Cake Artistry
By Walter Ang
May 4, 2003
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The most striking feature about Judy Uson's cake is the flower décor. They are so vibrant and beautiful that it will be a pity to take them off just to eat the cake. Until you realize they're not real.
"It's so easy to put fresh flowers on cakes, but I'm known for making my own sugar flowers. People are usually amazed to find out they are edible and they love to touch the flowers," she said. Judy's floral décor reflects this woman's passion for wedding cakes.
Ironically, Judy didn't even like to cook when she was a child. "I didn't even know how to cook sinigang! But I was never intimidated since I grew up in a family who loves to cook," she said.
Her husband Batch Uson, who can whip up a romantic dinner for two, eventually challenged and inspired her to explore the kitchen.
Pretty soon, kith and kin discovered her predilection and talent for baking. "After getting my first professional order," Judy said, "I was very happy with the feedback and went into it full-time."
Variety
Responses have been positive. One client's mother was so elated that, after the reception, she barged into the honeymoon suite just to tell the newlyweds how all her friends were raving about the cake.
Judy offers carrot cake, lemon butter cake and chocolate pound cake in fondant icing. While "a lot of people still like fondant, I offer them alternatives," she explained. "My clients have other choices like white chocolate curls or layered chiffon custard cakes flavored with orange-lemon butter cream icing. Instead of sugar flowers, they can have sugar glazed fruits (real ones this time)."
One of her popular creations in a tower of mini chiffon cakes, a product of a 40-year-old recipe, dressed to look like one big cake. The couple can keep the top fondant layer, while guests partake of the chiffon cakes. "It's very popular. Whenever they announce that guests can start getting their own cakes, the wedding hosts will joke, 'Hey wasn't there a cake back there just a minute ago?' The biggest one I ever did was 400 mini versions of the main cake as a gift for wedding sponsors."
Visual treat
Once the type of cake is chosen, the design comes into play. A Fine Arts graduate, Judy taps into her creative roots and lets loose a palette of colors, shapes and textures in her cakes. "If a painter's medium is oil or watercolor, my medium is sugar," she claimed. "I like to think of myself not merely as a cake maker, but as a cake artist."
She never imposes a particular design on her clients. Instead, Judy relishes the chance to collaborate and come up with a design best suited for the couple. "Sometimes I can tell what a coupled will like and I'll suggest 'You're a Precious Moments cake' or 'You're a classic cake.' Debutantes are challenging because some are very ladylike while some are whimsical," she explained.
Judy's ebullient personality makes it easy to earn her client's confidence. "I always tell them to call me even if it's not related to their cake order. One bride-to-be even commented, 'Wow, I'm not just getting a cake, I'm gaining a friend, too.' It feels nice when they treat you out for coffee long after the wedding just because they loved the cake you did for them."
Dedication
"A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event and it will live in your memory forever. I am entrusted with an important part of that event," she said. As such, she always pays close attention to the detail and craftsmanship of her cakes. "I really make sure it's clean and smooth and I like to make everything edible, down to the beads that I use for some designs. I also handpaint the cakes."
Her insistence on freshness usually leaves Judy only one to two days to prepare a cake. "I can do it five days before, but I don't," she said. Judy's past work experience as an event manager and producer for audio-video productions has given her the skills and temperament to "deliver, no matter what. If you can't sleep, you don't. I will do whatever it takes to make sure a cake is perfect for that special day."
Even though the responsibility rests heavy on her shoulders, "I'm so happy to have finally found something that I love to do. Whenever I see the guests' reactions or when they take pictures with the cake as background, all my tension and tiredness just melt away."
It helps that Judy's family is behind her all the way. Husband Batch sometimes assists with the deliveries, while five-year-old daughter Noee helps by requesting for divine intervention, "Dear Jesus, please make Mommy's cakes beautiful."
Call 0917-8975839 or e-mail judyuson@jeepney.ph
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