Copy Cakes

I recently walked into my town's bakery just to get a loaf of Italian bread. However what greeted me was something worthy of the Cake Boss or Duff,. There were a variety of cakes, done, ,like hats, flower gardens and sandcastles.They looked beautiful and gorgeous . However they were hiding a secret.

They were probably mediocre cakes.

My town bakery is not one known for great pastry. It doesn't have the reputation of other bakeries in the area. In fact I have to drive ten minutes down the highway to go to a really good Italian bakery. So I wonder what was this bakery doing creating amazing looking cakes?Shouldn't they be more concerned with taste than appearance? Or has our society of celebrity baker influenced them so much? Instead of focusing on making marzipan shells and flowers they should be worrying if their vanilla is up to snuff or their cream fillings are so gummy(which they have been in the past)

I realize that the Food channel , along,with so many other ones that feature the food industry is influencing the way restaurants and bakery do their job. They give what people seen on TV. The problem is that this may jeopardize their own style and experience. It's wonderful to create the dish of the moment, however be knowledgeable in doing so.Don't create gorgeous decorations and icings when th actual cake is not up to snuff. Stick to what you know best. This is the secret to so many smaller bakeries here in Jersey, They adhere to time honored recipes that have been used for decades and in some cases an entire century.

I hope my local bakery doesn't fully follow Duff. After all, he's the eon who puts rockets and bombs in his cakes and then explodes them. Hold on to your cannoli if that happens.