Fondant fantasies Cake baker’s little replicas are edible and incredible
I can make almost anything. But I refuse to do vehicles, male faces and shoes
AMY HIRST ON WHERE SHE HAS TO DRAW THE LINE WHEN SHE IS CREATING
With great precision, Amy Hirst rolls tiny green balls, placing them alongside a miniature pork chop then makes a mirror glaze of gravy.
It looks like an a la carte dinner but is a replica roast made entirely of fondant icing.
People travel from all over the country to get their hands on the selftaught baker’s cupcake creations.
She can replicate almost anything with fondant icing.
Amy, 27, says: “I have made my very own miniature McDonald’s Big Mac, KFC chicken meal, a Greggs sausage roll, steak and chips, and even a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
“I know that my fast food meals are my fans’ favourites.
“The look of astonishment on people’s faces when they see my creations is wonderful. I love a challenge and the more bizarre the better.
“I do some unusual requests – a tub of Sudocrem, a tube of Bonjela and a packet of plasters are among the more unusual ones.”
Amy was studying fashion at university but dropped out in 2014 and this decision led to her discovering her real passion is making cakes.
She says: “I’ve always been creative. Me and my sister Andrea would make a terrible mess, baking cakes and biscuits then scooping the batter out with a spoon and eating it. But I remember decorating them was my favourite part.
“When I dropped out of university after two weeks when I realised it wasn’t for me I moved back home with my mum. I knew there must be something I could do to keep me occupied and busy.
“When my sister suggested I make her some baby shower cupcakes, I whipped up lashings of blue buttercream icing and layered it on top of freshly made cupcakes. Then I added letters and fondant baby decor.
“Everyone loved them and my family began asking me to create all sorts of weird and wonderful designs. I was thrilled to oblige.”
To make her fondant creations more realistic, she began buying lots TALENTED Cake maker Amy of modelling tools and paint for cakes.
Amy says: “I was like a kid in a sweet shop you could say. Over three years later something that started as a hobby had turned into my fulltime job. I uploaded some of my weird and wacky creations on to Instagram.
“It was then I was brave enough to begin my own business... Amy Bakes.
“One day I got a message from someone asking if I could make a traditional breakfast.
“Gathering all my ingredients, I started to model minute hash browns, rashers of streaky bacon, a roasted half of tomato, a slice of toast, a fried egg and to top it off a slice of black pudding.” It can take up to 24 hours to make one cupcake, waiting for the icing to dry before edible paint can be applied. This has to set before the customer can collect.
Amy, from Skelmersdale, Lancs, says: “There is nothing I won’t have a go at. I really can make almost anything.
“But I refuse to do vehicles, male faces and shoes – the designs take too long.
“If someone asked me my favourite cake topper it has to be the extraterrestrial grey alien with bulging eyeballs.
“Some people do a double take when they see the photographs and really do think they are real.” Some of her customers can’t bear to eat the creations. Instead, they freeze them and treat them as keepsakes. Amy says: “Everything comes from my own mind. I take a lot of pride in my work and I like to say I am an original creator. “I sometimes see my designs being used all around the internet and it’s crazy to see that I’m an influence to a lot of cake makers. “At the moment my cupcakes are only available for collection as I would hate for them to get squashed in the delivery process. People travel hundreds of miles to collect them.
“If I started selling my sweet treats further afield I would probably just concentrate on the toppers, and people could put them on their own yummy cupcakes.
“I’m always up for a challenge and I am so excited to see what wild and bizarre requests I will get next.”
The cost of the cakes can vary depending on how much work has to be put in. A single cupcake can start at £5 and can go up to £35 or more.
Amy says: “The best bit about making my cakes is that I know I am creating lovely memories for someone and that for me is a real privilege.”
■ To discover more you can check out AmyBakesUk on Facebook, or @amyscupcakesx on Instagram.