When it comes to the hyper-realistic cakes she makes, Amber Comadira-Smith loves it when people have to do a double-take.
Does the photograph below look like a real steak? Well, it’s actually cake! Her oysters look so realistic that people can’t believe they’re actually chocolate and cake. I know I was asking those questions when she brought her creations to show New Idea.
We got to see her perfectly cooked “steak”, topped with a slab of “garlic butter” and perfectly cooked fries – all made out of fondant – with a sprinkling of raw sugar to emulate salt.
There were also “oysters”, with shells crafted from white chocolate, and the actual mollusc was replicated using cake, fondant and a lolly mixture. She also brought along eggs and toast, and you guessed it – they were also made out of cake.
The hyper-realistic cake artist, who is known as Cake with Amber, has been perfecting her craft for 10 years.
We caught up with the Queensland local just before she took her creations to craft enthusiasts in Sydney, so we got to see all of her work up close.
Now, she’s set to take her work to the Melbourne Craft & Quilt Fair next month.
So, what does it take to make an illusion cake?
Take it from her, you don’t need anything fancy. In fact, you already have the perfect tools at home.
Going from steak to cake
Take her steak, for example, which appears perfectly cooked, with a generous layer of fat on the sides. All achieved by using a toothbrush and aluminium foil!
“You actually don’t need to over-complicate it at all. Use what you have and start small and work your way up to something bigger.”
“I say a toothbrush is like my favourite thing, because it’s so unexpected, but it’s really good at stippling,” she tells us.
“My other tools are modelling tools; even clay tools are fantastic just to help with texturing or minor modelling. I also use paint and paint brushes, or even just a rolling pin and a pair of scissors.”
For her fondant fries, all she needs is a toothpick, aluminium foil and dye – and she gets the crinkles by using a pizza cutter.
For people who are thinking about making an illusion cake of their own, she says it’s always important to zone in on the details, to make it as realistic as possible.
“The next step is really establishing the shape,” she tells New Idea.
“So, I will literally measure my steak and carve it. So, I get a knife, I get a slab of cake, and I literally carve it out, which is incredible. And it’s not just a block. You really have to be sure that you’re looking at all the bumps and all the ridges that you need to carve into that cake base.”
Finding her passion
Along with sharing her illusion cake creations with her followers, Amber also shares the decorating tricks she’s learned with others through her classes.
While her career allows her to utilise her creativity, it came from a lack of fulfilment as a graphic designer.
It was her dream job as a kid, but as she got further into her career, she tells us she felt “dejected and unfulfilled”.
Then, she saw the first episode of The Great Australian Bake Off, and everything changed.
With no experience in cake making or decorating under her belt, she knew she had some ground to cover, but her heart was set on it.
“I started out making cakes for family, and then word spread out, and then I was making cakes for all of town,” Amber explains.
“And I just kind of fell into the profession. So, it started out as a hobby.”
The cake decorator explains that she felt burnt out again, and decided to pivot to teaching, but continues to do graphic design work on the side.
Her determination paid off, with her being named the Australian Cake Decorator Of The Year at the Australian Party Stylist Of The Year Awards in 2022 and 2023.
She’s also been a finalist in several other awards, and even has her own magazine column.
See more New Idea on Google – Save us as a Preferred Source
Share this post