Cake decorating’s modern twist

Take your baking skills up a notch with breathtaking decorations

When Bee Berrie first started making wedding cakes for friends over five years ago, the tiers were traditional and the decorations classic. Dainty sugar flowers were the order of the day. These days her blooms are of ten real a nd her colour scheme is a kaleidoscope of eye-popping icings, naturally dyed dehydrated fruit and home-made sprinkles .‘ ninety percent of w ha ti make features edible flowers or herbs,’ says Berrie, who launched Bee’s Bakery in 2015 after realising that her baking hobby could become a career. ‘i was a microbiologist working in the pharmaceutical industry – a proper science boffin – and had never thought of being a creative person before.’

in the midst of the cupcake craze, a single biscuit was Berrie’s calling card: the jammy dodger, filled with jam and buttercream and stamped with letters. After one bearing a particularly fruity word went viral, it wasn’t long before stockists, including harrods and Daylesford, came knocking and a debut cookbook shared more biscuit creations.

Cakes are the subject of Berrie’s latest book. Many of her commissions are now vegan or dairy-free, and Berrie is always on the hunt for design inspiration, whether from paint charts or wrapping paper. recipes for showstoppers include a tar tan-meets-battenburg number, and a layered vegan cheesecake over flowing with fruit and edible flowers. What first appears daunting becomes a breeze with her practical instructions. ‘i advise people to take a recipe they know well and drive it in a different direction. Your confidence can only grow.’ Bee’s Adventures in Cake Decorating is published by Pavilion (£12.99)

Above right Bee Berrie’s vegan layered cheesecake. Right Berrie gives cakes the wow factor