Piece of Cake

Cakes have met their match in Robin Martin, owner of Gateaux, Inc. in Plymouth. A veteran of the Food Network Challenge with her gravity-defying Green Eggs and Ham cake creation, Martin and her team can do, well—anything. “Every time we push ourselves to do something that is out of our comfort range, we learn three or four things that can make something else possible,” Martin says.

Her Seussian experiment laid the groundwork for one of Martin’s more innovative and imaginative wedding cakes—a whimsical tower of sea anemones. Yes, anemones. A couple getting married in 2008 at the Minnesota Zoo challenged Martin to incorporate their love of the sea in a one-of-a-kind creation. The results were magical, but the process a bit daunting. “The cakes that really terrify me are always the best,” she says.

Most of the time, couples don’t have such a clear vision for their cake. Step one for Martin is plumbing what she calls the couple’s “inner cake child” and finding out what makes them tick. Once couples start to see their cake’s potential, the creativity really kicks in. “It’s amazing the stuff that will happen,” Martin says. “A lot of brides that are otherwise sophisticated, lovely ladies are saying, ‘Let’s do a cake that’s going to set people on their ear.’ ”

For Martin, there are no rules. “Cake is not serious,” she points out. “It’s not pomp and circumstance. Cake is comfort food—it’s pure joy. Cake is something that can be outside the realm of tradition. It isn’t something you walk down the aisle with. It happens at the reception, where the party is.” Translation: The sky’s the limit.

For the bride set on a conservative cake, Martin can, of course, meet that challenge as well, though even her traditional cakes have a heightened sense of artistry. But more and more, as her reputation precedes her, couples are seeking out Gateaux for those let’s-have-some-fun and can’t-be- done designs.

One of her recent favorites? A cake inspired by the Taj Mahal. The groom, a native of India, envisioned the cake as the Taj Mahal—the ultimate monument to love. Breathless throughout the creative process, Martin couldn’t stop at constructing a four-tier architectural feat. She also devised a way to light the gum-paste minarets using LED lights—much to the surprise and delight of the couple and their guests. Martin smiles and says, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

For more amazing creations, check out Robin Martin’s blog at gateaux-inc.blogspot.com. Or, watch her Food Network Challenge at youtube.com/watch?v=20BfUTAFbR4