The Wonderful World of Cakes
Photography by Ryan Brenizer If you love cake, you’re in for a treat at The Americas Cake and Sugarcraft Fair. Hosted by Satin Ice, a collection of premium fondant products by Satin Fine Foods, the fair offers all things sugar, sweet, and some of the most spectacular and creative cake artistry in the world. The three-day festival is equipped with tons of fun and activities suited to satisfy your sweet tooth and a stacked lineup of celebrity guests: Buddy Valastro, TV’s favorite cake decorator; Mich Turner, cake artist to the stars like David Beckham, Madonna, and the Queen of England; Roland Mesnier, former executive pastry chef to the White House; and Ron Ben-Israel, renowned for his $10,000 cakes, who will speak on “How to Cater to High-End Clients.” Friday night’s festivities include Cake Central’s Sugar Arts Fashion Show and Cocktail Party featuring haute chocolate couture and mouth-watering edible ensembles. Cake designers from all over the world–ranging from a biomedical engineer turned cake artist to high-profile CEOs–come together to give you a show of a lifetime. It’s no secret that wedding cakes have taken center stage at most modern-day wedding receptions. The Wedding Zone, located at the center of the show floor, will showcase outrageous wedding cakes that look like they have been pulled straight from an extravagant wedding cake TV series. While the entire fair is kid-friendly, these tiny pastry chefs in-the-making will enjoy special ‘treat’ment at the Kids Zone. They will engage in activities such as cupcake decorating and fondant designing. Calling all chocolate lovers–the chocolatier in you is sure to be awakened by the Chocolate Zone offered at the fair. Learn how to best temper and sculpt chocolate for your tasteful needs. Talk about delectable art! The Sugar Arts Zone will consist of anything you need to know about fondant and gum paste methods. Possibly the most interactive and charming segments of the show are the 36 hands-on classes taught by top cake decorating instructors. Defy gravity with the Oriental Stringwork class taught by Toba Garrett. Instructed by Lisa Mansour, create the classic designer Chanel bag as a girly cake topper. You can also tap into your royal side with the Fit for a King – Making Spectacular Crowns, led by Susan Trianos. Be sure to reserve your spot online fast, as they are filling up quickly! If you’re looking for a full-on demonstration of cake artistry, this fair really thought about everything. Lively demonstrations are only $20 for an hour. Talk about a bargain! Probably one of the most notable events of this fair is the Live Global Cake Challenge. Cake artists from around the world will compete to win the grand prize of $10,000 and you could be there to witness history in the making. For this year’s theme, “Homeland,” each team will be required to create a cake representing their home country. Even more spectacular, you won’t see any cake measuring less than 36 inches in height–now that’s majestic cakes at its finest! You will also see designed cakes everywhere you turn as there will be another cake competition hosted, where cake artists will showcase their designs in hopes of being awarded at least $5,000 in prizes. Want a chance to exhibit your own cake designs? Exhibitors will be given the opportunity to display their own products, and in turn will reach millions of professionals in the field. You can download your application on the website to reserve your spot. The weekend-long fair will be taking place September 18-20, 2015 at the Orange County Convention Center & Hyatt Regency Hotel in Orlando, Florida. With all the over-the-top festivities throughout The Americas Cake and Sugarcraft Fair, it’s safe to say that 3-hour car ride from Miami is well worth it! For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.cakefair.com