FOOD IS MEDICINE
CAKE COUTURE buffet with whimsical cake pops, Whether it be runway fashion or truffles, chocolate-covered an elegantly decorated dessert, strawberry towers and elaborate creativity is what makes life sweet. croquembouche sculptures. A graduate of Williams College Each cake journey begins with and Parsons School of Design, an in-depth consultation with the fashion designer Charlotte client or event planner, including Neuville began her career as an a sketch and design plan from assistant designer to Perry Ellis Neuville, as well as samples of an before launching her namesake array of delectable flavors and brand in 1985. She then soared fillings. Among Neuville’s extensive to the top of the fashion world, clientele is Aerin Lauder, who with pieces sold in Barneys New commissioned a white-and-gold York, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth birthday cake featuring blooming Avenue and Bloomingdale’s, peonies and tiny ladybugs. For and coverage in Vogue, Olivia Palermo, her namesake pig Harper’s Bazaar and Elle. After from the beloved Olivia children’s transforming retail chain Lerner book series was brought to life on New York into the multibilliona nostalgic storybook cake. Her dollar fashion house New York & Mini floral cakes from Charlotte Neuville larger-than-life designs caught Company and creating Bono’s the eye of Oprah Winfrey, which secured Charlotte Neuville philanthropic global brand PRODUCT (RED), Neuville left Cakes a cover spot on 2013’s The O List. her 30-year profession behind to pursue another lifelong What sets Neuville apart from other bakers is her innate passion: cake decorating and design. ability to project each client’s loves and passions onto their Neuville made the jump from fashion to fondant in cakes. One creation in particular, The Artist and Musician 2011, honing her confectionery skills at the French Culinary Wedding Cake featured on the opening page of Purist ’s Institute before interning under cake designer Ron BenFood Is Medicine section, tells the bride and groom’s story Israel. “Initially, I started it out of my apartment!” she says in three meticulously crafted layers. Janey, an artist, singer of her now thriving business. “I actually moved out of and Texas native, fell in love with therapist and musician my bedroom into the living room, and transformed my Chris across the country in Boston. An edible microphone, bedroom into a cake design studio. I did all of the baking paintbrush and snare drum appear on the base layer of in my home kitchen, and soon outgrew the space. I rented the cake, with the middle tier featuring a draped sugara space nearby in Chelsea, and the rest is history.” paste map of the United States illustrating the route from From weddings and birthdays, bar mitzvahs to bridal the Lone Star State all the way to a red heart marking their showers and everything in between, Neuville brings each meeting place on the East Coast. client’s vision to life with intricate multidimensional cake “We hand-painted one of Janey’s screen prints onto concepts. “Baking and confectionery design is two steps the top of the cake, and brought it alive with 3D sugaraway from fashion design,” Neuville says. “I am still wildly paste yellow orchids and juniper berries that appear passionate about fashion, and an active member of the to be blossoming out of the cake,” says Neuville. “We CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America). It’s all then transformed the base tier into Chris’s snare drum, about beauty and creativity—that is what drives me.” even making our own molds for the snares. This started Some of her most ambitious creations include an eight-tier us making our own proprietary molds exclusively for wedding cake adorned with delicate sugar-paste orchids, our clients.” The cake was such a hit, Neuville has been ultrarealistic bulldog and cat cakes modeled after real commissioned to create Janey’s daughter’s wedding cake pets, and charming miniature “hamburger slider” cupcakes this September. constructed from fondant. Those looking to impress guests charlotteneuvillecakes.com at their next get-together can opt for a bespoke dessert 74
Courtesy of Charlotte Neuville Cakes
Fashion veteran and confectioner extraordinaire Charlotte Neuville brings artistic flair to the world of cake design. BY GABRIELLE ECHEVARRIETA
