Prince Harry and Meghan Markle kiss outside St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle after their wedding. (Photo by Jane Barlow/PA Images via Getty Images)
Claire Ptak eschewed the expected towering fruitcake - an architectural conundrum of dried fruits and chalky florals - for a bright summery Amalfi lemon elderflower cake showered with bright fresh flowers. A longtime food stylist and cook book author, Claire runs the much-lauded organic bakery Violet Cakes in East London, where she brings California cool to more traditional English recipes. Here she speaks with us about everything from building her business from a small stall at Broadway market to getting the call to Kensington Palace to create Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's dream cake.
1. When you are sitting next to someone at a dinner party, how do you describe what you do?
It really depends on the mood I am in. Sometimes I say I am a pastry cook, sometimes I say I own a bakery, sometimes I call it a cake shop. Sometimes I say I write cookbooks. I'm always trying to read my audience, to give the quickest answer to either spark a good conversation or politely turn the attention to them.
2. Boutique bakeries have really taken off in London - what makes Violet unique?
Our open kitchen has always really struck a chord with people. People can't believe what we produce in that small space, and I think it adds to the allure a great deal. Also our seating space upstairs is serene and filled with light, which makes it a great creative space. I think a lot of great work is produced up there amidst the smells of baking cinnamon buns.
WINDSOR,ENGLAND - MAY 19: The wedding cake by Claire Ptak of London-based bakery Violet Cakes in Windsor Castle for the royal wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on May 19, 2018 in Windsor,England. (Photo by Steve Parsons - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
3. You started as a market stall at Broadway Market - what were the key moments/decisions that helped you grow from a temporary stall to a brick-and-mortar café and shop?
Originally the stall was simply for me to have a creative outlet. I was working in kitchens and food styling for large ad campaigns. I felt like I needed something of my own to feel fulfilled. So I started baking and selling at the market. Then when the response was so great, I was blown away. It became impossible NOT to open a shop. There was a momentum because the customers wanted it. I also have a competitive streak. I saw some other brands growing and becoming more legitimate as businesses. This got my blood boiling because I felt like I should be doing that well too. So I kicked it into gear and found a premises.
4. What is your favourite cake to bring to a dinner party and why?
I don't think cake is the right thing to eat after a meal. I like it for tea time in the afternoon. So I always bring a seasonal fruit-based dessert. Like a fruit galette, ice cream or sorbet, or, my favourite, granita.
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