Rachel Mount Cake Designer

Do you only design cakes for art and media projects?

I design made to order decorated cakes for all events. For any celebration however small or large, cakes for any occasion that warrants a special cake! Wedding cakes, birthday cakes, corporate cakes, christening cakes, anniversary cakes, PR launch party cakes.

Where are you based?

I work from business premises located in West London a short walk from Notting Hill's Portobello Road, North Kensington. All visits to my studio bakery are by pre-booked appointment only.

Do you just cater for clients based in London?

My cakes have traveled far and wide across the UK and Europe, they have also flown in private jets to the Caribbean. I recently delivered a large and elaborate commission to a client in the heart of Paris.
Cake delivery is priced as an additional fee based upon mileage. Alternatively cakes can be collected from my cake bakery.
I use experienced and trusted drivers to deliver each cake individually.
Cakes can never be delivered by courier service as they are too fragile.

What are your decorations made from?

All of the decorations on my cakes are individually hand crafted from sugar.
All flowers are sugar I do not use fresh flowers.

Do you bake your own cakes as well as decorate them?

Yes I bake all the cakes on site at my studio bakery. They are individually baked per client order with great care. All recipes are prepared from scratch with fresh ingredients to ensure best quality and delicious flavour.
I never use packet mixes. I never freeze cakes. I never buy cakes in from other bakeries.
The cake has to be fresh and baked on site to achieve best quality flavour and texture. This is very important to my business ethos.

Do you supply your cakes to shops?

No. This is an exclusive top end bespoke service I strive to create cakes that are as unique as possible. Each cake is individually designed per client commission. All of the decorations on the cake are sugar and hand crafted per order at my studio. Designs and decorations are exclusive to my business and not available for purchase elsewhere.

Do you run cake decoration classes?

Yes I began teaching sugar craft in 2011. I taught a series of classes at the V&A Museum in 2011 and will be leading a masterclass at Kensington Palace in April 2012.
For latest updates follow my website Courses and News pages. You can also follow my cake news on Twitter and Facebook.

Who should I contact regarding employment inquiries?

Please email me a formal letter of application with your CV. I will put it on file and contact you should any opportunities arise in the future.
There is an increasingly high level of interest in cake decoration as a career, it is a niche business and very competitive. I receive applications from all around the world from people wanting to work at my cake bakery. I would only consider inquiries from applicants with a higher education qualification in sugar craft and patisserie, or, with a catering background working in a professional patisserie kitchen.

Do you have any openings for interns?

No. I run a small and busy bespoke bakery and running an internship programme is simply not practical.
If you are interested in learning about my style of cake design please follow my Courses page for information about cake decoration classes. Or follow my education news on Facebook and Twitter.
I teach sugar craft at lovely venues like the V&A Museum and Kensington Palace. These prestigious venues are surprisingly generous with their pricing policies and so you can pick up a one day master class for as little as £65 inclusive of all tools and materials. I try to make classes unique to each venue with projects as deign led as possible inspired by the setting. So I think these can offer a very affordable way to people wanting to learn from my expertise. They can sell out incredibly fast so you have to be quick to book!

Do you make fresh cream cakes, cup cakes or cookies ?

No, I just specialise in decorating made to order party cakes, I specialise in sugar craft.
If a client inquires for a particular style of cake that I cannot provide I refer them onto other London artisan bakers and cake makers.

What are your top tips for someone when they shop around for a cake ?

1. The very best cake makers and bakery artisans tend to specialise in a particular area of patisserie. Cake decorators specialise in sugar craft work using sugar paste to coat sponge or fruit cakes and create sugar decorations by hand. Some focus purely on floral designs whilst others produce novelty style cakes for all occasions. Some suppliers have a brochure of design styles to choose from whilst others specialise in designing one off commissions catering to clients with specific design requirements. The standard of sugar and cake model work can vary widely from simplistic to sophisticated.
   Chocolatiers and Patisserie chefs specialise in elaborate chocolate work and fresh cream and fruit gateaux and tarts. These require refrigeration.
   Cup cake companies produce wide ranging styles of miniature cakes.
   Some cake companies also provide luxury iced biscuits, cookies and macaroons.

2. Clients should always view a cake makers portfolio and check that the designs in it are all their own work. That way you can recognise the producers own craft skill and style. It is important to pick someone who has the correct expertise to produce your chosen design style. Cake making is a highly specialised and challenging craft and you want to be confident of the cake makers ability based on their previous work. Orders are produced to tight deadline which leaves little room for error.

3. If you are ordering a bespoke design always expect an inclusive service of detailed sketches fully illustrating your design requirements.

4. Ask to sample cake centres and ask whether the supplier bakes their own cake centres from scratch.
   That way you know they are going to be freshly baked and delicious.

5. As well as their own design portfolio a good cake maker will have portfolios with previous clients letters of thanks along with any press cuttings.

6. All cake makers who sell their cakes have to be registered with their local Environmental Health agency.