Fashion Inspired Cakes

How did you get into cake artistry?

Ranjana Yadav:The first cake I baked was in 1993 after 10^th grade in our newly bought cooking-range. Since then, it was no looking back. A decade of successful IT career and then homemaking, I never took up caking professionally. In the second innings of career, an Engineer by profession and baker by passion, I found my happiness as a Cake Engineer. Last year, I launched my long- time conceptualised brand venture ‘The CakeDress’ officially & emotionally. 

The CakeDress has a tagline “If you have the dress, We have a cake to match” please tell us your thoughts and vision behind this?

Ranjana Yadav: Born and bought up in Bombay, travelled all over the world and now settled in Gurgaon, my fashion eye is extended in leaps and bound. But deep down my passion was always cake designing and decorating. The best part is with super imagination and IT skills whenever I used to see a lovely dress; first my mind and then digital tools would transfer it to a cake. With a flair for fashion and a heart for cakes, I got inspired by haute couture and accessories, loved creating some amazing fashion cakes and aimed to be the niche fashion cake designer of India. It was in 2016, I made my first dress cake for my mom’s 60^th birthday. That’s when idea of The CakeDress was born. And I absolutely love the tagline so apt, “If you have the dress, We have a cake to match” 

How The CakeDress is unique from other bakery studio?

Ranjana Yadav: The CakeDress, is a niche celebration couture cake studio. I deal only in 5 T’s. Tall, Tiered, Towered, Table and Trio Cakes. Each cake is customized to the customers’ vision and occasion. Each design is unique and speaks of the contemporary style of The CakeDress. I personally design the cake, sketch it, bake and decorate it. I also go personally for the final displays leaving no stone unturned. The CakeDress is a contemporary cake experience at both ends, from building a customized design, to choosing a flavour over rendezvous tasting sessions until beholding the final product on the celebration day. 

Describe your most challenging baking project. How did you overcome it?

Ranjana Yadav: Well, I would say, it still has to come. The most challenging baking project would be when I have to climb a ladder wearing my glittering sneakers, to setup the wedding cake to its full glory. The sneakers are ready in my wardrobe whereas, the organisational and the skill prep for it has already begun. Hoping to have this challenging project soon. 

Please tell us, what does it take for a dish cake to truly wow you?

Ranjana Yadav: Visually, the uniqueness, the neatness and the overall technique is very important to truly vow me. However my soul only gets vowed, when the bite of that moist cake melts in my mouth and leaves me spell bound. 

How do you keep yourself updated with the emerging trends of the baking industry?

Ranjana Yadav: Being a fashion cake designer, I have to keep myself updated doubly. Not only with the baking industry but also with the fashion industry. I keep out sometime in the day to update my pinterest folders with eye-catching designs both in baking and fashion. Also I keep following my peers and masters of the baking industry. I try to attend international master classes as and when possible. Most importantly, I keep upgrading my own techniques with self learning. As a CakeEngineer, I breathe and practice my studio’s tag line to the fullest, “Work Hard, Think Smarter!” 

According to you, What is more important: innovation, flavour, or the look of the dish cake?

Ranjana Yadav: Now this is a tough one. Since I am a designer and baker both, I would like to see this question from all eyes. As a designer, innovation is the most important for me. No innovation, no growth and hence no business. I keep innovating with each and every design. As a baker flavour is most important. A cake might be innovative, look good, but if it tastes bad then nothing is good. To retain customers and to satisfy your own conscious as a baker flavour is most important. As far as the look is concerned, I think this is most important for the customer and their guests. So to sum up I would say the designer innovates, the baker adds the flavours and the looks vow the customers, their guests and the baking world. 

How do you make sure to get the exact food colour matching to the customers’ outfit or of the outfit you design or decorate the cake?

Ranjana Yadav: Sometimes I feel I am a dyer other than a baker. And being a fashion cake designer it is even more relevant. Some customers come with the exact colours, some with vague ideas and some with no clue. To guide, to excel and to formulate is me, a designer at its best. From swatches, to shades, to sample, I go even beyond at times. With a good sense of fashion, colours and a lot of common sense, I recreate the colours and the looks for my cakes. 

Given a chance which designer’s outfit you would like to mould into the cake?

Ranjana Yadav: I have done cakes inspired of many renowned designers and they have reached out on my Instagram with likes, messages and positive comments. I am a fan of any good design, but in awe with the designs of Alexander McQueen and our very own king of Indian bridal market Sabyasachi. I recently did a gold zipper jacket of McQueen and a 3 tier cake inspired by Sabyasachi for an Indian Cake magazine. However, I am waiting for the day that they pick me and put me to work on a cake for a dress from their latest collection. Until then, Each day a new Dress and a new Cake. 

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