Cake! magazine by Australian Cake Decorating Network May 2019 Cake! Magazine

techniques of decoration with all kinds of edible materials and ingredients. Your style is the epitome of haute couture. Each cupcake is so beautifully decorated. Do you plan your designs beforehand or do you like to create them as you go? Written by Kellie Rudland Combining sugarcraft with high class fashion is the passion of Spanish couture cake designer and author Patricia Arribalzaga. We spoke with Patricia about where she finds inspiration, the books she has authored, and her design process. How did you become a cake designer? I have been a Pastry Chef for more than 16 years. From the beginning I always thought that the delicious flavour of the cakes and their artistic presentation should go together. I have a background in fine arts, so I incorporated the artistic design into my patisserie and became a cake designer who aims to create edible works of art. Do you prefer baking or decorating? I love both baking and decorating - experimenting with the flavours and textures and creating unique Thank you. I start with an idea and a concept of the creation, giving consideration to both flavour and design. I find it very important to plan from the beginning the different types of shades of colors and decorative elements that will take part in the design like ornaments or flowers. During the design process I harmonize, blend and match all the elements until I get a final result which satisfies me. You first started your business in 2002. How have cake trends changed since then? Where do you find inspiration for your designs? Tell us about your design process I think that in the last 5 years there is a huge demand that prioritise pastry flavours and the use of natural ingredients, and decoration is a little relegated. On the other hand there is a trend where the cake is an ornament of the celebration, exposed like a big art sculpture. First I find inspiration in fashion. My company´s name is Cakes Haute Couture, from my idea of linking the world of confectionery with a high fashion design. All my pâtisserie begins, like any haute couture outfit, with a unique, tailor-made design. I try to create all my pâtisserie with the same refinement as an haute couture fashion designer devotes to a dress. What advice do you have for someone starting out in the industry? Be serious about your training in sugarcraft and pastry education. In the beginning I advise to practice a lot - bake and decorate at least 10 cakes a month. Try to be original, you don’t need to be unique - it just needs to be yours! What are your three favourite cake decorating tools? • My designed stencils, • Flower cutters, • A rolling pin. You’ve written three cake decorating books. Tell us about how the publishing process. At the moment I am working on my fourth book. My books are like a course - the idea is to present my method of teaching in the creation of products involving baking and decoration techniques. For each project I consider the recipe, ingredients, sugarcraft decoration and the best way to fuse all of them. My first book titled ‘Cupcakes, Cookies & Macarons’ focuses on these products. In my second book ‘Pasteles de Alta Costura’ (Haute Couture Cakes) I teach cakes and French pastisserie baking and decoration techniques together with original recipes and innovative flavours. My third book, ‘Fiestas Dulces’ (Sweet Parties) is a book devoted to covering all kind of celebrations and seasons, considering decoration and flavors too. The last two books won Gourmand World Cookbook Awards for best books of Spain in the Pastry and Entertainment categories. Regarding the editing process, I plan the content of the books, including projects and recipes, outline the graphic design, and my team take photographs. I then give the book to the publishing house ready to print. Who are some cake decorators that you look up to? I really look up to all my students who have set up their own cake businesses around the world. They deliver a large number of cakes of all styles, working very hard and with great success. Many of your cake and cupcake designs feature sugar flowers. Are they something you love to create? Yes, they’re something I love to create. I enjoy creating peonies and some ‘fantasy flowers’ I created using my own designed cutters. MORE INFORMATION Cakes Haute Couture cakeshautecouture.com facebook.com/patriciaarribalzagaCHC instagram.com/patricia_arribalzaga

Cake! magazine by Australian Cake Decorating Network May 2019 Cake! Magazine | Page 38