From the Kuyper Cake Collection
From SoFAB Researcher Ilana Obuchowski
Though households may differ, there are many commonalities amongst the photographs found on the mantle, the walls, and on top of the piano. A five-year-old boy blowing out the candles on his birthday cake, the bride and groom feeding each other a bite of wedding cake, a best friend smiling with the baby found in a king cake. The thread throughout each of these pictures is cake. From birthdays to weddings to Mardi Gras, cakes have been the focal point of celebration for hundreds of years. Though cake has always served as a dessert item, in more recent years it has also become a decorative piece of art that completes many special occasions.
Cake decorating is viewed as a specific form of edible art. Whether crafting sugar into a mold or creating a character out of fondant, cake decorators are true artists. The edible ingredients are often times more difficult to work with because the artist must blend not only colors, but also flavors, as cakes are meant to be eaten and enjoyed in addition to being photographed.
In the past few years, cake decorating has become increasingly popular. With shows like TLC’s “Cake Boss” and Food Network’s “Ace of Cakes”, the art of cake decorating has become an entertainment entity in and of itself. There are competitive shows where cakes are judged on taste and appearance, while the audience is captivated by the artist’s ability to creatively incorporate a variety of ingredients and colors in an extravagant cake. These extraordinary cakes are designed with specific occasions in mind, ranging from a Disney movie premier to a sweet sixteen. Ultimately, though cake decorators are incredibly innovative, the five-year-old boy on his birthday and the couple at their wedding are the ones at the forefront of the industry, serving as motivation and inspiration to these artists.
Visit the Southern Food and Beverage Museum’s Kuyper Cake Collection, presented by Domino Foods, Inc. online or in person to see a few amazing examples of cake decorating.
_________________________________________________________
