Tag: luxury

Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium presents Karen Tran’s Floral Opulence at The Savoy London

April 22, 2019

It’s spring time in London and for the second year running, the undisputed floral queen, Karen Tran, brings her floral masterclass to another iconic London venue. The most anticipated gala event in the UK events industry calendar, it was held on a perfect spring day. These beautiful photos from Stuart Wood Photography and video from Perfect Moment Films perfectly captures the opulence and fun of the incredible event held at the iconic Savoy Hotel in London.

Jane Riddell of Planned to Perfection was approached by Sasha Cullen and Penny Clements of Savoy Weddings to plan and execute the event, and she was supported by Leanne Roberts-Hewitt of WildAbout and Elizabeth Solaru of Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium.

The Venue

The Savoy is the only luxury hotel on the River Thames, perfectly placed in the heart of London, one of the world’s most exciting cities.

At the forefront of the luxury hotel scene for almost 130 years, The Savoy has a reputation for the excellence of its unrivalled hospitality.

Overlooking Embarkment Gardens and the Thames, The River Room with its light and airy ambience, chandeliers and grandeur was ideal to showcase the amazing florals created over three days by Karen Tran and her students. The room has the distinction of having the royal seal of approval, being the room where HM Queen Elizabeth was first seen in public with Prince Phillip when they both attended a wedding there in 1946.

The Flowers

Opulence was the keyword for this masterclass. The floral palette consisted of an abundance of the most incredible statement florals in classic whites, creams and blush. Karen ably assisted by the incredible WildAbout and students who came from all over the world, transformed the River Room and painted an unforgettable floral landscape using thousands of roses, hydrangeas, tulips, peonies and phaelanopsis orchids supplied by Rosa Prima Roses and Piet Van Kampen of G Fresh.

The tablescape featured gold mirrored topped tables with Karen’s signature tall cascading arrangements on specially created gold pedestals and floral runners across the length of the tables that cascaded onto the floor. The tables were dressed with tall gold candlesticks which complimented the china, cutlery and crystal from Whitehouse Crockery. Linen from Just for Linen and menus and specially scented paper roses from Ananya Cards completed the look.

The floral tunnel and archway of beauty that framed the middle of the River Room stood at an impressive 14 feet tall and 18 feet wide and was a sight to behold. Decorated with a flower carpet made up of thousands of roses, hydrangeas and orchids, there were also similarly decorated flower walls and even the pillars were dressed with incredible flower cascades.

Luminaire events provided all the event production and support and such was their attention to detail, they even created a special gold floral motif for their gorgeous dance floor. the gold and white chairs were from Event Decor Hire.

The Cake

Elizabeth Solaru of Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium created an impressive cake in gold and white for the event. 8 tiers in total, it stood over 6 feet tall and featured two petal shaped gold base tiers. She painstakingly hand crafted the white sugar rose appliques, rose bas relief and sugar flowers in blush, cream and white that adorned the cake. The specially created pedestal featured an asymmetrical floral swag of pink roses to finish the look.

The Gala Dinner

Once the guests had been assembled, the doors of the River Rooms were opened to reveal Karen’s floral wonderland. There were audible gasps as guests took in the beauty of the room .

The guests included a mix of the best event planners, editors of bridal magazines, bloggers, and some of the best influencers in the UK. They sipped on specially created floral inspired cocktails, the finest Champagne and canapes from the very talented chefs at The Savoy.

During the cocktail hour guests were entertained by performances by Dream Performance and ballerinas from Sophie Adams Ballet Company. Karen was warmly applauded and cheered as she made her entrance into the room wearing Galia Lahav from Brown’s Bride and jewellery from Boodles. The guests were then welcomed and all the partners thanked in speeches by Jane and Karen.

The 5 course meal started with beautifully presented English oysters and black pearls of the most delicious caviar.

The next course consisted of seasonal English white asparagus with wild garlic hollandaise and Iberico Ham. A particular favourite was the creamiest saffron risotto served with edible spring flowers. The main course was a lotus flower wrapped steamed halibut with park choi, vegetables and a sesame dark soya source. Dessert was a very pretty and delicious mix of strawberries and cream, vanilla pana cotta, elderflower and buttermilk ice cream presented on a floral bed of dry ice.

During the course of the dinner, guests were completely serenaded and captivated by The Function Band who delivered world class entertainment. They had guests on their feet and up on podiums all night with many commenting on what an unforgettable night it was.

Jane of Planned for perfection who meticulously planned the event, said – “Thank you to a wonderful team of outstanding suppliers for helping us ensure that the gala was perfectly planned and to Karen and her team for the magnificent floral designs. The masterclass was a huge success and the gala exceeded all expectations. The memories will live in our hearts forever”

WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Venue:

The Savoy

https://www.fairmont.com/savoy-london

Wedding & Event Planner:

Planned for Perfection www.plannedforperfection.co.uk

Cake:

Elizabeths Cake Emporium –www.elizabethscakeemporium.com

Support Florist:

WildAbout

www.wildabout.co.uk

Party Entertainment:

The Function Band

www.thefunction.band

Stationery:

Ananya Cards

www.ananyacards.com

Photographer:

Stuart Wood

www.stuartwoodweddings.com

Videographer:

Chris Buckley

www.perfectmomentfilms.co.uk

Hair /Make up:

Gemma Sutton Hair and Make up

www.gemmasutton.com

Entertainment:

The Dream Performance

www.thedreamperformance.com

Lighting, Sound & Production:

Luminaire Events

www.luminaireevents.com

Crockery, Cutlery & Glassware:

WhiteHouse Event Crockery www.eventcrockeryhire.co.uk

Jewellery:

Boodles

www.boodles.com

Chair Hire:

Event decor hire

www.eventdecorhire.com

Linen:

Just 4 Linen

www.just4linen.co.uk

Illustrator:

Live Event Artist

www.liveeventartist.co.uk

Karen Tran’s Evening Dress:

Browns Bride

www.brownsbride.com —

Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium Is Delighted To Present Karen Tran’s Opulence At The Savoy

March 18, 2019

Karen Tran Royal Gala Dinner at the Lanesborough in London

We are delighted that for the second year running, Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium will be partnering with the iconic hotel The Savoy, Jane Riddell of Planned to Perfection and WildAbout to welcome the flower empress, world-renowned floral designer Karen Tran for her annual three-day Floral Experience Masterclass from 16-18^th April 2019.

This masterclass will then culminate in a by invitation only, VIP gala dinner on Thursday 18^th April in The Savoy’s stunning Lancaster Ballroom.

Last year, Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium was instrumental in creating what was considered to be the event of the year and we are really looking forward to creating another luxury wedding cake masterpiece to compliment the stunning florals.

Karen will share her expertise of transforming any location into a breath-taking event space with her masterclass students. She will teach them how to create the most astonishing floral designs and show-stopping displays, while sharing her knowledge of the luxury weddings and events industry. The masterclass will also feature a select number of guest speakers from the events industry.

On Thursday 18^th April, “Opulence at The Savoy” will conclude in a magnificent gala dinner, brought to you by award winning luxury Wedding Planner, Jane Riddell, from Planned for Perfection, in association with wedding cake designer, Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium, and Karen’s UK support florist, WildAbout. The Savoy and Karen Tran will host the event, where VIP guests will enjoy an evening of timeless glamour in the London landmark hotel.

“I am absolutely delighted that The Savoy is hosting this year’s London Masterclass and I cannot wait to see my floral designs in one of the most prestigious hotels in London. I very much look forward to welcoming students from around the world to the masterclass and to a magnificent gala dinner celebration” says Karen Tran.

Sasha Cullen, Wedding Sales Manager at The Savoy says: “We are really excited to be hosting the Karen Tran Floral Masterclass at The Savoy. We have such incredible creative’s in our Industry who continue to inspire us throughout our events careers and Karen is one of them. We cannot wait to see what she creates; and what better venue to host this extravagant spectacle than where Glamour first began”.

Jane Riddell, owner and creative director at Planned for Perfection, added: “I am thrilled to have been asked by Sasha and her team at The Savoy to bring the Masterclass to London again this year. Last year’s gala dinner was a huge success and this year’s floral experience is all set to be another incredible few days”

Tickets can be purchased at

www.thefloralexperience.com/course/london/

ABOUT THE SAVOY

www.thesavoylondon.com

The Savoy is the only luxury hotel on the River Thames, perfectly placed in the heart of one of the world’s most exciting cities. 267 rooms and suites are accompanied by some of the most well-known restaurants and bars in London, alongside magnificent and varied meeting space.

With exceptional service at the heart of everything, a Savoy experience is built on memories created and stories told across the generations. You don’t just stay at The Savoy, The Savoy stays with you.

OFFICIAL PARTNERS

Karen Tran – www.karentran.com

The Savoy – www.thesavoylondon.com

Planned for Perfection – www.plannedforperfection.co.uk

WildAbout – www.wildabout.co.uk

Elizabeths Cake Emporium – www.elizabethscakeemporium.com

Luxury Wedding Cakes London To Vienna

March 4, 2019

palais-lieeechtenstein-cake-by-elizabethscakeemporium1

It all started with an innocuous text. We were approached about making the grandest of luxury wedding cakes the most exclusive of weddings, in a venue that is considered to be arguably one of the best palaces in the world.

Now the Palais Lichtenstein in Vienna has been on our bucket list of venues we would love to work in, ever since we saw the gold and white image of its high baroque ballroom online. To be in the running for making the cake was such an honour in itself. To be finally chosen to make the 20 tier ultimate baroque luxury wedding cake for what may be the wedding of the year was such an incredible feeling, considering the very stiff competition we faced!

We knew the cake had to be special and fit in with the aesthetics of the pure white and antique gold the bride had in mind for her wedding and of course the incredible palace .

THE VENUE

In 1694, Prince Johann Adam Andreas I von Liechtenstein bought the unfinished building in the heart of the city’s 1st district as his family’s principal residence and proceeded to build a monument to power and wealth.

The still privately owned Palais Liechtenstein is a collection of palaces. The wedding we worked on took place at the Liechtenstein CITY PALACE, situated in Vienna´s inner city. The palace was renovated for almost five years at a cost of €100 million and up to 500 workers a day. Held to be the first major building of the High Baroque age in Vienna, nothing prepares one for the sheer opulence and drama inside the building.

The entrance hallway of the palace is in the purest white and looks like a grand wedding cake. As we ascended Vienna’s most dramatic baroque staircase with its Giovanni Giuliani cherub sculptures and stuccowork by Santino Bussi it got grander still!

We then got to the second floor and we were hit in the face with the most lavish and dramatic gold and white ballroom we had ever beheld. In fact such is the sensory overload with the amount and differing shades of gold and detail, we realised that photographs could never do enough justice to the sheer opulence of the room.

THE FLOWERS

We were reunited once again with the floral empress Karen Tran who transformed the main ballroom, the music room, the ceremony room, the party room, corridors and entrances into the most amazing floral wonderland. She used the largest scented white roses and orchids to create incredibly tall and huge arrangements, the coolest orchid trees and very rich low floral runners.

THE CAKE

At Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium we are renowned for creating baroque wedding cakes and this cake was right up our street. The inspiration for the shape of the 20 tier, 10 feet high luxury wedding cake came from the royal wedding cake of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge which was created for their 2011 wedding.

The design and decoration was however based on the excitable kaleidoscope of gold male cherubs, gold swags, gilt adornments and garlands, scrolling tendrils, candelabra, the pattern on the vaulted ceilings, floral motifs and even the elaborate patterned parquetry of the floors of the palace ballroom.

To achieve the high baroque and rococo look, we created a number of custom made silicone moulds specifically for the cake. Creating custom made moulds is a time consuming process requiring lots of skill and it shows the lengths we are prepared to go to in order to personalise our luxury wedding cakes.

The results of a particularly intricate mould can be seen on the cake tier showcasing a pair of cherubs holding aloft a cascade of flowers. The base tiers were 12 in total with an overall width of 4 feet.

We also made thousands of sugar roses, sugar orchids, gilded sugar leaves, sugar berries and sugar butterflies.

The utterly delicious cake flavours included Champagne and Strawberry, Triple Chocolate, Chocolate and Valencian Orange, Cookies and Cream, Vanilla and Caramel and Luscious Lemon.

It was particularly gratifying to received a very warm hug from the groom and the most generous feedback from the very beautiful bride. The cake was very much admired by everyone, with the General Manager remarking that it was the largest and most opulent luxury wedding cake the palace has ever seen!

If you would like us to create a the grandest of wedding cakes for you, email us at info@elizabethscakeemporium.com or give us a call on 07958069116

Huge thanks to the incredible Enrique Manzano of Manzano Images (www.manzanoimages.com) for the beautiful images.

THE A TO Z OF CHOOSING YOUR LUXURY WEDDING CAKE

February 1, 2019

Wedding cakes have come a long way since the Roman Times when they were round plain wheaten cakes broken over the heads of brides as a symbol of fertility and goodness. Nowadays, ‘the cake’ often takes centre stage at any reception, being the only guest with its own table! There is so much choice out there available to a modern bride, as luxury wedding cakes have taken on a life of their own.

I first wrote this article nearly 10 years ago but so much has changed in the cake world in terms of style and taste and there have been huge advances in technology and cake decorating techniques.

Cake designs can vary in style from contemporary cakes with clean lines and very little adornment to the most complex and intricate multi tiered concoctions adorned with thousands of sugar flowers.

In addition to the emergence of luxury dessert tables; alternatives to cake such as macaron towers, donut towers, éclair towers and even Oreo cookie towers with or without a cutting cake are also popular, especially at relatively informal weddings.

The recent royal wedding cakes have focused attention on the spectrum of luxury wedding cakes available with one royal bride opting for a buttercream deconstructed cake and the other a monogrammed hand-painted affair with sugar flowers.

To help you explore further, Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium is delighted to provide the definitive A to Z guide on how to choose your luxury wedding cake.

A for Advice

Seek advice from a variety of sources such online such as wedding blogs, pinterest, wedding fairs, recent brides, venues, wedding planners, other wedding vendors and leading wedding publications and directories. Ultimately, one to one meetings are still the best way of finding a talented cake artist to help translate your ideas into reality.

B for Baker and Budget

Get the names of a number of recommended luxury wedding cake designers, visit their website and social media pages to get a feel for their ‘style’ and ring them up to have an informal chat. Next arrange an appointment to pay them a visit if you think you have the budget that matches their offering. At Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium, we are happy to have an informal and relaxed consultation with you tailored to your needs. We strongly advise that you write down any questions you might have and feel free to ask away. Remember to take your other half along once you’ve narrowed your choice down, especially for the consultation and tasting, for which you might be charged a nominal fee.

At this meeting, one of the first topics you should discuss is your inclusive budget so the cake designer is aware of it and respectful of it.

C for Chemistry

Just like any other relationship, no matter how talented a cake designer is, there should be positive chemistry between both of you. He or she should be finely attuned to your requirements and should be able to guide and steer you in the right direction, making helpful suggestions on possible design options, flavours and fillings and how you would like the cake presented.

D for Design, Decorations and Dietary Requirements

Even of you don’t have a particular cake in mind, or even a photograph, make a collage of all the things that inspire your wedding style and take it along to your cake maker. It is important for you to have an idea of your wedding colours, the reception venue and flowers and the ambience you wish to create for your guests before planning the cake.
In terms of the cake design, a talented cake designer may be able to match the details on your stationery for instance, particular textures you love, your initials/monogram and wedding colours. They should also be able to offer other practical advice you may not have considered.

If you are vegan, vegetarian or have certain allergies/ special dietary requirements, please let the cake maker know, so this can be taken into consideration. It is also important to ask your guests too so provision can be made. It is possible to have great tasting and looking cakes that suits every dietary requirement.

E for Etiquette

Read up on wedding etiquette, so you know who has responsibility for what. In some cultures, it is the norm to also have a groom’s cake at the wedding, or even special sweets and treats, which may affect cake flavours and portions. Timing of the cutting and serving of the cake is also critical. Get your cake maker, wedding planner or coordinator to liaise with the venue’s kitchen and caterers ahead of the big day.

F for Flavours and Fillings

Gone are the days when wedding cakes were heavy, stodgy fruit cakes. You now have a choice of a variety of luxurious and delicious flavours. At Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium our cakes are made from the finest ingredients and we offer at least 50 different flavours. These range from triple chocolate delight, old fashioned caramel, tangy lemon to the more unusual white chocolate, toffee nut latte, green tea, and wasabi and white chocolate. Fillings can range from luxury chocolate ganache, to buttercreams and mousses. For a bit of variety, you can have each tier a different flavour to cater for all tastes.

G for Ground work

You have to do a lot of ground work to uncover the right cake designer but it is worth it for the peace of mind and confidence it will give you in the long run.

H for Hire costs

Just like it is essential to choose the right accessories for your wedding dress, the right accessories and how a cake is displayed can make all the difference. However, the right accessories tend to come at an extra cost, so make sure you bear this is mind when discussing your requirements.

I for Icing

The icing and coverings on luxury wedding cakes can include one of the following: royal icing, sugarpaste, ganache, chocolate wraps and butter cream. All these can be used to achieve a flawless, textured or rustic look. Sometimes cakes may even have a mixture of coverings. If you have a particular preference in terms of look or taste, do let your cake designer know. It is worth noting that the style of your wedding, the time of year and where the cake may be displayed and design considerations may affect the covering medium.

J for Judgement

Trust your instincts and the evidence when choosing a cake designer. It is better to go for a less elaborate cake that will be delivered on time, to cost and to standard than to go for a badly executed elaborate cake.

K for Kids

If you will be inviting a lot of children to your wedding consider having a separate table for them with their own mini wedding cake. It is gestures like this that help to make weddings memorable.

L for Leftovers

In the old days, it was customary for brides to save the top tier of their wedding cake for their first wedding anniversary or the birth of their first child. You can of course do this, and at Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium, we offer you advice on the best way to preserve your top tier should you wish to do so.
Some brides choose to give individually packaged cupcakes to family and friends as an edible momento of such a special day. We have also worked with some altruistic and ethically conscious brides who donate leftovers to organisations such as homeless shelters (however you have to make sure that this is acceptable for health and safety reasons).

M for Marzipan

Commonly used by cake decorators to cover fruit cakes, it is made from almonds and has a sweet, distinctive taste. However, be aware that some of your guests might be allergic to nuts in any shape or form and it is advisable to warn such guests.

N for Notice

It’s best to give your chosen cake maker as much notice as you can, preferably a minimum of three to six months’ notice, especially if the cake design is quite elaborate. This will ensure that there is enough time to discuss and execute every detail of the design and content of your cake and there is also enough time for the designer to incorporate any changes. Having said that, you will find that some bakers can accommodate time constraints if it is not within peak wedding season and if you enquire very nicely.

O for Order

As soon as you can, obtain a written quote/invoice and contract on aspects of the cake design, such as the number of tiers, delivery costs, hire charges and other details. This will give you time to see if every requirement of yours had been noted accurately and to raise other issues that you might have.

P for Price

While it is advisable to shop around for the best price in order to get value for money, you may have to pay a premium for a particular cake designer’s brand, design skills and expertise, experience and reliability.

Q for Quality

You want you cake to accurately reflect your sense of style and elegance. When looking at wedding cakes, pay attention to details such as the finishing touches, how cakes are displayed and the accessories to ensure that they are what you require.

R for Reception

As the cake will take centre stage at the reception, discuss possible display areas and how the table will be dressed with your venue or event planner and cake maker. If for instance the cake will be iced in butter cream for a summer wedding, it is advisable not to display the cake in a hot room or place it near a window.

S for Size or Servings

The size of the cake should be appropriate to the number of guests. So if you are expecting hundreds of guests, you will need several cake tiers. Having said that, in the past we have worked with brides with small guest numbers who however love the impact and effect of a grand wedding cake. There are ways in which this could be achieved and this should be discussed with your cake designer.

T for Tastings

This is a huge topic and we will deal with it in much detail later on in the blog. First of all, it is important that your cake tastes as good as it looks. A good cake maker will offer you a tasting of a variety of flavours of cakes and fillings from which you can make your choice. There may be a charge for this which is usually deducted from the overall cost of the wedding cake should once you book the cake maker.

U for Unusual

If you want something a bit unusual and off the beaten track, some cake makers such as Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium, will happily design a one off cake for you. We have a reputation for creating opulent. bespoke, ground breaking cakes using unusual shapes and colours. Some of them include our pillow cakes, Marie Antoinette cakes and painted cakes.

V for Venues and Value Added

Venues can be a great source for finding a luxury wedding cake designer and some may insist that you can only choose one from their preferred suppliers list. Some may even offer a wedding cake as part of their package. As you would be spending quite a considerable sum of money on your wedding cake, choose a cake maker that will contribute something special towards making your wedding great. It could be lending you an unusual cake knife, a great cake stand, a fabulous table cloth or even being a surrogate therapist.

W for Websites

A number of reliable cake designers will post pictures of their creations on their websites and social media pages, enabling you easy access to their portfolios and latest creations at a click of a button. This is a great source of ideas for your wedding cake and you will instantly know if you like or dislike a particular cake designer’s work.

X for Xtras

To quote a strap line from a famous advert, every little helps. With all the added extras such as the delivery and set up costs, the use of a special display table and table cloth, costs do add up and when deciding your budget be clear whether it’s inclusive of extras or not.

Y for You

Yes you! Organising a wedding can be stressful, so don’t sweat the small stuff. Once you’ve chosen a cake designer, relax, being confident that you’ve made the right choice. You are after all paying for the service of a professional who in collaboration with the other wedding vendors wants to make your day special and additionally has a reputation to protect.

Z for zzzzzzzzz

Again, in the run up to the wedding, the importance of getting lots of rest and relaxation cannot be overemphasized. Remember that although as a couple you will be the centre of attention as this is arguably the biggest event you may ever hold. Be careful to care for and nurture your mind, body and spirit. So relax and enjoy your special day.

Copyright Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium 2019

2018 IN REVIEW : A LOOK BACK AT THE CAKES, PEOPLE AND PLACES THAT SHAPED ELIZABETH’S CAKE EMPORIUM

January 1, 2019

Happy New Year everyone! It’s days into 2019 and it’s time to reflect on the incredible year we left behind. We enjoyed some amazing highs and quite a few ‘pinch me’ moments but above all we are very grateful and deeply honoured to serve all our amazing clients who trusted us to create their luxury wedding cakes and celebration cakes.

At Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium, we pride ourselves on delivering some of the best wedding and celebration cakes for our most cherished clients to locations across the globe. Below are some of our few snapshot moments and highlights of 2018.

THE STAND OUT CAKES

Karen Tran Gala Dinner at The Lanesborough with Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium

The year got off to an incredible start when we were asked by world renowned celebrity florist Karen Tran to help plan her London masterclass and royal gala dinner for early Spring. The only venue we thought had the right grandeur and ambience for the event was The Lanesborough in Hyde Park. We also asked one of our favourite wedding planners, multi award winning Jane Riddell of Planned for Perfection to work with us and with WildAbout, one of the most celebrated florists in the UK, we put on what was arguably the industry’s event of the year. The event received incredible press and we are very grateful to all our partners who worked so hard and brought their A game to the culminating gala dinner.

Opulencia on the Beach

The next stop in our luxury wedding cake adventure was a private beach in Ibiza, The Amante Beach Club. The bride absolutely loves opulence and wanted a really huge cake for her wedding on the beach. We got to work with the utterly amazing and very helpful Paula Rooney Flowers which is always a bonus. Although we were warned that the venue was up a cliff, the sight of the cake being carried up such a steep face is one I will never forget!

Chanel Inspiration at The Lanesborough

In between the record number of luxury wedding cakes we made this summer, we made some rather awesome luxury celebration cakes too. We were lucky to make this Chanel themed luxury dessert table for the most beautiful 16 year old who wanted an intimate sophisticated lunch with her friends. For this lush cakescape we created a number of cakes including two macaron towers, black and white cakes with the Chanel logo, cupcakes, cookies, cakesicles and the cutest chocolate perfume bottles. We got to work with our dear friends from WildAbout and Plume Design UK to create a beautiful setting in the wood panelled room St George’s room at The Lanesborough.

Jewelencia at The Lanesborough

We were back again at The Lanesborough Hyde Park for the most special of events. Event Imagineer, Tony Marklew, designed the most impressive floral wonderland we have ever seen and at Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium and we have certainly seen quite a few floral designs in our time! The cake was designed to reflect our client’s love for the colour green, gold and everything regal. This 7 tiered green marble cake had sugar jewels including a hummingbird and sugar flowers, and a monogram of her initial. She was absolutely delighted with her cake and could not get over how incredible it looked and tasted.

bold-and-beautiful

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS AND JUDGING DUTIES

GT Bank Food and Drink

It was an absolute honour to be the first luxury wedding cake maker to be invited to demonstrate at the largest food fair in Africa alongside food gurus such Lorraine Pascale and Ed Kimber. The hospitality was incredible and the thirst for knowledge inspiring. The bank’s holistic approach to empowering local communities is one to emulate.

Bridelux Symposium

The first ever Bridelux symposium was held in London and was a resounding success for the founder James Lord and his team. It was an honour to be part of a line up that included Johhny Roxburgh, Colin Cowie, Ceci Johnson, Banana Split and many others. Our panel included celebrity florist Rob Van Helden who did the most divine flowers autumnal flowers for Princess Eugenie’s royal wedding.

Expert spot on The BBC’s Best Christmas Food Ever

A pinch me moment was filming my segment for the first season of the BBC’s Best Christmas Food Ever presented by Paul Ainsworth and Catherine Fulvio. I was asked to create the best luxury Christmas cake table I could think of in classic Christmas colours. It was lots of fun and the crew were absolutely amazing. If anyone is interested, the programme is available on BBC iplayer and You Tube. Search for Season 1 Episode 4 and somewhere in the middle of the programme is my segment.

Italian Wedding Awards

We were again invited back as a judge at the annual Italian Wedding Awards. Anyone who knows us knows of our love for Italy and this time, the awards were held in Venice! Although we had seen photos and paintings of the canals of Venice but didn’t realise that water is literarily everywhere and we mean everywhere. Taking our first ever water taxi from the airport was indescribable. After a while, we all got used to traveling within the city that way.

We stayed at the Hotel Danieli, the first ever luxury hotel in the city and we can confirm that it really does have the best roof top views and food. Huge congratulations to the organisers and award winners. We look forward to seeing you all again later this year.

COLLABORATIONS AND PRESS

Styled shoots

2018 was an incredible year for collaborations at Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium. We absolutely love a great styled shoot. Give us an idea or a concept and watch us run with it. The year before we stopped giving our ideas away. Last year we really stepped up and explored some very cool concepts. This resulted in a number of shoots and one that went completely viral.

Bruce Oldfield Promotional Shoot

We were absolutely over the moon when we were asked to style a promotional shoot for world renowned Bruce Oldfield by The Lanesborough to celebrate their joint new bridal offering. The very talented WildAbout provided the amazing florals and San of Sanshine Photography worked her magic behind the lens.

Frida Kahlo Shoot

Billed as the best set of images on Instagram, this shoot was based on Frida Kahlo’s most famous painting, Las Dos Fridas – The Two Fridas. The shoot was about celebrating the duality of a feminine feminist icon and it coincided with the first showing of her personal effects outside of Mexico at the Victoria and Albert museum.

The incredible dresses which provided the inspiration for the shoot were designed by the very talented Joanne Fleming who is one of the most talented individuals I know. Leanne of WildAbout and her team designed the most beautiful floral canopy which left everyone in awe. Special thanks goes to the wonderful Roberta Facchini Photography who captured all the beauty. It was a joy to direct this shoot and work with a great team of immensely talented suppliers.

The shoot was featured in so many blogs and magazines including Vogue, Rock My Wedding, Strictly Weddings and 100 Layer Cake and also in the annual 2019 International Trend Report. We are so glad that we held on to the vision, concept and story line, overcoming many obstacles to make sure we executed it to perfection.

Cake International

We were asked by renowned chocolate and cake guru Daniel Dieguz to collaborate with him on an epic installation at the Cake International show in Birmingham. We created a fantasy head and bust cake, Madmoiselle Opulencia, the mistress of all things patisserie. It was quite a challenging piece and a bit of a departure from our usual luxury wedding cakes but we did make sure she was all pastries and glamour.

In all, our cakes received and enjoyed an unprecedented level of press madmoiselle-opulencia being published and shared by international and national print and online press including Vogue Japan (twice) Wedluxe, Strictly Weddings, Rock My Wedding, Love My Dress, Condenast Brides, You and Your Wedding, Wedding Ideas, Karas Party Ideas, 100 Layer Cake etc

AWARDS

For those in the know, Cake Masters awards are the Oscars of the cake industry and very highly coveted. 2018 saw around 200,000 nominations! For the first time in the UK, Cake Masters recognised the top ten cake designers in the UK and we made the list. Now considering that there are literarily thousands of very talented cake makers out there, to be acknowledged means a great deal. Thank you Cake Masters!

TRAVEL

Our adventures took us to a number of continents, countries and over 30 cities including Paris, Bahamas, Ibiza, Venice, Lisbon, Madrid, Berlin, Amsterdam, Africa and the Middle East.

We don’t know what 2019 holds but early indications suggest another exciting, prosperous and wonderful year ahead in our world of luxury wedding and celebration cakes. Best of blessings to all and watch this space!

WE MAKE THE FINALS FOR TWO CAKE MASTERS AWARDS

October 14, 2016

In the cake world, nothing generates more excitement, than the cake awards by Cake Masters Magazine. Affectionately known as the #cakeoscars, it is considered to be the most prestigious cake awards and the only one of its kind. Founded by Rosie Mazumder three years ago, it celebrates the excellent work of cake artists around the world and attracts up to 30,000 nominations globally!

To my utter shock and delight, Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium was nominated in two different categories, namely, Best Wedding Cake Award and our book OPULENCIA in the Best Cake Book Award category.

When I was notified that out of tens of thousands of nominations, we had made it to the final 4 in BOTH categories! I cried non stop as it is such a huge deal to be recognised amongst all the amazing talent out there.

This is the third year of the Cake Masters Magazine Awards event in association with the leading show organisers, Cake International; The Sugarcraft, Cake Decorating & Baking Show. The award ceremony will take place on 5th November 2016 at the Birmingham NEC. The evening traditionally includes a drinks reception, three course dinner, awards ceremony and an after party to dance the night away celebrating with all the 2016 winners.

I was unable to attend last year but I am determined to be there this year. I will be keeping everything crossed and will try very hard not to embarrass myself as I mingle and ‘fangirl’ over my cake heroes.

AWARD-WINNING COLLABORATION WITH ZITA ELZE FLOWERS AT THE BRIDES SHOW

October 4, 2016

One of the things we love at Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium HQ is the fact that every working day is different and sometimes we never know how things will unfold. On what seemed like another ordinary day we were utterly delighted to receive an invitation to collaborate with Zita Elze on her stand at this year’s Brides The Show.

Now Zita Elze has form. Winner of numerous awards, she has a delicate, ethereal other worldly style which we first encountered years ago when she made a very imaginative living floral embroidery dress of epic proportions. She is always ahead of the game and it is no wonder that students come from all over the world to learn her unique floral design secrets.

This year, her concept for Brides The Show was pure white, modern chic with sparkling transparent notes, a 21st century fairytale. Layers of texture, white on white with touches of green and the tiniest dash of red flecked bougainvillea. Finely scripted engraved perspex discs danced in the light, hanging from a tree laden with cherry blossom, hydrangea and ammi announcing the wedding guests’ seating. A full length table runner of cow parsley (fresh and silk), ammi, gladioli, dahlia, stocks, rice flower, astilbe, gypsophila and eustoma graced the top table which was dressed with antique crystal and fine silverware. Pedestal arrangements at either side featured hydrangea, ammi, cow parsley and scabiosa.

To complete this ethereal wedding design Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium designed an elegant and romantic 6 tier petal shaped wedding cake in pure white. The cake petal indentations were decorated with bands of white pearlised sugar pearls and along the borders of each tier were white sugar mouldings. The cake tiers sat in pairs on customised petal shaped cake boards with risers in between the cake pairs.

Zita embroidered the cake with fresh flowers in shades of whites and greens with such delicacy and lightness of touch and the cake was also framed by a cherry blossom tree resulting in a very elegant and dreamy wedding cake.

It was no surprise that yet again, Zita was honoured with the prestigious prize of the Editor’s Gold Design Award, awarded by Jade Beer, Brides magazine’s editor who said:

“You can always rely on Zita to create something imaginative and ahead of the game, but this year at Brides The Show I felt she topped all expectations with an installation that was so full of ideas for brides-to-be who clearly loved what they were seeing.”

Images courtesy of Julian Winslow Photography

MARIE ANTIONETTE WEDDING CAKES MASTERPIECE

September 26, 2016

When beautiful Lebanese bride Lina made contact with us, she had a firm idea of the kind of wedding cake she wanted. Having fallen in love with our purple ombre baroque Marie Antoinette wedding cake, she envisioned the design taking centre stage at her wedding reception at The Jumeirah Carlton Hotel in Knightsbridge but in glorious shades of pink.

From the moment we met Lina and her lovely sister, we were struck by how beautiful she was inside and out! Very unassuming, she had firm ideas about what she wanted her cake to look like – huge but tastefully so. She wanted it to be a focal point of the reception because traditionally, Lebanese weddings tend to feature the biggest and most lavish wedding cakes.

The cake had a 26 inch bottom tier and was made up of 6 tiers in total each 10 inches deep and was topped with a handcrafted sugar pedestal topper. The tiers were decorated with lavish sugar gold coin swags, acanthus leaves, cherubs, cameos and different shades of pink sugar roses, hydrangeas, blossoms, berries, stephanotis and assorted filler flowers. Renowned London award winning florist Amie Bone flowers provided the ring of pink blooms that surrounded the cake. She also designed the beautiful wedding flowers, transforming the ballroom of the Jumeirah Carlton Hotel into a pink floral wonderland.

The chosen cake flavours included our famous Triple Chocolate (her husband’s favourite), Red Velvet, Vanilla, Lemon and a selection of gluten free cupcakes which she thoughtfully ordered for some of her guests.

The cake drew lots of admirers, including the Events Director who confessed that having previously worked in some of the best hotels around the world, she had never seen a cake that detailed!

We wish Lina and her Prince Charming the very best of blessings as they embark on their new journey together.

8 FOOT FAIRYTALE CASTLE CAKE AT THE SAVOY

August 27, 2016

They say that dreams do come true and at Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium we had the pleasure of fulfilling one of our bride’s wedding day dreams by making an eight foot fairy tale castle cake for her luxurious wedding at The Savoy.

The renowned Savoy hotel (a firm favourite at EC Emporium HQ) consistently ranks as one of the best hotels in the world and we are delighted to be one of it’s preferred suppliers of several years standing.

The hotel’s enduring showmanship has attracted people down the generations from royalty, the arts, business, politics and the law. The Savoy has the rare distinction of overlooking the River Thames, and the separate Riverside Entrance, on a quiet road away from the main hotel entrance was very convenient for delivering such a grand wedding cake with military precision.

The baroque style grand wedding cake was displayed on a large round table and featured a huge base completely adorned with hand made sugar flowers including sugar roses, sugar peonies, sugar blossoms and hydrangeas and 24 carat gold painted sugar butterflies.

All the tiers and turrets of this show stopping edible work of art were enrobed in Ivory Massa Ticino sugarpaste by Carma for a flawless base and embellished with pearlised edible lace, gold baroque swags and other beautiful mouldings.

The flavours chosen by our couple included our famous Chocolate Bailey’s cake, Red velvet with white chocolate filling, Luscious Lemon and Vanilla Raspberry Ripple.

The cake looked very much at home in the opulent surroundings of the Lancaster Ballroom (the turrets nearly touched the ceiling!) and our fairy tale castle wedding cake has been deemed the ultimate in wedding cakes as the images went viral on social media and it was also the subject of an article in the Huffington Post.

Images courtesy of Nek Vardikos of NV Wedding Documentary Photographers

OPULENCIA BOOK SIGNING

July 26, 2016

When I wrote OPULENCIA, it was to celebrate 10 years of Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium. A mostly inspirational book featuring some of the favourite cakes I’ve made over the years, I never dreamed that it would make such an impact. The decision to self publish was not an easy one and whilst going it alone has been incredibly tough, it’s also been very rewarding.

In a such a short space of time, the book has won an award at the Paris Book Festival and even cracked the Amazon Top 100 for it’s category peaking at number 20!!

Another exciting milestone was being given the opportunity to signs copies of OPULENCIA at Waterstones in North Finchley on 17th July 2016. Never in a million years did I ever think that a huge chain like Waterstones would take stock OPULENCIA, as it is very rare for a self published book to find its way onto such premium bookshelves.

The book features stunning images of sugar-crafted cakes that have brought us recognition and awards and worldwide fame, as well as valuable baking tips and the story behind my inspirational career that’s summed up by a simple formula: Passion plus hard work = success.

Writing the book was a labor of love, and I hope the people who buy it will enjoy it. I relate to anyone who follows their dream – I am living proof that some dreams can come true regardless of circumstances.

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