Defying Gravity
It would be unsurprising to many that, like most industries, the wedding industry is ever evolving. In modern times, weddings have evolved from being a traditional and formal affair to a modern and unique celebration, with an emphasis on personalisation and creativity. For example, a tiered, white wedding cake, covered with royal icing with a bride and groom topper was standard practice in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Today, couples are choosing to get creative with their wedding cake, making it an eye-catching showpiece with many different colours, decorations, and cake designs to choose from. To further investigate awe-inspiring cake design, Melbourne Wedding & Bride’s Emily Axford converses with Froggy, owner of What Froggy Bakes, who combines his background in engineering with creativity to construct remarkable gravity-defying cakes.
Froggy’s journey with cake and sugar art began eleven years ago, where he discovered his true love and talent for the craft. Over the years, Froggy has honed his distinct skills and has created over fifty beautiful wedding cakes. Today, Froggy continues to venture forward, with the opening of his very own cake studio and shop. Froggy’s expertise and vision ensure that every creation isn’t just visually stunning but is equally delectable. Always ready to embrace a challenge, his cake range spans from classic design to modern boutique and colourful masterpieces. “I have made what I thought was impossible, possible, and also tasting amazing,” Froggy remarks proudly.
A Feat of Engineering
As Froggy notes, “a wedding is the time for creating memory and sharing moments, tastes and experiences with everyone.” Gravity-defying cakes aim to add wonder and magic to any celebration and “create a mesmerising feature that guests talk about and never forget.” To achieve this, these cakes push the boundaries of cake design and of what many would consider possible. The cakes usually incorporate elements like floating tiers and suspended decorations and make clever use of angles and perspective to create their weightless illusion. Needless to say, cakes of this creative calibre demand careful precision, a desire for perfection and sharp attention to detail.
Froggy studied civil engineering at Swinburn University for four years, followed by a two-year internship, before deciding that his passion lies in the food and cake decorating industry. Today,
Froggy uses his honed engineering skills to create these edible works of art that defy the laws of physics. “The cakes require careful planning and creativity in the way that an engineer needs to use science and art together,” Froggy explains. “It requires my expertise of judging the size of the base, height, weight levelling, balancing and lots of calculation.”
Balancing Act
So, what’s the magician’s secret? How exactly does one make a cake gravity-defying? As we’ve already learned, cakes that push the boundaries of gravity require no small amount of planning and creativity, but the real magic is in a well-engineered
internal structure. To achieve this, cake bakers and decorators need to get creative and “be inclusive of materials from Bunnings and Spotlight.” This can include food-safe materials such as wooden dowel, wire and other types of hidden supports that might not be edible but ensure stability so the cake can maintain its awe-inspiring illusion.
Having a gravity-defying wedding cake is not without its limitations. Froggy highlights that an “authentic cake is lightweight and delicate, and the icing needs to be gently applied and handled.” This means that transporting these cakes “takes time, careful and slow movements and often requires more than one pair of hands.” As you are battling against physics, a sturdy base and a careful driver is recommended for transportation. These types of cakes also require time and investment, so if you want a gravity-defying, showstopping cake for your wedding, be sure to organise it with your
baker with plenty of time to spare so they can allocate sufficient time for the project.
Fit The Theme
Nowadays, couples design their weddings around who they are and themes that best reflect themselves – the wedding cake is no different. The beauty of a gravity-defying cake is that “it can be any theme, from a space theme to a chandelier hanging, something that captivates the wedding guests.” One of Froggy’s favourite cakes he has created was a marriage equality cake that he made for a bake off during the time that Australia legalised same-sex marriage in 2017. The cake features a gravity-defying globe, held up by rainbow streamers, with a groom and groom topper standing on the globe. “I wanted to show the world love is love and everyone should be able to celebrate it,” Froggy describes.
If you don’t want a themed cake per se, then choosing decorations to harmonise with your wedding colour scheme is also a great option and can look stunningly beautiful. All wedding cakes are works of art, and gravity-defying cakes are not limited in the number of artistic details you want included. Delicate fondant work, hand-painted designs, geometric shapes, metallic accents and edible sculptures are just some options that can enhance your cake’s visual appeal even more.
Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or simply craving a slice of joy, Froggy’s creations are crafted with love and joy. Visit him today at his new cake studio, What Froggy Bakes, in Preston.
Image courtesy of What Froggy Bakes