Can you tell the difference? Meet the Vietnamese woman who has mastered the art of sculpted cakes
Sunday, April 23, 2023, 14:34 GMT+7
Tran Thanh Thanh, a resident of District 12, Ho Chi Minh City, has spent the past seven years learning and mastering the art of sculpted cakes.
Sculpted cakes, instead of resembling traditional cakes, look nearly identical to other objects, such as clothing, toys, and other foods.
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| Sculpted cakes made by Tran Thanh Thanh look like real food. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News |
Thanh first began scultping cakes when she was looking for a hobby to help take her mind off stress from work. Eventually, that hobby turned into a passion.
Now, several years later, her Bep Cua Soi shop at 22/14 Phan Van Hon Street in District 12, offers a wide range of cakes which look nearly identical to other foods, animals, and flowers.
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| Floral cakes made by Tran Thanh Thanh. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News |
When Thanh first started sculpting cakes, it took her an entire day to finish a cake. Now, she can finish a cake in a fraction of the time.
“It takes around three hours to finish the whole cake, from baking to sculpting,” Thanh said.
“Each step requires sophistication, but the hardest part is sculpting.
“I want to create ‘realistic' cakes that customers believe are something else and they are surprised to realize that they're truly cakes.”
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| 'Noodles' on a cake. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News |
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| Tran Thanh Thanh makes a sculpted cake that looks like a bowl of noodles. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News |
Thanh’s finished cakes are glazed with a mixture of sugar and cornstarch to make them appear shiny like freshly-cooked food.
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| Tran Thanh Thanh glazes a cake to make it shiny like freshly-cooked food. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News |
Each of Thanh’s cakes must be ordered in advance, and each sells for VND900,000-1.2 million (US$38-51).
“I began with basic cakes but wanted to challenge myself with more difficult designs,” Thanh said.
“Being skillful is an advantage for doing this job, but if you are not skillful, patience can help you create beautiful cakes.”
Aside from sculpting cakes, Thanh runs cake sculpting workshops which allow her to share her passion with others.
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| A cake that looks like a squid dish made by Tran Thanh Thanh. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News |
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| Tran Thanh Thanh and her sculpted cakes. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News |
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| A cake that looks like a dress made by Tran Thanh Thanh. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre News |
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