English Baking Girls

It all started in 2006, when I was studying cake design at Squire's International School of Cake Decorating in London.

There we were 10 women from across the world, England, Cyprus, Germany, Holland, Mexico, Turkey and the U.S. sitting a long table with aprons, cake tools, tea cloths and fondant waiting to for our famed instructor, one of five world renowned sugar artists we were to meet that week, to begin our class.

While waiting, we shyly introduced ourselves.

Little did we know...that such a strong bond would be created between us. A bond that has led us to creating our group...The English Baking Girls! (Even though we all weren't English!)

My wonderful and talented friends, Claudia (Germany), June (England), Zacharoula (Cyprus), Emine (Turkey) and Nikki (Holland) and me Amelia (United States), remained on-line friends and we are pretty much still going strong.

I went to Cyprus to visit Zac in 2007, where she opened her sugar design shop, Sugar Designs, in Cyprus. I stayed there for a week to help out. She told me she was getting ready for a photo shoot and would I mind designing a cake for her. Of course I exclaimed joyfully. So I sat in her state of the art kitchen behind her charming storefront studio in Limassol, Cyprus and created the above cake which was featured in "Saloni Gamou" in 2007! (I have so got to get a photographer to shoot all of my other cakes!)

I taught her mother-in-law a hrisohera (golden hands) to make some of the rosettes. She was a fast learner, and did a pretty nice job on some of the flowers you see.

I was sad to leave Cyprus and my wonderful new friend Zac and her lovely family. But am so happy, that we remained friends.

We all continue to share ideas and techniques. I hope to someday meet up with my Baking Girls again in the very near future.

Zac and Claudia and June...I wish I were coming to Birmingham to meet up with you this year.

Maybe next time around!