Cake! magazine by Australian Cake Decorating Network February 2018 | Page 74

Marianne Bartuccelli
interview with
You’ve always had a creative streak, given
your background in graphic design. How did
you make the transition to cake decorating?
For me cake decorating is another form of
design….and a delicious one at that!
I draw upon my background in Graphic Design
every day and it takes time to find your own
style.
Mine is mostly tall with clean lines and sharp
edges, but I still love to do a pretty and
romantic cake with sugar flowers too.
I always made a cake for my 2 girls on
their birthday, but only really began cake
decorating about 4 years ago. I was not very
good and have a little laugh at some of the
work I did back then. So many techniques,
materials and tools to learn about! It all
seems quite overwhelming at the start. But
persistence and practice pays off as you
develop more skills. I think there should be a
warning to all newcomers though, that cake
decorating is highly addictive and you are at
high risk of contracting OCD (Obsessive Cake
Disorder)!
Now, no matter what style of cake I am working
on, attention to detail and colour harmony
is something I am passionate about. I take
the extra time and effort to make sure that
every element is perfect. If I see a line that
is crooked and it is meant to be straight, that
drives me crazy! Balance is the key to a great
design.
Do you love baking, or are you more
interested in the decorating side of
things?
I have always enjoyed baking for my
family and friends. But in all honesty, I
love the decorating process the best.
My mother always made cakes from
scratch and it is a tradition I continue
today.
We eat with our eyes and I firmly
believe that a cake should taste as
good as it looks.
The decorating is the challenge I
enjoy the most, a s every cake I make
is different. I love exploring and trying
new techniques to create something
interesting and unique.
You’ve made the leap to teaching, both
in hands-on demonstrations and as a
presenter on ACDN’s Cake TV. Is this
a direction you see yourself moving
towards or are you fulfilled by creating
cakes for clients?
I have absolutely loved the
opportunities I have had to teach so
far and would love to do more!
It is so rewarding to see the joy in a
students face when they have learned
new skills and techniques they never
believed they were capable of. I love
to travel and it would be a dream come
true to visit and teach in countries
around the world.
Cake! TV has also been a wonderful
experience and I have really enjoyed
the time working with Liz and the
ACDN team. It is such a great platform
for any decorator to learn new skills
and have the convenience of watching
top class tutorials whenever they want.
If you have seen my many bloopers on
Cake! TV …it is definitely harder than
it looks! But am honoured indeed to
be asked to be a part of this wonderful
homegrown project! textiles, art, design and beyond. As a
cake decorator, every week is a new
challenge with new designs to create.
I love making cakes for my clients too.
Without them I wouldn’t be where I
am today. As a solo artist I work long
hours, but with each order I feel I grow
artistically. My clients are happy and
return again and again to see what I
can create for their next celebration….
and enjoy delicious cake of course! Tastefully Yours Cake Art began in
October 2014. I was encouraged by
friends to enter a cake competition.
I think I covered the dummy tiers 3
times over and still remember working
through the night to finish the cake.
I have never been so nervous in my
entire life (even my wedding day).
Driving that cake into the city, I kept
thinking it would tip over because it
was only made of polystyrene. I went
into the show the next day to find my
cake had won first place in the novice
section and runner up for the whole
show. I seriously couldn’t believe it!
Many people asked if I had a website
or Facebook.
Tell us about your cake design process.
My cakes often tell a story. It is easy
for me if I know the person. But even if
I don’t, a few details of what they like
is enough for me to go on. Knowing
the type of celebration and how big
the cake needs to be is the starting
point. This becomes my blank canvas.
I often draw inspiration from elements
that have been chosen by the client
like an invitation, flowers, dress,
colours etc. I will then source different
references relating to the theme and
begin thinking about the layout. I very
rarely ever sketch a design, it is mostly
just worked out in my head. My clients
never really know what they are going
to get and I am fortunate that they trust
me completely. I let the cake evolve
and can add or substitute elements in
the design to create the right balance.
When they see the cake, the sheer
delight and sometimes tears of joy
make all the effort worth it.
Who are some of your cake idols?
There are so many exceptionally
talented cake artists in the world, my
list could go on for ages! But if I had
to choose…it would be 2 Aussie ladies
who started Planet Cake all those
years ago, Faye Cahill and Margie
Carter. They are both quiet achievers,
humble cake artists who have shaped
modern cake design worldwide. Faye’s
signature style is always elegant and
sophisticated and Margie’s magic
hands can craft the most amazing 3D
cakes.
What inspires you to keep creating?
Life is Better With Cake
An Interview with Marianne Bartuccelli of Tastefully Yours Cake Art
Great question! The desire to learn,
to make people happy and not
being afraid to try something new.
Inspiration is everywhere and there
are so many cakes I still want to make!
I am inspired by incredible creative
people, the beauty of nature, to
Tell us about the evolution of Tastefully
Yours Cake Art.
I still don’t have a website, but I do
have Facebook and more recently
Instagram.
I wanted the name to be meaningful,
just like my cakes. So ‘Tastefully’
means that the cakes most importantly
taste good because they are made
from scratch. They are also ‘Tastefully’
created because I do not make rude
cakes and am too squeamish for horror
cakes. ‘Yours’ means that the cake
now belongs to you after it is made.
And ‘Cake Art’ means just that, it is an
original form of edible art.
I also sign all of my correspondence
Tastefully Yours which is a sweet
bonus!