OUR STORY
How we started to where we are now and the future of Cake and Art.
Tom Rosa of Cake and Art
Cake and Art opened its doors 32 years ago in West Hollywood . The concept was simple: turn cake design into a work of art. The original owner, Glenn von Kickle, was a multi-faceted artist. Renowned for fashion design, window displays and extraordinary oil paintings, Glenn was looking for a way to turn his love of art and passion for food into a new way of doing business. He recognized that his revolutionary concepts in cake design required an audience that could appreciate what was being offered. So he looked to Hollywood , and it was a perfect fit. From its beginnings, Cake and Art has been a constant at Hollywood events, premieres, festivals and award ceremonies. His client base included everyone from Laurence Olivier to Demi Moore. I became Glenn's business partner in 1978, and took over the business in 2001 when Glenn passed away. But my goal has always mirrored Glenn's: never be afraid of doing something new and always trust your artistic instincts.
Tom Rosa Owner, artist and chef extraordinaire of Cake and Art, West Hollywood Ca.
8709 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 657-8694
Q: Tom, what is the one thing everyone should know about Cake and Art?
A: Although our client base includes the rich and famous, we also have customers all over the Southern California landscape, from housewives in West Covina to college students at UCLA. New clients will often ask how our cakes can be so affordable for such beautiful designs. My response is that as artists, we know a variety of techniques allowing us to turn a simple concept into a work of art. Most bakeries are started by people who love food, but usually have little or no artistic sensibilities. So they learn how to decorate cakes from books and classes, making their designs uniform and safe. But at Cake and Art, we loathe uniformity. We strive for the unique, the different, the one-of-a-kind design that will create the "wow" factor when it is presented.
Q: How do you know what size of cake to order?
Serving size. That's a book all on its own. The baking industry has concocted many formulas for determining what constitutes a "piece of cake." And from this formula, the pricing of cakes was born. For instance, a 3" wedge of cake may cost $2.25 a slice at one bakery and $7.50 at another. But after 30 years, I still don't understand this system. A carrot cake bakes completely different from a lemon cake. A wedge from a three-layer cake can satisfy a football player's appetite, but overwhelm a child. I always determine the mix of children and adults at a party, plus the richness of the cake being served. A chocolate ganache cake goes a lot farther than a simple white cake. From this total I usually subtract a small percentage for guests that don't eat desserts (yes, they exist), or those on diets. But more often than not, people tell me they want leftovers for breakfast the next morning!
Q: What’s the most popular design now?
Our most popular designs for kids continue to be such familiar characters as Elmo, Dora the Explorer, Thomas the Train, etc. Older children are into Hannah Montana and other television and music stars. Of course, MTV's popularization of Sweet 16 parties has created a flood of requests for over-the-top creations so these "sweet" kids can have bragging rights at school. For adults, especially women, clothing items are quite popular. Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada and Gucci images are often requested. For men, sports themes still dominate. We have recreated a number of stadiums, including Fenway Park , Wrigley Field and LA's Coliseum.
Q: How do you transport these beautiful works of art?
We spend a lot of time on structuring the cakes so they are easily transportable. I sometimes have to provide detailed diagrams on how to cut the cake to avoid support poles inside. For extremely complicated cakes, we may have to work on location to avoid any delivery accidents.
Q: Traditional cake versus design cakes, what’s the ratio?
For Cake and Art, traditional cake designs, such as cascading florals, are about 10 percent of our business. Most of our cake designs involve an artist's interpretation of a customer's theme. We pride ourselves on creating that perfect cake design that evokes the mood a customer wants to project when it is presented: humor, sentiment, fun or just plain "shock and awe."
Q: How do you Price your works of Art?
Price depends on complexity. We have basic prices for simple designs. Certain artistic techniques are more labor intensive than others. I always suggest the customers let me know the budget range they have so we can give them the most dazzle for the buck.
Q: What’s the largest cake you’ve made?
A twelve-foot tall carousel of horses. It was built on location at the Hollywood Paladium
Q: What is the most unusual cake (that you can share with us) that you have made?
Now that's a tough one. During 32 years we've created pretty much every design under the sun. We've recreated downtown Chicago , built a life-size Toyota pickup, immortalized King Tut's tomb, etc. Demi Moore requested a four-foot atomic explosion. Michael Landon got a life-sized Dracula. We recreated downtown South Park for that animated show's creators. I guess unusual is in the eye of the beholder. Would a complete Thanksgiving Dinner made out of cake be unusual?
Q: What would you be if you were not a pastry chef?
I've written all my life. It remains a passion. I've often been asked to write a television series about a bakery that caters to Hollywood celebrities and is filled with a cast of crazy characters. Now where would I find the inspiration?
Q: Where do you get your inspirations from?
Inspiration often comes when I've worked for sixteen straight hours and my only employees left are the cleaning crew. I'll look at the next day's orders and think about the person who is about to receive a Cake and Artcreation. How will they feel when the cake is presented to them? Will a tear be shed or a knowing smile cross their lips? One of my greatest joys is when the recipient of one of our cakes calls and says the cake was the hit of the party. Or I get an email with all the guests surrounding the cake and smiling ear to ear.
Q: Out of all the cakes you’ve done, which one so far has been the most special to you?
Without a doubt, my parent's 50th wedding anniversary. It occurred seven years ago when they both were still healthy and neither had yet developed Alzheimer's disease. My father enjoyed retouching black-and-white photographs. He had loving worked on their wedding photo. I got a copy of it and painted their portraits, mimicking my father's attention to detail. When the cake was presented to them, I could see happiness and love flood their faces. It wasn't the most difficult cake I've done, nor the biggest or most expensive, but it gave me a deep sense of joy.
Q: What’s the busiest time of year for you?
When the Hollywood studios are busy, we're busy. A good portion of our business is doing elaborate premiere cakes, show anniversary cakes, celebrity birthday cakes, etc. Combine that with the traditional wedding seasons as well as the various holidays...we're always busy!
Q: Your list of clients reads like a who’s – who’s of Hollywood . Can you name just a few?
I've often said, give me a celebrity name and I'll tell you about a cake we did for them or that they ordered for someone else or what they said about a cake they once saw at a party. I love the fact that our Hollywood pedigree includes such bona fide legends as Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Bette Davis plus the cream of today's screen stars such as Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington or Angelina Jolie. Not to mention such music legends as Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton, Barbra Streisand, or their younger counterparts Beyonce, Usher and Gwen Stefani.
Q: I see cakes aren’t your only specialty. How do you feel about the latest cupcake sensation?
When the current cupcake craze swept Southern California , we were not immune. Although we had always offered custom cupcakes for special events, we decided to expand our line to include a wider variety of flavors on a day-to-day basis. I added more baking staff to create some of the most delectable cupcakes available. Try our famous S’mores cupcake, or our red velvet sensation filled with cream cheese and chocolate chips. And did I mention our ever-growing cookie line. But besides the taste, we've also added our artistic talents to these desserts. Take a look at our website. We're always adding something new.
Q:
It seems like you have something for every taste and for every member of the family including our four legged friends.
Yes. Lastly, but never last in our hearts, we've also introduced a line of gourmet dog and cat treats. Working with veterinarians, we've developed such favorites as Puptoids, the perfect antidote to bad breath and Pupcakes, the canine version of our delicious cupcakes.
