Cake Designers World Championship FIPGC 2015. Particular experience, I may say unique. This is the first time for me to participate at a competition where Cake Design and Pastry must work together. Among 16 countries, I represented my country of origin, Hungary. The theme of the competition was: The Italian Art. During the 8 hours contest, in four hours I had to prepare three real cakes and in the remaining 4 hours another cake with the same techniques I used in realizing the exhibition cake. With my piece I arrived 5th, but I received the special prize for the "Best cake for the live decorating Exhibition.
It was very hard to choose the subject of “Italian Art” due to its vastness. I finally opted for the Renaissance art with works by some of the most important artist of the period.
For example, for the paintings I was inspired by the scene of the virtues of Room of the Signature in the Vatican by Raphel, that I painted with food colors and framed the painting with the “ideal of stucco” made with Royal icing scrolls and overlapped lines.
Raphel is also the author of the round Taddei, one of the bas-reliefs on the bottom of the cake with the Round Pitti and Venus and Cupid that are of Michelangelo.
These figures were created in pressure piping placed in the middle of panels and collars made with filigree inserts to enrich the design.
The entire cake was covered with Royal icing in four hands to obtain a homogeneous surface.
The upper part is inspired by the famous temple of Bramante in San Pietro in Montorio. It was very difficult to realize the side panels on the round surface with runny icing as well as the balustrade and cupola. This is one of the most challenging technique that every expert in Royal icing hope to achieve.
I added an item made with piping gel to simulate a stained glass window at the base of the temple and some perforated small suspended plaques. The only parts non in Royal icing are the pastille colomns.
Continuing the theme of sacred places, on the tray I prepared a mosaic Cosmatesque present in many Roman basilicas. In addition to the difficulty of the drawing of the design was the sloping track of the surface due to the superposition of two bases of different diameter.
I would like to thank Aniko Vargànè Orbàn for her precious presence, collaboration and emotional support, to my family who accepted with patience the 230 hours of realization of this cake, my children, who had to give up holidays in August.
I will never stop thanking my master, Eddie Spence MBE for all he transmitted me during his teaching and what he still continue to do.