In a regal kitchen surrounded by vintage architecture and design is where you’ll find Chef Benjamin Epicure. A renowned 5 star Chef who specializes in French, Italian & Japanese ultra high end cuisine. We arrived at Smithmore Castle where Chef Epicure currently heads a Food Consulting firm aimed to ensure that high end hotels, resorts and cruise ships are recession proof. We sat with the Chef to get the full scoop on how his cakes became so desirable amongst Brides, Corporate Functions and Birthdays.
He laughed and said, “honestly by accident.” He told us that he’s always received requests to bake cakes for weddings given his highly artistic designs but would always tell customers that he was too busy. About three years ago he was hired to cater a celebrity wedding where the bride begged him to make her cake. And after numerously pleasant ways of saying he wouldn’t have the time, Chef Epicure agreed and made a spectacular identical double layer cake. Needless to say, photos of his creations flooded social media profiles of future brides to be and the orders rolled in.
Fast Forward to 2022, Epicure receives dozens of calls each day from would be customers from all over America. Offering to fly him out and offer an all expenses paid trip for a chance to have his remarkable art on full display at their event. Chef Epicure markets his cakes under The Royal Cake Collection ™ and range anywhere from $550-$5,000. It’s clear by looking at his cakes why customers are drawn to them. A beautiful combination of lace, fondant and bold colors remind you of true to live royal cakes from Victorian times. “Everything on my cakes are edible,” the Chef said. “Unlike most bakers, I mold everything by hand, no wires, no fake flowers or leaves, 100% of all my cakes are edible.” I must admit, the care and craftsmanship is clearly on full display when you look at his collection. Epicure, in true artistry fashion designs his cakes immediately as the customer is describing them. Usually on scratch paper with a pencil, and a red marker. He showed us some of his sketches which he kept in a drawer which looked to be overflowing with his creative genius. Peeking slightly at the stacks of papers, I could see hundreds of renderings for cakes displayed by various elevations. Some showed the top view, while others concentrated on roses, their colors and orientation.
On the day of this interview Chef Epicure was creating a graduation cake for about 50 guests. He asked me if I would stand by and watch the cake being made. I quickly responded with an “Absolutely.” He had previously baked three layers of Strawberry and Vanilla and was getting ready to decorate. He showed me all of the different fondant designs he created for this cake such as a graduation cap, diplomas and even tassels. What was most impressive was the speed and efficiency in which the Chef works. It’s as though you are witnessing super human powers.
The graduation cake was very large, measuring 16” on the first tier, 12” on the second, 8” on the third with a 6 inch topper. I watched the Chef methodically outline the cake with lace, then gold leaf and finally the piping. Everything was synchronized and purposeful. I was honored to be present and the fact of me being there made me realize that I was a witness to something liken to DaVinci, or Leonardo creating one of their masterpieces. Besides, it is referred to as Culinary Arts after all.
Chef Benjamin Epicure, master cake maker, designer and Chef. A truly remarkable man with a culinary talent which has made his cake making reputation as the highest regarded in his profession. If you want one of a kind cake that’ll surely impress everyone at your event then contact Chef Benjamin Epicure.
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