Chloe Nguyen, cake decorator at Tre Mari Bakery.
Tre Mari Bakery has been a part of Toronto's Corso Italia community on St. Clair West for over 60 years. We’re proud to have our bakery serve as a hub for our community. Our role as a community hub has inspired us to begin publishing interviews with St. Clair West commuity members, notable figures in Italian food culture, bakery staff and customers. This month, we sit down with Chloe Nguyen cake, decorator at Tre Mari Bakery. We discuss the joys of cake decoration and the latest industry trends.
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When did you decide you wanted to become a cake decorator?
Baking and decorating cakes has been my hobby since I was a kid. I would often make cakes with my sister, at home. I didn't think to proceed with making cakes as a career until a few years ago, after covid hit, and I got laid off from my first career. I made some cakes at home and stuff, and decided I should get into this as a career. I went back to school for it, and then I started working here, professionally.
Do you remember the first cake you ever decorated?
The first cake I made was pretty simple, because I didn't really know how to mask a cake before, so I just made a very simple rosette covered cake. It was very vintage, simple. That's my style. Simple. I'm all about vintage cakes.
Can you describe the most intricate cake you have ever decorated?
Different cakes present different difficulties. There was a four tier cake that I made, here at the bakery. It was all covered with fondant, and the design was to have the fondant look like fabric going down the side. We had to make it very smooth, and look like real fabric. It took me time to do it, but it was fun. I enjoyed it.
Intricate wedding cake with a fondant "fabric" design.
What are some trends you have noticed becoming more popular in cake decoration, over the past few years?
I think vintage cakes are a huge thing, now. That's what we are doing a lot now, too, in the bakery. I feel like that's the trend that everyone wants to follow, now. Very pretty, and vintage. This year the trend is all about vintage. It's very fun to work with different textures, different colours. You can make different palettes, with vintage cakes. It's very nice to work with different colours, like pastels, rustic colours, richer colours.
Which mask is better: buttercream or whipped cream?
I like buttercream more. Buttercream, because of the texture, can hold the cake better, so you can make taller cakes. Also, it has a sharper look to it. So, I like buttercream better, but whipped cream is also good.
What did your last birthday cake look like?
My last birthday cake, my friend made for me—because I feel like it's so sad to make my own birthday cake! It was very simple. It was a cake with fresh fruits and stuff. She put fresh flowers on it, too. It was cute, and it tasted good. I'm happy that I have friends like that.
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We hope you enjoyed reading this interview. If you’re looking for quality cakes, for any occasion, visit our online shop. We deliver to Toronto and areas of the GTA.
Buon appetito!
—Tre Mari Bakery
