It’s great to recognise cake icons in the industry for their expertise and phenomenal designs. This month, we speak to Verusca Walker.
Verusca Walker is known for her elaborate realistic cakes and has been in the cake decorating industry for ten years! She now teaches her craft all over the world.
Can you tell us about your cake decorating journey – where did it all begin?
Like almost all cake decorators, my journey started with my daughter’s first birthday. I had just finished Fine Arts working with sculptures so I decided to make a sculpted cake for her party. It was a novelty 14 years ago in Australia and it was a success; very quickly, family members, friends and friends of friends started asking me for 3D cakes and figurines.
How did you learn your skills in cake decorating?
I apply my techniques of sculpting in clay and biscuit (cold porcelain) to my cakes. Then I started working in a cake shop every day. Practise and crazy requests from clients made me get used to the medium of fondant and adapt my structures to edible ingredients, gravity, weather and transportation.
As a cake decorator, what tool can’t you live without?
I love straws and wood skewers. It is amazing what you can do with simple and inexpensive items.