50+ wedding cakes in Grand Central Station

[Steve Klc]

Whenever cross-country travel and shipping of cakes is involved, invariably there will be a few accidents, a certain percentage of problems that for one reason or another can't be overcome in time. Those stories tend to filter out after the fact. Most savvy organizers plan ahead for this--they realize 3-5% will not show, and I think that's why there were actually more than 50 cakes out on display. Family tragedies can and do occur at the most inopportune times. I heard of one specific incident related to this event, and it was potentially tragic--a designer had just finished her cake, two family members were in the process of driving it the thousand-plus miles to NYC for the photoshoot, and they were involved in an accident which totalled the cake--and the car--in the process. I'm not sure if the parties involved want this made public so I'm not going to be more specific, but I'm told no one was seriously injured and that the designer was able to re-focus, re-assemble and transport another cake to this event in time--and it's a testament to her skill and professionalism that she was able to recover.

Speaking of skill and professionalism, I found when I was wandering around the exhibition itself that I missed the work of Toba Garrett, Ron Ben-Israel as well as Mike McCarey, I find them all--and their work--very distinctive with a point of view. That's not meant to detract in any way from the diverse talent which was on display, just to say there are plenty of other talented folks who could have been swapped in and out or who are still waiting to be discovered. The range and depth of different styles, visual approaches and artistry still really came through well--that diversity is what made this exhibition unique on the national stage--and that's due largely to the vision of the person behind the scenes who assembled this, Maria, and who guided the "look" of many of the cakes.

[Kerry]

I notice there are questions about how the cakes got to Grand Central -- not all were shipped by carrier in fact the 'Cake Convoy' group from Oklahoma and Texas traveled respectively 3000 and 4000 miles. Five days hard driving RT. We collected people and cakes along the way -- San Antonio, Austin, TX; Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Welch, OK; Hallsville, Springfield, MO and Louisville, KY.

Not a single thing was damaged enroute.

At the exhibition it was another story! Lori Cossou's stringwork was vandalized and loose petals I had alongside my cake were simply taken. Lori actually came from Oklahoma not from Louisiana.

Carolyn Wanke's cake was designed with The Brighton Pavilion in mind not the Taj Mahal. It was the 'chicita casa' for Lady Caroline Fitzherbert -- popsie to King George III. He did not particularly care for the Queen -- nor she him. So you see nothing much has changed when one looks at the Charles and Camilla situation (although I say good luck to them)!

I actually made my cake one-handed as I broke my arm right before the event -- it is not easy to handle sugar work one-handed at short notice especially if one is accustomed to relying on both -- after two weeks I became very proficient and hopefully an inspiration to the disabled.

There was a small freight lift in the building up to the studio, but only two cakes at a time would fit -- it was very slow going. We delivered directly to the studio -- unpacked, then repacked every cake in the studio not just our own, after the photography was completed, some 60+ in all. We loaded the cakes onto a large delivery truck single level. I then personally rode in the cab of the truck with a pair of velvet-handed robust looking delivery men who informed me that they usually delivered fine furniture. They knew from the outset there was no way I would put up with tires hitting potholes -- New York streets are deplorable on the whole -- one could lose a truck in some of those holes. We crept about the streets at about 10 miles an hour and seemed to take forever till we got to GCS. The Cake Convoy ladies took taxis from the studio to Grand Central and met me to unpack the truck, carry the cakes into the Hall, remove the cakes from the boxes and place them on the pedestals. It was a huge task and very time consuming. Some of the cakes weighed up to 30lbs. or 15 kg. -- mine was 20lb.s or 10 kg. Lifting was difficult for me because of the cast and no strength.

Someone asked about a traveling exhibition, it would be impossible, the cakes can only stand so much vibration and pushing about. Packing them each time would be a headache and the repair work ongoing. I have mentioned the wedding cake competition in Oklahoma on this site before and it is four times larger than the Bride's event, our event site is not quite so grand, but the skill and the display has no rival, so there are two options to see wedding cakes en masse -- New York and Oklahoma!

To answer the question about Toba -- I understand she is publishing another book and did not have time to participate -- the others Ron and Mike I have no idea why they weren't there. I also noticed that Polly Schoonmaker was not among the lineup.

The gala was lovely and it was nice to meet a lot of designers for the first time.

After the event was over my husband and I stayed a few days -- did things other than cake, theatre, celebrated my birthday and drove home at a more sedate pace looking at a few tourist things on the way (took a ride up the big arch in St. Louis for my birthday -- a stunning construction).

Now we are getting ready for other exciting events, the ICES convention in New Orleans in July and the Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show in October.

I hope I have answered some of the questions posted.

Best wishes to all -- Kerry Vincent

[K8memphis]

Wow, Kerry, that was a great behind the scenes look at things. So sorry about your poor broken arm! What a great save though. Hope you did not overdo it.

...after two weeks I became very proficient and hopefully an inspiration to the disabled...

Methinks your inspiration covers a distance ever greater than that!!!!! And Happy Birthday!!!!

Your cake was fabulous!!

:)

[Pan]

Kerry, you made that cake one-handed? Wow!!!! That cake is great, one of the most impressive to me!

[LCS]

Hi Wendy! You remember me, right? From ChefTalk? Lotus Cake Studio/Vedika. And thanks for the welcome. :)

I've been meaning to personally welcome your to The eGullet Society For Arts & Letters LCS...............please forgive me for not saying so earilier.

O.k............I feel embarrassed to have to ask this because I should know who is who, but I don't. I'm sorry, I'm just horrible with names. Would anyone who particpated in this exhibit be willing to reveal what their real name is? No pressure..........just interest.

←

[bloviatrix]

Carolyn Wanke's cake was designed with The Brighton Pavilion in mind not the Taj Mahal. It was the 'chicita casa' for Lady Caroline Fitzherbert -- popsie to King George III. He did not particularly care for the Queen -- nor she him. So you see nothing much has changed when one looks at the Charles and Camilla situation (although I say good luck to them)!

I knew it. When I saw that cake I actually said to my friend that it reminded me of the pavillion at Brighton. Thanks for confirming that I was right.

[JamericanDiva]

Kerry, it was nice to meet you in person at the Cakewalk. I was the black girl with stroller and baby in tow and complained about how carelessly some observers were treating the cakes... especially in regards to Lori's cake. Lori and I had a good bit of conversation as she was doing repair work on her cake and encouraged me to come on down to Oklahoma and participate in the Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show in October. She figured that if she could drive her cake cross country, surely I could do the same....Hmmmmm.......

[Kris]

Is there going to be a Cakewalk event this year?

I would love to attend again...Vedika have you heard anything?

[justcake]

Is there going to be a Cakewalk event this year?

I would love to attend again...Vedika have you heard anything?

←

They had originally scheduled it for the first week of June but then later postponed it to a date yet to be announced.

[Kris]

Thanks justcake. I'll keep my eyes and ears posted for the rescheduled date.