Everything is cake: Three cake artists tell you how to ace it

When a video of three identical apples dropped on the web a week ago netizens were befuddled How could they tell a cake apple from the real fruit all three had water droplets and shadows at their stemends with flecks of russet showing clear From elaborate food platters and lsquolivingrsquo creatures to lone objects such as a hairbrush lock a shrivelled mushroom or dishwashing liquid mdash bakers have widened the repertoire of cakes Citybased cake artists discuss a few points that they follow to ace an edible optical illusion Push the envelopeAditi Garware sweetboutiquebyaditiCake art is no more a niche it is growing with each passing day I feel patience perseverance and planning are key to nailing the overall look I call them the three vital Ps Since this genre of art caught pace on social media it is important to come up with extraordinary ideas and stay abreast of trending or interesting innovations across the world As a baker I have had requests for themed birthday cakes from fiveyearolds too One must continue to challenge oneself for young and adult cakelovers The realness of your cake can be conveyed with the help of a professional photographer but some knowledge about angles and lighting will allow you to hone your creativity independently I use a highresolution phone camera and try to take pictures in natural light You have to also understand your clientrsquos psyche For cakes based on an Indian context mdash like saree or jewellery cakes mdash the golden hue enhances the rich detailing Try to use quality food colours and mediumsBake it till you make itGauri Kekre cake_ed_Vintage car cakeNobody gets it right in their first attempt After years of practice I can now complete the intricacies on any hyperreal cake in 10 to 20 minutes One has to keep at it After some 100 or 200 cakes you will know the tricks like the back of your hand I have worked on gravitydefying cakes and I reckon it is essential to be aware of every minute part of the process If someone is making a cake using whipped cream the cream must not be beaten fast Instead aim for a medium speed and beat the cream for 10 to 12 minutes to achieve the right textureIt is also not true that gravitydefying cakes canrsquot come in small shapes and sizes With the right technique it can For those of you trying to sharpen their craft watching YouTube video tutorials can go a long way It has helped me personally too Of all the reallooking cakes I have baked the most difficult one was a tree houseBalancing the house on the tree and adding every tiny detail to its interiors was challenging for me back then I used the right kind of tools though For cream cakes use flexi plastic smoothers for a plain layer To bake a hairbrush the bristles on top have to be handmade separately to their exact measurementTech it rightRushali Mehta cocoapandainWatchesinacase cakeA bad product canrsquot give you realistic pictures So always focus on the basics of baking and the details of a subject to master that final look Before attempting to recreate an artist must observe the article in question Learning from casespecific challenges is also crucial If your cake requires the use of technology try to plan aheadSome food technologies might need to be sourced from outside the country and at times an innovation might fall through Once we had planned for a fourtiered cake to be leveraged with a hydraulic machine but a glitch occurred and it didnrsquot materialise After some quick thinking we mapped the shadow of an animated fairy tale on the white cake It proved to be a hit