Caked in Sugar

By Pots and Pans

ON JUNE 31, 2006, Penk Ching and Shen Ratilla finally came out with their much-awaited coffee table book entitled, Caked in Sugar at the Manila Peninsula, which was well-attended by who's who in the culinary and cake world in Manila and around the country. The place was literally overflowing with guests. Being a close friend of Penk, I feel awfully bad when I failed to attend the said launching because of prior commitments.

Nevertheless, another launching was done last July 8, 2006 at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City during their annual "Cebu Goes Culinary" festival. And luckily this time, I was around to witness the grand event, which was again well attended by several culinary artists from Cebu City. A decorated stage with a comfortable sofa was empty since Ms. Penk Ching opted to talk and stay near the audience.

Cakes she has created were shown on the screen to the delight of everyone! The affair became more intimate when Penk started to hop from one table to the next where most of the guests started to have photos taken with her. Penk also answered questions regarding her career as a cake artist, how she came out with her unusual designs, and etc.

While cocktails were being served, Penk also did her book signing. Being a cake artist myself, I also bought her book and have her signed it! The event lasted for hours, which gave the people to know more about Penk on a personal level. The creations of Penk and Shen, is showcased in their book "Caked in Sugar" and is divided into six chapters.

The first chapter shows us the basic skills in fondant making. Chapter 2 entitled "Double Happiness" features several real wedding cakes they have done but has to redo them for pictorial of the book. Wedding cakes like the ones they made for Fernando Zobel and Catherine Silverio, Juan Miguel Zubiri and Audrey Tan, David Gaisano II and Kristine King, plus their very famous Faberge Egg cake and the Pillow cake (which became one of my sought after design, thanks to Penk!) are all shown in this chapter.

The next chapter shows her "Malacañang Wedding Cakes" (Ejercito-Lopez Wedding, Arroyo-Montenegro wedding and Arroyo-Manotok wedding). Chapter four features her "celebration cakes" from baptismal to a hundred year old celebration cake.

The following chapter entitled "Fantasies" shows their skills in making anything into edible and a work of art (bags, shoes, chandeliers, etc). The last chapter is devoted to the Chinese Horoscope where the 12 animals are carefully, exquisitely and deliciously crafted in sugar.

By the way, this Coffee table Book does not contain any recipes, only photos of artistic and intricate cakes. A very simple and down-to-earth person, I first met Penk in one of my trips to Manila to attend a food exposition several years back. We became close friends and needless to say, I was able to invite her three times to showcase her skills in 2002, 2003 and 2004 in "Let's Cake it with Penk and Ed! Penk wowed the audience with her intricate ways in using fondant and gumpaste making them into a fantastic work of art!

Those activities opened a lot doors and opportunities to cake enthusiasts, cake decorators, bakers and homemakers alike. Penk has made several wedding cakes for politicians, movie and TV personalities, supermodels and celebrities which included the wedding cakes of Sharon Cuneta and Francis Pangilinan, Tintin Bersola and Julius Babao and recently Claudine Barreto and Raymart Santiago.

A sought-after cake artist, Penk has a clientele that goes as far as Visayas and Mindanao and even Southeast Asia! I highly recommend this book to all cake artists, enthusiasts and anyone who loves the good things in life. Cake in sugar is now available at selected National Bookstores nationwide and other leading bookstores.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/cag/2006/08/10/life/caked.in.sugar.html