Fancy decorators take the cake

Convention celebrates elaborate designs and latest baking trends

When it comes to cake decorating, the best of the best were represented at the 2003 International Cake Exploration Societé's annual convention.

The event was held July 31 through Aug. 3 at the Rio and included more than 1,200 members. This was the first time the group (www.ices.org) met in Las Vegas.

One of its members is Dane Bethea, a local caterer who specializes in wedding cakes and those for special events. His five displays in the non-judged cake gallery exhibition included samples of draping, swags, hand-painted flowers and one done in something called the topsy-turvy style. Think of it as the leaning tower of Pisa, only done with cake.

"It's the 'in' style right now," said Grace Jones, publicity chairwoman. "All the brides are enthralled with it but it's such a pain to do. You have to make sure the center of gravity is centered so it stays up."

Bethea has been in business since 1985 when he established Simple Elegance in Cake Design. His is a one-man operation and he rents space from his friend Michael Napolitano, who owns and operates Renaissance Catering Inc., 3999 Renate Drive. Both can be reached by visiting www.renaissance-catering.com.

While the vendor area of the show offered expensive rolling pins with intricate designs and shaping tools for the sides of cakes, Bethea has his own tricks.

"Home Depot is the best place to find things," he said. "You can get things there you'd never think to use on sugar."

A grid design, for example, can be made by pressing a florescent light cover into rolled out frosting. Likewise, the backs of carpet runners with their multiple teeth creates a pin-prick pattern. And a hand-held tool used by wall painters to make certain designs, can be used in layers of colored frosting to swirl them together for a wood-grain look.

Cakes in the gallery included ones made in inventive shapes. There was a cartoon centipede, a dove in flight and one done in a three-dimensional "Under the Sea" theme. There was a guitar with a drum, a baby in a carriage, even Godzilla popping out of a cake.

The display cakes were not made with flour and sugar, but Styrofoam and posts. Then they are covered with sheets of frosting that mold to contours and decorated using various techniques. The only requirement was the cakes in the gallery had to be possible to re-create in edible form.

Each cake Bethea had on display took him at least a week to create. One was made in a mint green color, but he changed his mind and redid it in ivory before the show.

A check around the galley found a number of Las Vegans, who paid $5 to view the exhibit.

Debbie Drozeski, a North Las Vegas resident who is known in her family for her cake making, was there buying gum paste and a special cake pan that yields tiny three-tiered wedding cakes.

"This show is really timely for me," she said. "My son is getting married and I want the cake to be special. You only get married once."

The tiny tiered cakes will be used at each place setting, she said.

Southwest resident Michelle Sanders was there with her children, Hailey, 7, and Eric, 1. She was looking for novel ideas.

"I like making special cakes," she said, adding that her first foray into themed-cake making was for her children's latest birthdays. "These cakes, this is way out of my league."

Twenty years ago, butter cream frosting and string work was the rage. Most everything was done in white. But technology and improvements in ingredients have elevated cake making to a more creative level.

The vendor's area, off limits to the general public unless they were willing to pay $50, included how-to demonstrations and samples on display. A portion of the money went to Opportunity Village.

There were molds, sealers, cake figurines, edging tools and food coloring in every color imaginable. People crowded each display, eager to learn of new techniques and try the newest products.

Bethea said grocery stores see booming sales in baking items after each convention.

As for his plans, he said he wants to open a shop in Las Vegas offering a light lunch and high tea where he will continue making innovative wedding cakes.


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