Edible Works of Art by Rita Hermes

   Master cake creator, Linda Goldsheft, has been designing wedding cakes for 12 years in Southern California. Simplicity and elegance are evident in her "Edible Works of Art." Leveraging upon her background in graphic arts, Linda uses her creativity in such unique ways as wrapping and draping cakes in chocolate or rolled fondant to resemble fabric as well as lacing cakes with her extraordinary hand-crafted sugar paste flowers. As a personal touch, she can use the same design or pattern of the wedding dress, on the cake, right down to the smallest detail.

   Rarely can you say about a cake that it tastes as good as it looks. A cake from The Cake Studio is one of those few. The Cake Studio uses only the freshest and highest quality ingredients to produce cakes which have graced the pages of publications like Elegant Bride, InStyle, Town & Country, People Magazine, Wine Country International and Hello (a magazine based in the United Kingdom). Also, you can see for yourself a showcase of Linda's work in Colin Cowie's new book, Colin Cowie Weddings. Linda has created wedding cakes for celebrity clients including Don Henley, Holly Robinson, Blair Underwood, Sugar Ray Leonard and Kelsey Grammer.

What is the first step to take when choosing a baker?

   Make an appointment with the baker to see their work and taste their cakes. Word-of-mouth is the best assurance for success - be it from the hotel, the photographer, the florist or a friend who has used that baker before.How far in advance should a cake be ordered?

   Try not to leave the cake to the last minute. Most custom bakers are booked six to nine months in advance.

What about the idea of outdoor receptions?

   This is a wonderful idea but the cake is always at the mercy of the weather. A 95-degree, hot summer day is an example of conditions that cannot be worse for a cake. Also, outdoor cakes (in gardens) are subject to bugs, insects, leaves, etc. - objects that might fly into the frosting and get stuck in the cake. Using a tent or gazebo are ways to avoid such problems.

When should the cake be set up for the reception?

   Remember the cake has to be set up and ready before the reception. The cake must sit in room temperature for about three to four hours, sometimes longer, before it is cut and served. Also, the wedding cake should not be moved once it is set up on the cake table.

How many different flavors of cake are practical to use for a wedding cake?

   I suggest only two flavors at the most and equal servings of each in a wedding cake. The base tier always provides the most servings, so it is better to make that one flavor and the smaller tiers a different flavor.

What about the idea of using cake toppers?

   Cake toppers made with crystal and porcelain (Lladro, Lenox, etc.) are safer when placed on the cake table rather than on the cake itself. All it takes is one person to bump the table and the statue will be lost.

What are some current "hot" or popular trends right now as far as styles and designs of wedding cakes?

   The latest trend is the use of colored frostings in pale colors rather than white. An elegant style involves stacked cakes rather than cakes with tall separations between each tier.

   We would like to thank Linda Goldsheft for giving us this opportunity to dispense her valuable advice. If you are interested in her wedding cake services, she can be reached at The Cake Studio at (714) 964-7338.