Today I’m sharing one of my own cake designs — a rare treat. Although I primarily write about cakes, I occasionally get to design something new, and this is one I’ve been excited to share for months. I’m truly honored to have a second cake featured in BRIDES Magazine. Back in September I shared a design that appeared in BRIDES’ Most Beautiful Cakes of 2011, and I never expected it to get better than that — until the editor asked for a second cake. This time the brief was to create a design inspired by the popular chevron pattern for their “White Hot” trends page. And now it’s finally in print: my Zippity Zigzags, Chevron Cake!
After the initial shock, I sketched late into several nights and sent five different designs. Each one was unique but all centered on chevrons. Maria, the editor, helped narrow the options to a final choice — the most challenging to construct: a two-tier round cake with tall tiers and a detailed chevron pattern flowing from the bottom tier to the top. The color palette: teal, sky blue, and deep orange.
Drawing a perfect chevron on paper is one thing; making it wrap perfectly around round tiers is another. The difficulty comes from the top tier having a smaller circumference than the bottom tier. To make the pattern appear continuous, the chevron angle on the top tier had to be sharper than on the bottom tier so the zigs and zags would align visually. It’s a bit of an optical illusion — they look the same, but they’re actually two separate patterns. My high school geometry teacher might have mixed feelings: the front lines up nicely, though the back isn’t quite perfect. Still, every cake has a back, right?
Each fondant “tile” on the chevron is hand-cut, trimmed, and aligned. I designed the fondant “fashion” flower to resemble a flirty felt accessory — like one you might find on a favorite belt or hairpiece. I loved the flower so much that I used the same technique on my daughter’s first birthday cake (look for those pictures soon).
I’m deeply honored and grateful to be part of this feature. Special thanks to my husband for taking on extra parenting duties so I could fit this project into an already busy schedule. Many thanks to Maria and the editorial team at BRIDES for the opportunity — I’m forever grateful to have been featured by the magazine multiple times. (And yes, if you’re keeping count, there’s another fun surprise coming in December.)
Half Baked wouldn’t exist without the many cake designers who allow me to showcase their work. Their creativity and dedication provide daily inspiration and remind me of the time and effort behind every creation. I hope my words do justice to their designs. And finally, thank you to all of you for letting me share a piece of my work today.
Be sure to pick up the November issue of BRIDES Magazine to see the zippity zigzag chevron inspiration in print!