Interview #31: Riany Clement from Bellaria Cakes Design

Thanks to Shags from curiAUSSIEty custom cakes we are bringing you interview with Riany Clement from Bellaria Cakes Design

1. How did you get started in cake decorating… was it by accident or did you always a passion for it?

From childhood onwards I have always liked to cook or bake. In short, everything that has to do with food. I think my Indonesian origin also contributed to the fact, that I love to cook and eat good food. I spend most of my free time in the kitchen to try new recipes and prepare something tasty. For me there is nothing more rewarding, than to see people enjoying my cooking! Back in Indonesia people bond over food.

End 2011 I followed my first ever cake workshop and I was sold. It started out as a hobby, but gradually it became something more than that. Now I manage my cake business next to my part-time job. I get inspiration from everything for my cakes; magazines, tv, but also everyday life. To be able to convert one’s wishes into a cake is one of the most gratifying feelings I get. I love doing what I do right now and I hope I will be doing this for years to come. 

2. Do you have any rituals or habits while you are making your cakes?

I’ve got no rituals or specific habits while making cakes. However due to the fact that I have to do everything in my free time, I’m always in a time squeeze. Under a time pressure I produce the best cakes.

3. What is your favorite decorating tool?

My flexi smoother is my best friend. I love to make sharp edges and honestly I wouldn’t know how to do it else.

4. Any tips for those just getting started?

Since there are many techniques available choose those, which fit you best. Develop your own style and enhance your skills by practice, practice and practice. Please be aware that complexity isn’t, by default, equivalent to beauty, my credo is “ beauty by simplicity” . The most important tip I can give is, please be yourself.

5. Congratulations on your Cake Master awards in 2014, so well deserved. What are your goals for 2015?

I was highly surprised when I heard I was nominated for the Cake Master Award wedding cake category and I never thought that I would win the award. 
My 2015 goals are that I learn new techniques, since there is still so much to learn, and integrate these in my own style. That’s the beauty of cake decorating, you can build on what you have, while expanding your skill set at the same time. My long term goal is to publish a cake decorating book on wedding cakes.

6. What part of making cakes do you like most and least?

The part I like most, by far, is the design process and decorating the cake according to the design. Sometimes it turns out that the original design is not what I’ve looked for, then the creativity that is required to adjust your design is something that really makes me tick. The one that I like least is baking and filling the cake itself. Sorry, I’m lying now, the cleaning part is what I really dislike! LOL

7. What if any is your favorite cake you have ever done?

First of all I’ve got many favorite cakes, but I absolutely love geometric patterns and I’m a big fan of the Renaissance period (everything symmetrical). The designs and the optical illusions you can create with them is fascinating. It looks so intricate, yet so clean. That’s why my “Escher” based cakes is one of my favorites.

8. Do you have a bucket list and if so what might one or two of those be and it does not have to be cake related?

Yes, I definitely have a bucket list. It contains many things, but the top of three are:
Find the time to play the piano again.
Learn how to make a painting.
Pick up on food – and portrait photography

9. What would you say has been your biggest challenge so far in the cake industry?

To create an unique design with your own style, even though the theme of the cake has been used like a zillion times.

10. Do you sketch every cake or are they in your head and you just go with the flow?

I definitely work with the same approach over and over again, but I don’t think that it is a methodology. I use the principle of a high-level design, which is followed by a detail design. Especially the detail design is iteratively refined, while I’m actually producing the cake itself. I’ve got no objective criteria, the iterations are all done very intuitively. The design is finished when I’m satisfied.

I first start with determining the shape of the cake followed by the colors I’m going to use on the different layers. Sometimes I’ve got a very clear picture in my head with respect to the shape, but so many other times I play around for a while with dummies. I simply stack them on top of each other to discover what makes me tick, what’s the best fit with the assignment? If possible I always try to do something I haven’t done before. Naturally this statement is not limited to the shape only, it’s applicable on every aspect/element of the cake.
Once the shape is finalized I continue with the coloring. Which colors I’m going to use where, what will be the main color and what combination will I use? If needed I put the high-level design on paper for discussion with the client or to check my initial thoughts with others.

Riany’s Cakes

 
Thank you Riany for your time and interview!