82 | December 2017 http://www.cakedecorationmagazine.co.ukCAKE MEMOIR
We talk cake mistakes and memorable cake moments with
award winning artist, Laura Dodimead...WHAT WAS IT THAT GOT YOU
HOOKED ON SUGARCRAFT?
It was my eldest daughter's fi rst
birthday cake. I made a huge
mistake by using fl our instead of
icing sugar to roll out with – oops!
I actually found the whole process
a real challenge and that's what
made me want to try different
novelty cakes.WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO
MAKE IT YOUR BUSINESS
INSTEAD OF A HOBBY?
After about a year I began selling
sponge cakes and bakes at a
market and the interest was so
huge I felt that there was a real
want for my work. I was concerned
I would lose the enjoyment but
luckily, that has never happened."NEVER STOP LEARNING,
TAKE CLASSES TO
CONSTANTLY KEEP YOUR
SKILLS UPDATED. NEVER
UNDERSELL YOURSELF
OR YOUR WORK. DEVELOP
YOUR OWN STYLE AND
PRACTISE MAKING AND
CREATING WHENEVER
YOU CAN. KEEP
CHALLENGING YOURSELF."YOU ARE A MULTI AWARD
WINNING ARTIST,
WHICH AWARD MEANS
THE MOST?
All of my awards mean
the world to me, I cannot
believe I managed to
get three golds. I feel so
honoured to be awarded
anything for my work
let alone gold. I just
love creating so to
get recognition for
my cakes is an
amazing feeling.WHAT IS YOUR MOST
INCREDIBLE CAKE MOMENT
TO DATE?
Competing in the cake-off at
Cake International was so much
fun so that is defi nitely up there,
winning Kirstie’s Christmas cake
competition is another high but
getting my work published in
many magazines in the UK and
abroad is always such an incredible
achievement, especially as I am
dyslexic. I never believed I would
be taken seriously and actually be
in print.MOST NERVE RACKING
COMMISSION TO DATE?
A cake I made for a fi lm
director with just
twenty-four hours notice.
I wasn't given much
of a brief and it had to
travel to London in a
limo without me. I was
so nervous about it not
having long enough to
dry before travelling
that I waited by the
phone anxiously
for it to arrive.WHAT TOOL CAN YOU NOT
LIVE WITHOUT?
Other than my hands? Sugar
shapers, I use them for
everything, and as I use a lot
of modelling chocolate they are
perfect for smoothing pastes
together to give a fl awless fi nish.YOUR FAVOURITE SUGAR AND
MODELLING PASTE?
I am used to using Squires
Kitchen products and really love
the new Carlos HD modelling
paste. The sugarpaste has a
lovely fl avour and polishes well
and the new HD modelling paste
has a lovely colour range.WHAT REMAINS TOP OF YOUR
CAKE BUCKET LIST?
I’m sure every cake maker
says this, I would like to be
crowned best in show. It would
be a dream for me as well as
getting my fi rst book published.
I have so much information and
ideas that I would love to share
with those that are new to cake
decorating and hopefully inspire
the professionals with
unique designs.WILL WE SEE YOU AT
THE SHOWS?
I will be at Cake International
in the enclosed theatre on
Saturday 5th November at
1pm demonstrating chocolate
modelling animated pets and I
will also be entering for the last
time but I haven't chosen my
category yet. I'm also attending
the Cake Masters award which
I'm really looking to... I love the
shows and the atmosphere...
there's always so much cake love!
It's an amazing experience.L A S T C R U M B S
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