Our Master Executive Pastry Chef, Marco Valencia, has put together some incredible tips on creating the wedding cake of your dreams. Nowadays, cakes can be one of the biggest show stoppers of the evening even in today's most infamous weddings. In fact, Valencia says, "In the last ten years the art of cake designing has changed dramatically. The introduction of new materials and techniques has allowed us to create incredible designs that are tailored specifically to our bride’s tastes and sensibilities. Often the final design of a Russo’s wedding cake is a delicate collaboration between our brides and me. With some pen and paper we work together to create the purest expression of her ideal wedding cake. When designing a wedding cake, I try to infuse the design with original elements inspired from facets already a part of the wedding plan. Some frequent sources of inspiration are the wedding dress or the center pieces or perhaps the wedding theme. The goal is always the same, to create a cake that is unique and speaks directly to our brides tastes."
He continues... When I first started as a cake decorator 15 years ago the majority of wedding cakes were decorated with whipped cream or butter cream, employing time honored techniques to make traditional designs that brides picked from a catalogue in a cookie cutter fashion with only minor adjustments to suit the brides tastes. Small changes were made like choice of flowers or coloration, but rarely were cakes truly designed for the bride. I am proud to say we have advanced well beyond that, at Russo’s we strive to make the cake a unique expression of the love our couples feel for each other.
Our wedding cakes are meant to be the show piece of the event. Our designs frequently use materials and techniques now in vogue, like fondant icing and gum paste flowers. We have pioneered the use of cake jewels in our work as well coloration and customization. When I design a cake with our brides I try to understand what her preferences are by asking some basic questions. for example:
Starting from the basics we can begin sketching out the features of her ideal cake. Often times I will reference other designs I have done to illustrate how a feature might look in the final design, such as color or shape or height. As we discuss the details a cake takes shape until we have a design that is truly unique to the bride and the event. This collaboration is one of the best parts of my job. Some of the best designs I have done come from working with our brides and listening to what they want their wedding cake to look like. The final product is as much my design as it is theirs.
About Marco Valencia
MARCO VALENCIA – EXECUTIVE PASTRY CHEF
Initially studying Art at Cooper Union, and later Philosophy and Biology at Queens College, Marco is the last you would expect as the master behind the fabulous pastries served at Russo’s. Having a father as an artist and restaurateur, however, left something to be desired in his blood. After becoming involved in pastry arts as a student via a part-time job in college, Marco felt he had found his passion and opted to make a career out of it. If you’ve tasted any of his delightful creations, odds are you will thank him for his choice, as he has spent the majority of that career with the Russo’s family. Marco most enjoys Russo's commitment to quality and freshness, and the many opportunities he has to innovate and create through Russo’s restaurants and catering operations.
