Special Projects
Operation: Peace, Love & Bread
This is an on-campus based organization that was founded by JWU students. It focuses on serving the community while honing our skills. The club is student-run, allowing other students to learn from their peers. My time as a member, and club president, will never be forgotten. I was honored to be part of such an amazing group of people that love their community. During my last two years at JWU, I was elected to the club president role. We provided thousands of bread loaves to various Providence Food Banks and shelters and donated a few thousand dollars to food banks all while sharing our passion for people and bread.
During the Covid-19 shutdown, I continued teaching and interacting with students via online demos of various bread products.
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Chocolate Showpiece
One of my favorite projects so far. The showpiece is handcrafted with 100% chocolate and was inspired by sunflower fields and pumpkin patches. I aimed to challenge the balance of this design, and play with the overall shape, straying away from common designs. Each sunflower was crafted petal by petal through a delicate process, then airbrushed with colored cocoa butter. The pumpkins were sculpted from chocolate and also painted with cocoa butter. The leaves were created by stippling colored cocoa butter on acetate that was then covered with a thin layer of white chocolate. Mossy patches were achieved by grating chocolate over a strip of dark chocolate.
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Wedding Cake Display
While this was made for display purposes, the design process can still be applied to traditional cakes. It was inspired by nature and wildflowers, with an overall clean appearance kept in mind. Each flower and leaf was created by hand with gum paste. They are next dusted with colors to add more depth, then carefully assembled with floral wire. The piping details on the top tier are delicate and hand-painted with an edible gold colorant.
Sugar Showpiece
This was my most challenging project to date. It is completely crafted with sugar, and inspired by Japanese aquatic life. I utilized various sugar-working techniques (pulled, poured, spun, and much more). The ribbons were created by arranging colored sugar in a patterned row, then carefully pulling to elongate and thin the sugar repeatedly until the desired design. The lotus flowers were crafted by pulling each petal to form the desired shape.
Storybook Cake
Inspired by the story of "Peter Pan", this cake was a joy to design and execute. This cake featured 3 tiers, hand-sculpted characters, a light-up clock tower, and a motorized crocodile. Each character was sculpted from gum paste and painted with food colorings. Wave details were added to the base of the boat using airbrushed royal icing. This technique allows for organic texture and shapes. The second tier, inspired by Captain Hook, has coat ruffles and gold coins. The top tier depicts the children flying through the London night sky.
