Creating edible art is never mundane for me; it’s one of the reasons I fell in love with being a chef.

Being able to bring my imagination to life on a daily basis, and have someone literally consume it, is unbelievably rewarding. Creating cake designs requires focus and precision, but also an eye for organic, harmonious composition. For each cake I create, I make a detailed sketch beforehand, which acts as a blueprint. However, I find that as they come to life, my ideas are usually transformed into something entirely new.

Throughout the sculpting and design demonstrations on the following pages you’ll find a repeating theme that I encourage you to incorporate into your own practices: the balance of precision and ease, no matter what style of design.

When building your cake, it’s important to follow the guidelines on the previous pages in order to understand the materials and their limitations. This allows room for your imagination when it comes to the creative direction of your designs. I embrace the idea of not following concrete rules in cake designs: Be your own art director in your sculpting and cake design. There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to the aesthetic of decorating. The following chapters should expand the way you think about cake and give you inspiration to create designs beyond your dreams. After all, it is cake—don’t take it too seriously!