I have to start by saying a big thank you and congratulations to Candace at Beau Petit Cupcakes for making this such a wonderful success !! This is my first ever collaboration, and (once I got over the nerves ;) ) it’s been an absolute honour to be a part of it and amongst so many incredibly talented cake artists from around the world ! <3

We are 37 cake artists from around the world, all from different countries and regions with different backgrounds, religions and ethnicities. We have come together to acknowledge a beautiful, special Hindu holiday which is celebrated in Autumn of every year. It is called “Diwali”, also known as “A Festival of Lights”. It is India’s biggest and most important holiday of the year!The festival spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair. During the festival, which is celebrated for five days, Hindus prepare by cleaning, decorating, shopping, gift giving and baking sweet treats for loved ones. Feasts are prepared and families come together. Prayers are offered to deities. Stories of ancient myths and legends are told to children. Children prepare for the celebration by painting rangoli chalk designs on walkways and on the night of Diwali, fireworks are displayed. It is the happiest of all Hindu celebrations!

As cake artists we wanted to represent this beautiful holiday in cake form. Each of us designed our cakes based on the gorgeous colors, rich traditions and religious practices inspired by Diwali. Please join us to celebrate Diwali! We hope you enjoy……Happy Diwali! You can see all the creations for this celebration at
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Festival-of-Lights-Cake-Collaboration/292179640973315

Diwali being the Festival Of Lights, my inspiration for the final design was quite a literal interpretation …
The hand-painted dappled and graded colouring from a deep, rich blue up to the more golden ‘haze’ was to represent the victory of light over darkness, but I also wanted it to have a watery feel in which the main lotus flower would eventually blossom. The gilded petals at the base represent Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth, and the overall traditional symbolism of the Indian Lotus (in Hinduism it primarily represents divine beauty and non-attachment, several deities, and is also the national flower of India,) holding the golden flame of enlightenment and goodness brings the piece together.
Getting the balance of dark through to light was definitely the most challenging part of the design … as simple as it looks, it actually took several hours and multiple layers of stippling until I reached the point I was happy with. The golden petals, and the 8-petalled main lotus were all made from wafer paper, coloured with blends of flower dusts and lustres, and then it was finished off with hand piped Royal Icing golden ‘pearls’.