The cakes on display at the New Zealand Cake Decorators Guild conference in Blenheim at the weekend were so good you wouldn't want to eat them.
Besides, some of them were not even cakes.
The 25th annual conference drew about 300 cake decorators from around the country to the Marlborough Convention Centre to talk all things cake and fondant icing.
Guild president Joy McKenzie, who was replaced by Jane Sparnon at the annual meeting on Friday, said most of the cakes on show were judged on their intricate decoration rather than what lay beneath. "You'll probably find most of the cakes aren't actually cakes, they're polystyrene dummies."
The world of cake decorating is inhabited mostly by women, although the guild had one or two male members, Ms McKenzie said.
Most decorators used gum paste or fondant icing to create their works of art, which included flowers, mice, fish, fairies and wizards.
With 17 years' experience in cake decorating, Mrs McKenzie still considers herself fairly new at the game and said there was always a technique to master.
"A lot of the ladies here have been at it for 25 years. There's always learning to do. Once you know it all, it's time to give up."
The conference also included workshops with master cake decorators, including Institute of Culinary Education cake decorating and design master chef and instructor Toba Garrett, of New York.
Mrs Garrett said the calibre of cake decorations on display at the conference was extraordinary.
A 30-year veteran of the cake decorating industry, she said cakes were becoming a fashion item, especially for brides, who often wanted their wedding cake to match their dress.
Reality TV shows such as Ace of Cakes and Cake Boss, which are set in bakeries specialising in cake decorating, had grown its popularity, she said.
"The shows at least educate the public that cakes can be a work of art. If people are buying what they see at their local bakery, they can tell it's very expensive because it takes a lot of time and artistry to put it together."
Despite the hard work that goes into decorating, it was equally important that what lay beneath the fondant icing was good enough to eat, she said.
- The Marlborough Express
SIMON WONG
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