Cake! magazine by Australian Cake Decorating Network May 2015 | Page 75

Written by Marianna Saran
Avalon Yarnes is known
worldwide for her jaw-dropping
caking talent. Her cakes are
all very unique and can range
from gravity-defying to adorable
intricately hand-painted
woodland animals.

Tell us a little bit about your time
working in the bakery and how that
got you interested in cake decorating.
I was just a simple counter clerk girl
who handed out pastries, made the
coffee, etc. Eventually I worked my
way up to the “turntable” and started
decorating the basic round cakes.
I had always enjoyed art, but was
never really committed to a particular
medium, more a “jack of all trade”
instead of a “master of one.” The
turning point came when I watched
my first Food Network Challenge! My
mind was blown and it was clear to me
at the point that this was the perfect
career for me. I have now been in the
baking industry for 14 years and been
a cake artist for about just shy of 10
years.
What do you enjoy about cake
decorating the most?
Something that encompassed
similarities to all the art mediums AND
I can eat it too? Yes please.

"Cake represents
celebration, represents
the best times of our
lives, and is meant to
make others happy. In
this day and age, the
industry has pushed
cake into a whole new
art form that is not
only pleasing to the
palate but pleasing to
the eyes!"

You are extremely artistic, have you
studied in this area?
The extent of my studies with art was
a “Drawing 101” class my freshman
year of high school. However, I loved
drawing while I was growing up. I
used to get comic books, never to
read the stories, but to re-create the
characters. I didn’t find my love for
sculpture until I got my hands on
cake however! I just recently started
painting on canvas as a side hobby
when I find the time.
What’s the craziest cake someone has
asked you to make for them?
Well usually it’s ME trying to push the
boundaries of “crazy cakes”. But the
craziest I was asked to make was
probably the Octopus crawling up the

side of the wedding cake and busting
out the top.
What are some tips when it comes to
painting on cakes?
Always, always, always have a scrap
piece of fondant next to you and see
how your consistency and colour is
looking before you put it on to your
final canvas (your cake).
Are there specific brushes you like to
use?
I’m by no means picky on brand of
brush. Each technique and medium
requires different brushes. I think
getting a good full set of quality
brushes and taking care of them is key.
Do you mix them with anything to
achieve different consistencies? What
do you suggest for a thin application
and what do you suggest for a thick
application?
Depends on the type of painting I’m
doing. For the most part, I mix my
colours with either a high proof alcohol
like vodka or with lemon extract. The
more “thinner” you add, the less thick
the consistency becomes.
What is the biggest mistake people
make when painting on cakes?
Diving in without practicing first. No
reason to start painting that freshly
fondanted cake without trying your
idea out first on a scrap piece of
fondant.