Since opening her cake studio in 2006, sugar artist Ana Parzych has become known as one of the top wedding cake designers in the United States and abroad. Ana Parzych Custom Cakes is a couture New York and Connecticut wedding cake and specialty cake design studio that specializes in creating one-of-a-kind lavish cakes for high-end weddings. Each creation is designed to reflect the client’s vision and personal style, while perfectly complementing the event. Ana and her staff work very closely with each client, offering a personal approach and meticulous attention to detail to create a beautiful and delicious masterpiece. Inside and out. All cakes and fillings are made fresh, from only the finest natural ingredients, and all flowers and decorations are hand-crafted from sugar.

Ana Parzych Custom Cakes has three cake design studios available for consultations and cake tastings, one is located in Midtown Manhattan, the other two are in Cheshire and Greenwich, Connecticut. But enough about the basics, let’s get to the sweet stuff… introducing Ana Parzych…

{THE BRIDAL CIRCLE}:  WITH A FINE ARTS BACKGROUND, HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN BAKING?

{Ana Parzych}:  Even thought I was always fond of baking from a very young age, I studied graphic design, and then painting at the National School of Fine Arts in my native Lima, Peru, before moving to Japan (the home of my ancestors), where I worked in a French bakery. After moving to America, I turned my full attention to studying my craft, learning from the finest sugar artists, and perfecting my baking skills at The Culinary Institute of America.

WHAT THREE WORDS DESCRIBE YOUR CAKE ARTISTRY/STYLE?

Unique, timeless, and elegant.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU WHEN DESIGNING YOUR WEDDING CAKES?

Many things…Fashion, nature, the season, inspiration from the client, details of a beautiful wedding dress –lace, pleats– details from an invitation, the theme of the event, the venue. . .

HAVING LIVED ALL OVER THE WORLD, HOW DOES THE ART OF BAKING DIFFER FROM ONE COUNTRY TO ANOTHER?

Every country has its own traditional cake and style. For example, in England fruitcake is popular. I was born and grew up in Lima, Peru, and South America has its own version of fruitcake, consisting of a pound cake with very small bits of assorted nuts and fruits soaked in liquor and orange zest.  I have also incorporated dulce de leche, a staple of South American desserts, as a filling for my cakes.

In Japan, the home of my ancestors and where I lived for 5 years, green tea is used to flavor cakes and other sweets.

Living in different cultures has exposed me to these variations in flavor and style. Latin American countries have an abundance of exotic fruits such as passion fruit, guava, and mangos.  Purees made out of these fruits are great additions to complement a delicious mousseline. I love introducing new flavors to our customers, the possibilities are endless.

In the Middle East, Dubai, for example, has a heavy influence from England – pound cake with pastry filling, and the European classic cakes. Although they don’t have the tradition of the wedding cake, more and more couples are choosing to have them.

The experience of having lived on 3 different continents with very different cultures has helped me relate to brides from other countries who are getting married in the US and still carry their native traditions.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK/HOPE FOR IN A CLIENT?

My ideal client is someone who wants not only a delicious cake but a centerpiece cake, something special, somebody who values the importance of their cake as a part of the celebration.

ON AVERAGE, WHO DO YOU WORK WITH ON A CAKE DESIGN? THE PLANNER? THE BRIDE? THE BRIDE AND HER MOTHER? THE BRIDE AND THE GROOM?

When planning the cake design I often get input from the planner, the couple, and the mother of the bride. I also get in touch with the florist, to make sure that the sugar flowers on the cake carry the same style as the flowers at the celebration.

WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN YOU MEET A POTENTIAL CLIENT? WHAT’S THE EXPERIENCE YOU WANT THEM TO TAKE AWAY WITH THEM?

From the start I try to try to get to know them as a couple and what’s important to them; I try to make them feel comfortable and welcomed so that I can make a connection and learn more.  The more I know about them, the better I can think of a design that will fit their taste and vision. I provide a highly personal experience, and try to please my clients in any and every way that I can.

ARE YOU AVAILABLE TO BRIDES OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES? WHERE’S THE FURTHEST CAKE YOU’VE SHIPPED/DELIVERED?

Yes, we are available on assignment to brides outside the United States. The furthest distance we have traveled to deliver a cake is to Dubai.  I have always liked to travel and experience new cultures.

WHAT’S THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING AN EVENT DESIGNER CAN DO TO UNDERSTAND AND INTERPRET THE VISION THE BRIDE/CLIENT HAS FOR HER WEDDING CAKE?

Find the right cake designer that suits the vision of the client; every cake designer has a different style.  Once you find the right cake designer, provide a lot of detail about the event itself; the theme, if there is one, the color palette, the venue, the atmosphere you’re trying to create, the invitation, the flowers. . .On my end, the most important thing I do in working with the event designer and the client is offering them a visual in the form of a sketch. By translating my vision to paper I am able to compare my vision with the bride’s/client’s to make sure we are all on the same page and to make any revisions in order to ensure that the bride/client loves the result.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO MAKE A WEDDING CAKE FOR 250 GUESTS? ON AVERAGE?

Depending on how elaborate the design is, it can take a few weeks. The cake itself is baked two days before the wedding day, but the sugar flowers and decorations themselves can take a few weeks to prepare.  When we make sugar flowers, each layer of petals has to dry before we can put on the next.  The final decorations on the cake are put in place the day of the event.  In any given week, we make several cakes simultaneously, often with very different decorations.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE WEDDING CAKE DESIGN THAT YOU CREATED, AND WHAT MADE IT RESONATE WITH YOU? (COULD BE A POSITIVE MEMORY OR A LESSON LEARNED)

I love the wedding cake I made for Today Throws a Wedding. The piping and brushed embroidery are my favorite, and I consider them my signature techniques. I also loved making the dahlias and other sugar flowers. The entire cake showcases the importance of the little details that make a wedding cake beautiful, unique, and timeless.  I felt that the design was a good fit with this very special couple’s taste.

IS THERE ANY ONE CAKE FLAVOR THAT YOUR CLIENTS PREFER OVER THE OTHERS?

Depending on the season, our clients definitely have favorites. For Spring and Summer weddings white Tahitian vanilla cake, coconut cake, and pound cake are popular, with fruit fillings such as strawberry, passion fruit, guava, and raspberries. In the fall and winter months, richer cakes and fillings are usually preferred. These cakes and fillings include chocolate cake, toasted almond cake and our spice cake, a favorite.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WEDDING CAKE BUFFETS, STATIONS AND CUPCAKES?

I feel that they can be a nice addition to the reception, but they can’t replace the traditional and timeless wedding cake. New trends come and go, but the classic wedding cake is a wedding tradition that will never go out of style.

BEING AROUND CAKES EVERY DAY, HOW DO YOU RESIST SAMPLING ALL OF YOUR CAKES?

Sometimes when a fresh batch of cake comes out of the oven I can’t resist! I typically eat a couple pieces of cake every week, usually with a cup of coffee. I love the smell of our spice cake when it comes out of the oven.

DO YOU ALSO MAKE GROOMS CAKES? AND WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE DESIGN?

We do make grooms cakes, they add a playful element to the reception. One of my favorites was a replica of an Audi R8 car that we made for a groom who owns an Audi dealership. The Audi R8 is his favorite car, so it was fun to create this edible model for his wedding. We were able to access the blueprints for the car design online and scale them down to help us get just the right profile, and my staff and I enjoyed getting all the details just right.  Groom’s cakes are a great change of pace for us and a chance to improvise, using the same tools we use every week to make flowers, leaves, and other feminine decorations, to capture the texture and every detail of car tires, briefcases, football helmets, and other, more masculine elements.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE WHEN IT COMES TO DISPLAYING THE WEDDING CAKE YOU HAVE SO CAREFULLY CRAFTED?

When the cake table is not level at the venue, because it will make the wedding cake look lopsided. We then have to level the table before setting-up and displaying the wedding cake, which can be very stressful when we have limited time to set up.

HOW FAR IN ADVANCE DOES A CLIENT NEED TO BOOK WITH YOU AND START WORKING ON THE DESIGN?

I recommend booking 4 months to a year in advance before the event, from there we will schedule a time to begin designing the cake with ample time for changes before the wedding.

Having said that, I should add that some of my best designs have been made on very short notice.  Couples should never hesitate to contact any wedding professional on short notice; if we happen to have an open slot we’ll do our best to accommodate, and the worst that can happen is we’ll say that we’re not available.

WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT CAKE TIP YOU CAN OFFER TO BRIDES AND GROOMS GETTING MARRIED OUTDOORS, ON THE BEACH OR IN A TENT?

Brides don’t want to imagine it raining on their wedding day, but they can’t control the weather, and it’s always smart to have a backup plan. In regards to the wedding cake, on very humid or hot days the wedding cake needs to be put out as late as possible so that there’s no risk of the cake getting too soft or the sugar flowers losing their shape. Also, make sure that the cake table is level so that the cake doesn’t look lopsided when it is displayed.  This can be challenging outdoors.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR ANA PARZYCH CUSTOM CAKES?

We recently opened a midtown Manhattan office for tastings and consultations, as the majority of our clientele is based there, in addition to our main studio in Cheshire, CT and our office in Greenwich, CT.   I hope to have time this coming winter to return to my book project.

THANK YOU SO MUCH ANA!

READ MORE ABOUT ANA PARZYCH

Having mastered the basics of wedding cake design, sugar flowers creation, and other decorating techniques, Ana quickly gained recognition in her field, earning awards and developing her own techniques and personal style, which continue to evolve.

In 2007 Ana was featured on a Food Network special, and one of her wedding cakes appeared on the cover of PEOPLE Magazine’s first-ever Real Weddings issue. In 2010, Today Show viewers nationwide cast over 110,000 votes to choose Ana’s wedding cake for their live segment Today Throws a Wedding.

Ana delivered the most luxurious cake ever seen in the exotic emirate of Dubai. Ana’s wedding cakes have been named by Brides Magazine’s as among The Most Beautiful Cakes in America. In addition to being recognized at home as “Best Wedding-Specialty Cake in Connecticut” by Connecticut magazine, Ana created the wedding cake and groom’s cake for the first-ever worldwide-live-streamed wedding, The Knot Dream Wedding, broadcast from Bryant Park, NYC. Ana and her wedding cakes have appeared on NBC- The Today Show, ABC-The Katie Couric Show, and The Food Network, among others, and her cakes are regularly featured in leading bridal, lifestyle, and cake decorating magazines in the US and abroad, including Town & Country, BRIDES, People, Harper’s Bazaar, Us Weekly, Grace Ormonde Wedding Style, Martha Stewart Weddings, The Knot, Wedding Cakes a Design Source (UK), HIA (Dubai), Wedding-Travel (Singapore), and many others. Ana strives to advance awareness of the sugar arts while passing on her expertise, through teaching, mentoring, and lecturing throughout the year to diverse audiences. See the schedule of up-coming classes.