How many wedding cakes did you make a year?

Over a thousand. A slice could cost between $15 to $100 per person.

What are some of your clients’ more unusual requests?

We’ve done carved cakes in the shape of a Bentley with the bride and groom figures sitting in it; a copy of the house the couple bought with a for sale sign saying, Just married; a wine crate with six wine bottles in it. We painted the wine labels, which said, From the estate of … with the parent’s name and then the couple’s name; a box with shoes inside for Steve Madden.

Have you ever had a cake emergency?

Ten years ago I was sitting down to dinner and I got a call from the banquet manager. It was 7:30 on a Saturday night. He told me someone bumped into the screen that was protecting the cake, which he said needed help. I went to the Pierre Hotel with extra flowers and icing. I fixed what I could and turned the cake around. We got away with it. The bride didn’t even know.

What’s one ingredient you’ve never used?

Pot.

Did clients come in with visuals?

The mothers of the bride, who started thinking about their daughter’s wedding the minute they had a girl, would bring tear sheets from magazines with wedding cakes on them. These could be 10 years old. I’d use them for inspiration and a jumping point. It gave me a good idea of their taste level. You never want to duplicate something. You always want to create your own. Then I’d sketch out their cake, maybe add watercolor to it. They usually kept this afterward. We’d also do a sampling of cakes. The one-time meeting would last an hour.