Lauri Ditunno, chef owner Cake Alchemy, previously of The Cake Atelier.

Detailed perfection from the inside out! Having been a pastry chef now for 20 years, cake decorating proves to be the most exciting and challenging job. Every cake is its own unique showpiece in aesthetic and flavor.

My grandmother is the core of my inspiration. She will forever be (to me) an incredible baker and extremely strong woman. Because of her, baking has been a huge part of my life. It’s not just what I do, it’s part of who I am. My family has been an integral part as well, always teaching me to view life from another person’s perspective. I treat every cake with the level of standard I would expect myself.

I graduated from CIA and have trained under some of the most gifted chefs i.e. Ewald Notter, Nicholas Lodge, and Betty Van Norstrand. Forever a student, I will always be learning. The food industry is constantly evolving with new and innovative techniques. This is what drives my passion. I want to know them all!

I’ve also gained a lot of insight from teaching at the French Culinary Institute. Faculty and students alike have helped push me toward my creative limits. Without all of those experiences, I couldn’t be the pastry chef I am today.

I am first and foremost a pastry chef, therefore taste is paramount. Forget the old wives tale “all wedding cakes taste horrible”. Why decorate something that does not taste amazing? However, cake as an artistic medium is what makes the job interesting. To me it’s a decorative platform—each times it’s new, each time it’s a focal point.

One of the best things about using cake as a creative expression is working with clients and turning their artistic vision into reality. My latest obsession is a cake I recently made for the prominent industrial designer Karim Rashid (see picture). His concept required engineering a prototype of an ankh (using a 3-D printer…a future desire of mine) that I molded and created out of sugar. The cake is low with shallow tiers and when guests look down the shapes converge into the image of an eyeball. It was exciting to collaborate with another creative mind and to be able to turn his artistic vision into something I can translate into food.

The quintessential advice I’d give to any bride is to make sure your cake decorator is a seasoned pastry chef. You deserve a cake that is both delicious AND beautiful. It’s the last thing your guests will put in their mouths, it ought to be memorable for the right reason.

Baking tip: bake your cake to no more than two-inches thick. That way your cake bakes more evenly and retains moisture. Also, when your ingredients are room temperature it helps prevent separation.