Competing for attention with Jennifer Lopez is no easy task. But at a recent wedding in India where the American star performed in a sparkly leotard, it was arguably the cake that stole the show.
The towering multi-tier creation, several metres high and inspired by Rajasthani architecture, became a talking point among guests and featured widely in media coverage of the 500-guest celebration last November.
Its designer, French pastry chef Bastien Blanc-Tailleur, creates cakes that resemble haute couture: one-off, handcrafted pieces requiring significant time and expense.
"We rarely work on a wedding that has a budget of less than a million euros", the 34-year-old said from his studio outside Paris. His custom cakes start at 20,000 euros ($23,500), with elaborate designs costing far more.
The Indian wedding featured five cakes, including a main piece decorated with orchids, elephants and domed pavilions in white sugar paste. Two additional cakes were made for the families, while another pair were lowered from the ceiling. Altogether, they required around 3,500 hours of work.
Blanc-Tailleur’s clientele includes Middle Eastern royals, American elites and European aristocrats. With a team of just 10, he produces only 20 to 25 cakes annually.
Recent geopolitical tensions have disrupted some plans, with weddings in parts of the Middle East postponed or relocated to France.
The job also comes with logistical challenges. At the Indian event, he had to source ingredients at the last minute, while on another occasion, a customs mishap in Saudi Arabia damaged delicate icing during transit.
Blanc-Tailleur began as a baker’s apprentice and later worked at the George V hotel in Paris and alongside renowned chef Yannick Alleno. He credits a key lesson from his mentor: not limiting creativity by focusing too early on execution.
His designs are sketched by hand, rejecting digital renderings. A collector of natural and antique objects, he uses thousands of moulds to craft intricate details, with hand-sculpted flowers among the most time-consuming elements.
Despite his success, the demands of the craft leave little personal time. Engaged for four years, he has yet to set a date for his own wedding. — AFP
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