Of all the international themes that we're considering this month, it all keeps coming back to food. Cookbooks and food books are fascinating ways to learn about other culture, and our own local food movement has only awakened interest in how food culture works in other places. However, world-renowned cake decorator Rosalind Chan's new book is a spin on global food quite like no other.
Creative Cakes features 14 cakes inspired by by the symbols and flowers of places Chan has visited on her travels, with recipes that teach some of the most sought-after skills in cake making, plus how-to photos, templates, full-page images, and a variety of cake and confectionery recipes.
The wonders of the world have never been so sweet.
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Russia
Russia’s national flower is the chamomile. Looking very much like a daisy, the chamomile symbolizes energy. Russia is known for its famous jewelled eggs, made by the House of Faberge from 1885 to 1917 for the Russian imperial family.
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India
In India, the lotus (or water lily) is considered a sacred flower and occupies a unique position in art and mythology. The lotus represents honour, longevity and good fortune. It is also a symbol of triumph. This cake is inspired by Mehndi, also known as henna art. A symbol of good luck, Mehndi is used to print temporary intricate designs on the skin for participation in weddings and festivals.
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The Philippines
Jasmine (sampaguita) is the national flower of the Philippines. Used in tea and religious offerings, this flower symbolizes hope. There are several species of jasmine—some with single petals and some with double petals, some more frilly than others. This cake’s intricately patterned tiers reflect the famous Philippine art of smocking, in which tiny pleats are decorated with embroidery.
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Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia consists of the countries south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. In this book, I have chosen to feature Malaysia and Singapore.
The national flower of Malaysia is the red hibiscus (bunga raya). Red colour represents courage, while the five petals symbolize rukun negara (Malaysia’s Five Principles of Nationhood).
Singapore’s national flower is the orchid known as Vanda, Miss Joaquim. The ability of this flower to bloom throughout the year is believed to symbolize Singapore’s continuous quest for progress and prosperity. The flower’s natural resilience reflects the determination of Singaporean people to succeed despite tough times. This is an exquisite 3-tiered cake depicting the flowers of both nations.
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Canada
Canada does not have a national flower, but the maple leaf—which appears on its flag—symbolizes unity, tolerance and peace. The moose became a Canadian symbol in 1982. Since Canada is known for its change of seasons, this project depicts three of the four seasons: winter, summer and autumn.
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Cakes by Rosalind Chan from her book, Creative Cakes. Photos by Mike McColl. Creative Cakes, Whitecap Books 2015. Appears with permission of the publisher.
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Today, Rosalind Chan owns her own cake decorating schools and bakeries in Ontario and Malaysia; she appears regularly on TV shows and as a judge at cake decorating competitions, but when she moved to England from Malaysia in the 1990’s, it was for business school. Little did she know that move would herald a lifetime of globe-trotting and a transition to the baking and decorating business.