British cake designer Zoe Clark admits that her first attempts at cake design did not yield perfect results. However, this surely did not discourage her nor should it discourage any cake-decorating enthusiast, she tells Stephanie Fsadni.

Zoe Clark is renowned for her beautiful wedding cakes but also for her cupcakes and other sweet treats.

Every time you log on to Facebook, it’s quite impossible not to come across pictures of some lavishly decorated cake. One may infer that many are trying their hand at cake design ... even though the result may sometimes fall very short of perfection. However, some churn out quite professional-looking cakes, while others still have made a business out of cake decorating.

Briton Zoe Clark is a well-known cake designer. She began her career as a pastry chef and worked in prestigious restaurants in Australia and the UK. From a young age, she had a penchant for baking and decorating cakes, and was inspired to turn this passion into a profession after making her own wedding cake – which was not that perfect, as she admits.

“It was a three-tier cylinder cake and was roughly coated in buttercream,” recalls Zoe. “Each tier was a different flavour – orange, caramel mud cake and white chocolate mud cake.

“The top was decorated with sugar flowers which a lady in Brisbane taught me how to do – this was my first taster for making sugar flowers.

“I hadn’t used fondant icing before, so that’s why it was coated in buttercream. Looking back now, it was awful but at the time I was really proud of myself.”

It was awful but at the time I was really proud of myself

Since then, Zoe launched her own cake-decorating business, opened a shop – The Cake Parlour in southwest London – and has written five books, replete with bakes, sweet treats and, of course, beautiful displays. Her fame reached the royal courts when she made a five-tiered fruit cake for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

However, she does not list this cake when asked about the most impressive cake she has ever made. Actually, she cannot pick one out.

“I’m not too sure really. I love lace cakes and those covered in sugar flowers. A giant beehive with bees buzzing around and stone lions at the entrance really sticks in my mind as one of my favourite and strangest wedding cakes. I also made a cake completely covered in sugar roses once, which looked amazing but was very time-consuming.”

Zoe enjoys decorating wedding cakes most because she “just loves romantic, beautiful-looking cakes”, but she does anything from cupcakes to cookies. And she is adamant that everyone can do it.

“Just have a go. Try a couple of courses – online courses from reputable sites are good too.”

It helps if one is “naturally quite arty and crafty but, if not, a few art and design courses could give you the necessary edge.

“I would strongly recommend them,” says Zoe.

Beginners may want to try fondant or buttercream icing first, which Zoe describes as “quite simple”.

“Personally, I think you just need to see how to do it a few times rather than reading how to do it. And I’d avoid royal icing.”

Metallics, sequins and rice paper flowers are the ‘in-thing’ at the moment, but sugar flowers and lace are also still very much in demand.

The trickiest part of all, however, is icing a cake perfectly, especially “deep cakes or fiddly-shaped cakes”. But like any other craft, good tools will help you in no small way.

“My essentials are my smoothers. A great paring knife is also a must. And, yes, patience of course.”

Zoe is positive that despite all the apparent difficulties, one should not be discouraged: “There are so many different types of cakes to decorate.

“My son’s favourite cake to date was made by my husband – completely covered in Smarties with a number seven in the middle in one colour, so it stood out. Genius!”

• Zoe Clark is holding an intermediate level master class and two demonstrations for professional and cake decorating enthusiasts at the Phoenicia Hotel, Floriana, tomorrow and on Tuesday. For bookings call Johanna Ransley on 9940 2980 or send an e-mail to perfectingcakes@gmail.com. You can catch some of Zoe’s dazzling cakes on www.zoeclarkcakes.com or visit her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/zoeclarkcakes.

Zoe’s tips on cake design courses

• Do your research before attending a course – make sure they know what they are teaching really well.

• Don’t expect perfect results the first time. Courses are for learning the techniques and for getting as much advice and knowledge as possible. You can then practise at home.

• There is always more than one way to do something. Your teacher will show you one way but remember you might find an easier way that suits you.