, cake decorators, and 

sugar artists to melt and pour in to 

molds or use as a freehand decoration to 

decorate cakes and other sugar pieces. 

Although DECOgel cannot create sugar 

pieces such as sculptures or decorations 

that stand away from the cake, it is a 

very flexible decoration that is very easy 

to use. 

Marshmallow Fondant 

Oakleaf Cakes 

www.oakleafcakes.com 

Since the dawn of cake decorating, marshmallow 

fondant has been one of the best kept secrets of 

the pros, but few ever chose to make it in their 

bakeries because of the massive amounts of time 

and labor it entails. At the same time, large 

commercial fondant manufacturers have also shied 

away from this fondant’s marshmallowy goodness 

in favor of fondants that are less prone to set or 

dry when exposed to air, to maximize their shelf 

life while minimizing their packaging expenses. 

At Oakleaf Cakes, we’ve taken on the problem with the same degree of raw 

creativity and determination that is demonstrated in every one of our amazing 

cake sculptures. We’ve developed a new way to make and package our fondant 

that allows us to create and distribute marshmallow fondant on a large scale, 

right out of our bakery in Boston, MA. 

Grex Genesis XGi and XSi 

Grex Airbrush 

www.grexairbrush.com 

Grex® continues to infuse innovation into 

their airbrushes; focused on ergonomics 

and adaptability to user applications and 

preferences. The defining design 

element is the ergonomic hand 

grip set that provides improved 

comfort and handling. They 

have been specifically 

engineered for 

maximum adaptability 

by leveraging the 

already wide selection 

of accessories. 

Yummy Yogi Love Collection 

Yummi Yogi 

www.yummyyogi.com 

A series of cookies in the shape of yoga 

poses designed with a love theme! 


85

ComposiMold-FC 

ComposiMold 

www.ComposiMold.com 

Use ComposiMold-FC to make unique molds of objects YOU choose. 

Then re-melt the mold to re-use the material for over 35 different mold 

making projects. Works beautifully with chocolate, fondant, gumpaste, and 

more. Perfect for custom cake decorating or personalized wedding favors too! 

Pristine Powders 

Cake Connection 

www.cakeconnection.com 

Completely EDIBLE petal and luster dust 

made in the USA... allows you to safely add 

some pizazz to your sugar art decorations. 

Over 75 vibrant colors available! 

SugarEd Productions Online School 

SugarEd Productions 


Learn everything you need to create amazing wedding, novelty and 

sculpted cakes. From basic to advanced skills, there’s something 

for everyone. Video and photo tutorials, recipes, information 

on running a business and photography, photo galleries, and a 

message forum where you can interact with other cake enthusiasts. 

SugarEd Productions online school provides all the cake decorating 

instruction you need in one place. 

Vintage Poetry Mesh Stencils 

Evil Cake Genius 

www.evilcakegenius.com 

Set of four Mesh 

Stencils for use with 

Royal Icing. Creates 

classic poetry 

from Elizabeth 

Barrett Browning, 

E.E. Cummings, 

and Shakespeare 

perfectly in seconds. 


Let your creativity flow 

with the ease of stencils! 

over 700 designs for 

cakes • cookies • cupcakes 

custom design services 

DesignerStencils.com • 800-822-7836 

Surprise Them With 

The finest powdered 

flavors for fondant, 

buttercreams 

and more. 

Edible Petals 

powdered floral 

scents for gum 

paste flowers. 

Flavor! 

More Than Cake, Inc. 

(757) 508-8961 

www.morethancakeonline.com 


87

Michigan 

Sugar Art 

Showcase 

By Gary Silverthorn 

Amazing skill and techniques abound at the 

Michigan Sugar Art Showcase, held in April 

2014 in Detroit, Michigan. This event was 

sponsored by the Michigan chapter of ICES, 

and is held in conjunction with the Great Lakes 

Mini Classes. Entries came in from all over the 

United States and Canada, as entrants from 

all skill levels competed for over $20,000 in 

cash and prizes. This is a bi-annual event, 

with the next show scheduled for 2016. 

For more information please visit 

www.MichiganICES.org. 

Following are some of my favorites. 


Cake created by 

Kristina Boroff


Nancy Collard 

Background Image © pashabo - Fotolia.com 


89


Dawn Parrott 

Jelly Bean Art 

created by 

Joan Link 



Annette Yu 


Deborah Moroni 


Sheila Miller 


91

Incredible Edible Art 

Roseann Filosa Atkins 

The Decorated Dessert 

www.TheDecoratedDessert.com 

Barbara Regini 

www.facebook.com/pages/ 

Barbie-e-i-suoi-Pasticci/ 

233577960026543ref=br_rs 

Cathy Simpson 

Sister’s Sweet Creations 

www.facebook.com/ 

SistersSweetCreations 

Katie Mills 

Sweeties Cakery 

www.facebook.com/SweetiesCakery 


Background Image © n_eri - Fotolia.com

from around the web... 

Paula -Jane Bourke 

Scrumptious Cakes by Paula-Jane 


ScrumptiousCakesbyPaulaJane 

Cassandra Rice 

Elaborate Cakes 


ElaborateCakesTilton 

Myriam Perez 

Bizcocho Pastries 

www.facebook.com/pages/ 

Bizcocho-Pastries/ 

203897119744356 

Rumana Jaseel 

IncrEDIBLEart 

www.facebook.com/INCREDIBLEART 


93

Advertiser Index 

Cake Connection.................................... 2 

www.cakeconnection.com 

CakeSafe®..............................................49 

www.cakesafe.com 

Cake Cruise...........................................55 

www.cakecruise.com 

Choco-Pan.............................................95 

www.choco-pan.com 

CK Products..........................................87 

www.ckproducts.com 

Designer Stencils.................................87 

www.designerstencils.com 

Desirable Cake.....................................55 

www.desirablecake.com 

Enjay Converters LLC..........................55 

www.enjay.com 

Flour Confections................................55 

www.flourconfections.com 

Grex Airbrush.......................................27 

www.grexairbrush.com 

Icing Images.........................................15 

www.icingimages.com 

Icing Inspriations.................................87 

www.icinginspirations.com 

Icing Smiles...........................................51 

www.icingsmiles.org 

Marvelous Molds................................... 5 

www.marvelousmolds.com 

More Than Cake, Inc............................87 

www.morethancakeonline.com 

Petal Crafts............................................13 

www.petalcrafts.com 

Simi Cakes.............................................21 

www.simicakes.com 

Social Gloo............................................87 

www.thesocialgloo.com 

SugarEd Productions..........................27 


Sugar Petals..........................................87 

www.sugarpetals-usa.com 

Inspiration, Education & Motivation 

Awesome projects & recipes, insightful 

business advice, intriguing interviews 

with industry stars and more are 

available in every issue of 

Edible Artists Network Magazine 


View the www.edibleartistsnetwork.com 

magazine online — 

no need to download! 




When you subscribe to the 

digital issue you receive 

access to all back issues 

FREE of charge! 

Subscribe today! 

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Royal Icing Pansies 

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Email: info@cakedeco.com 

718-545-4600 www.cakedeco.com

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