Obsessives: Wedding Cake

Published on Thursday, January 24, 2008, by Meredith Arthur, Eric Slatkin, and Blake Smith / Edit Post

Obsessives: Wedding Cake

By Meredith Arthur, Eric Slatkin, and Blake Smith

Wedding cake designer Shinmin Li started baking wedding cakes after training in fine art. It’s not that jarring of a change, if you think about it. Li owns I Dream of Cake in San Francisco, and spends her time obsessing over cake consistency, design details, and whether her clients will eat the finished product.

This is a regular series called Obsessives, in which CHOW explores the worlds of singularly focused food-industry figures. These are the people with the dirty hands, answering detailed questions about the work they do.

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POST A COMMENT |16 Comments

COMMENT

  • I love modern wedding cakes especially with fondant. I can create my own decoration.

  • I will never understand the vitriol people display towards vegans, I find it both distasteful and boring. The biggest difference toward a pastry chef and a wedding cake maker is the idea of commissioning a cake. You can leave a bakery should you not find something you want. However if you are commissioning a one of a kind cake, to be created just for you and your wedding reception, I think you...+READ

    I will never understand the vitriol people display towards vegans, I find it both distasteful and boring. The biggest difference toward a pastry chef and a wedding cake maker is the idea of commissioning a cake. You can leave a bakery should you not find something you want. However if you are commissioning a one of a kind cake, to be created just for you and your wedding reception, I think you should be able to make whatever request you want, although adjusting the price is fine.-COLLAPSE

  • High level baristas?? What a world, where coffee pouring is elevated to the level of art and where we should kowtow to them, because they are so far beyond us in their knowledge of coffee pouring, that if something we want is not in their repertoire, we are out of luck. Give me a break!

  • Not having worked with the artist interviewed here I can't comment on the accuracy of wileycontote's comments, but assuming she does in fact have a "take it or leave it" attitude, then I applaud her for it! The woman is obviously not primarily a businesswoman, nor a baker, nor even an artist; she is primarily an artisan. Someone who understands and appreciates the history, culture, social and...+READ

    Not having worked with the artist interviewed here I can't comment on the accuracy of wileycontote's comments, but assuming she does in fact have a "take it or leave it" attitude, then I applaud her for it! The woman is obviously not primarily a businesswoman, nor a baker, nor even an artist; she is primarily an artisan. Someone who understands and appreciates the history, culture, social and traditional customs surrounding a particular activity, yet at the same time can bring to them respectful innovation. Such a person's loyalty to the authenticity of their product over all else is precisely what allows them to create a product that we all so admire. I have experienced the same sort of dedication in high level baristas, chefs, and other kinds of obsessives. Among the many things wrong with the modern world is that we think the entire world is a giant Burger King. We NEED someone to say, "no, you CAN'T have it your way."-COLLAPSE

  • Shinmin's cakes are truly beautiful, but to appreciate a cake of this expense and artistry, it is important to actually like the artist as well. Unfortunately, many brides seeking beautiful cakes S.F. have complained about her terrible take it or leave it attitude when it comes to her cakes. My advice would be for her to adopt a nicer attitude towards those who appreciate her cakes yet may not be...+READ

    Shinmin's cakes are truly beautiful, but to appreciate a cake of this expense and artistry, it is important to actually like the artist as well. Unfortunately, many brides seeking beautiful cakes S.F. have complained about her terrible take it or leave it attitude when it comes to her cakes. My advice would be for her to adopt a nicer attitude towards those who appreciate her cakes yet may not be able to afford ione. Word of mouth goes a long way in business and art, and in this case, cake.-COLLAPSE

  • Absent a real-world Willy Wonka, we unfortunately can't taste those cakes, but damn, I'd like to.

    With regard to the vegan issue, assuming one can slap together a recognizable shape out of vegan ingredients, how do they ultimately taste? In the final analysis, food that isn't palatable has no reason for being. A meal of vitamins and tofu would be cheaper.

  • There is no doubt that her cakes are lovely. She is totally wrong about vegan cakes though! Take at look at www.bewitchingelegance.com. Bewitching Elegance makes awesome vegan cakes, can shape them, and can even use vegan fondant. They also do traditional and gluten free cakes. You would never guess their vegan cakes are vegan.

  • Actually Karen G is incorrect, cake flour has less protein than pastry flour.

    While her cakes are beautiful, unfortunately I see time and time again artists who like to call themselves bakers or chefs, but do not have a firm grasp of baking chemistry.
    Her remarks on being unable to work with a vegan cake are indicative - if she was a true baker she would be able to develop a recipe.

  • In response to phan1: She probably uses all-purpose flour. The reason cake flour makes for such a delicate cake is because it has less protein in it than all-purpose flour. Pastry flour has even less protein in it than either, and therefore would make for a cake that is far too delicate.

  • I was wondering, if she doesn't use cake flour, what does she use? Pastry flour?

  • Talk about attention to detail, if more Los Angeles line cooks were like her, I would be happy

  • i looove this one! she's an artist, wow.

  • Thanks for another GREAT series. Fun to go behind the scenes with Shinmin, who has done two amazing birthday cakes for me. I can vouch for the fact that they really do taste as good as they look!

  • Such a great piece. Obsessives is really one of the very best things about Chow.

  • Cakes are incredible! If you ever want a work of art, though, and live in the Westchester area, check out Perfect Endings Bakery in Armonk, NY. Amazing 3d cakes that taste as great as they look!

  • Wow, Shinmin's cakes are insanely gorgeous. She's incredibly talented. And I love that she cares about how the cake tastes just as much as how it looks. Great piece CHOW.