Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
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147 CONTACT Silver Cloud Cakes 13 Washington St. Manchester-by- the-Sea 978-884-7957 silvercloudcakes.com Cakes for Occasions 57 Maple St. Danvers 978-774-4545 cakes4occasions.com Jenny's Wedding Cakes 194 Main St. Amesbury 978-269-7195 jencakes.com Asked what she thinks makes the wedding cake so important, Delaney answers: "There are so many emotions behind the cake. It sets the tone for the wedding." She views it as an artwork—one that is deliberately put on display to receive focused attention. She notes, too, that the cake is docu- mented in photographs the couple will have for the rest of their lives. "It's something they need to know they will still like in years to come. It needs to be timeless." Arriving with the cake can be the most rewarding part of the process. "To walk into the recep- tion area and to see that you have nailed it—it's fun," says Delaney. Both women agree: When the cake is right, the day is extra special. Jenny Williamson JENNY'S WEDDING CAKES Slight, stylish, and intent on her work, Jenny Williamson methodi- cally pipes white icing while she explains her cake odyssey. "It was Project Runway that taught me to find my own style and perfect it," says the designer, noting how in the beginning she tried to do it all. "Now, I don't try to be everything," she explains. "I have my own style… people aren't going to come to us for wacky and colorful, they are go- ing to come for this," she says point- ing to a number of elegant composi- tions. "And I am okay with that." Since 1997, Williamson has nurtured her artistic nature—one she always recognized, but wasn't quite sure what to do with it. While in her early 20s, she started a small catering company, which had her pulling off some inspired desserts. Ultimately, a friend requested Wil- liamson make her wedding cake. And cake, as it turned out, is her medium. "I did the research. I loved it and it just took off," she says, paying homage to Martha Stewart, whose own confectionary undertak- ings proved a valuable resource. Artist first and foremost, but pragmatist, too, Williamson's plan B had her earn a degree in market- ing. But, happily, cake panned out. At first she worked from her home kitchen in New Hampshire; then she moved to Newburyport, and finally Amesbury, where she once again worked from home for over 11 years. Today, she has a com- mercial kitchen in Amesbury and a consulting studio in Middleton. Of her small operation, for which she employs just one assistant, she says, "We aren't retail. Everything we do is to order. I like it that way." The cake designer looks most often to nature for color and texture ideas. She also has a penchant for fashion and architecture—both of which inform her work. Sugar flowers are among her specialties. She also does a lot of painting by hand on cakes with petal dust. "We have a pretty consist- ent look," says Williamson. "We are on the feminine side of things." Noting how new materials are constantly coming onto the market, she says today's metallic sprays are making things especially fun. "I would spray everything with pearl dust if I could," she says. In terms of current trends, Williamson notes textured rustic buttercreams. "Most of the work now is done with a spatula to get that more polished rustic look." When she first started out, fondant was just becoming popular—a con- temporary modern look with sleek fondant and sugar ribbons was the thing. Next came over-the-top elaborate works. For now, she sees "the rustic natural" look sticking around. "I see it going into next season, but I also see a lot of variety coming up too." Gold, either hand painted or sprayed, is coming into vogue, while silver and crystals are fading away, according to William- son. As for fondant, "If you love the look of it, there is no other way to get it." It's not going anywhere soon—of that she is certain. To this day, Williamson does all of her consultations herself. She does a lot of sketching and asks questions of the couple to get "a feel for the thing"—to find out if they are informal, formal, forward- thinking, or traditional. There are so many factors to consider—and so many things have changed over time…like matching the cake with the dress. "I have mothers of the brides tell me, 'The dress is white- white.' I tell them, 'The buttercream is not-not,'" she laughs. Of the wedding cake as tradition, Williamson says: "People always look for the cake—I think that's fan- tastic. It's another way for [couples] to express their style in a way that is meaningful." She supports people doing whatever it is that reflects who they are, even if that means not having a cake at all. The delicate design she works on as she speaks will feed only 75 people, though 150 will be in attend- ance. But, she explains, were she to make it bigger, that delicacy would be lost. "We go by design first." And she makes sheet cakes to supple- ment. "I never do fake cakes…I think if you are going to show a cake, you should serve it. It would be like putting out bottles of cham- pagne but not serving champagne." On a last note, the artist says: "The cake is an emotional thing for people. Everyone is different. Everyone has their own style." And, for many, Williamson's own style is just right—a match made in Heaven...with sugar flowers. Jenny Williamson's cakes are notable for their feminine aesthetic. photographs by Katie Noble