Making cakes is no easy task. Not only do they have to taste great, if you’re a professional baker, they also have to be beautiful. It’s way harder than you’d think to make a cake artistic and eye-catching, but this Russian baker is taking the craft to the next level.
From delicate flamingos to unbelievable character recreations, Elena Gnut combines art with baking in a way that will make your jaw drop.
The 31-year-old baker posts her amazing creations on Instagram, where she’s garnered, 249,000 followers.
Gnut uses many different methods and ingredients for her cakes. Many of them are hand-painted with edible paint. It’s a great opportunity to show the world that not only is she an amazing baker, but she’s also an artist.
While some of her cakes show off cartoon recreations like Spiderman or Queen Elsa of “Frozen” fame, most of Gnut’s work reflects classical art or soft, impressionist elements. Full of flowers and soft colors, many of them have a magical feel. She certainly employs her own unique artistic ability to make them come to life.
Many of the cakes are so lifelike, it’s hard to believe they’re made out of frosting and fondant instead of real-life items.
Her “book” cakes look so real, you’ll be tempted to try to turn the pages.
In fact, in the media, Gnut is often referred to not as a baker or a pastry chef, but rather as a “cake artist.” It’s a fitting term for someone who does the skilled, intricate work that she does.
And people on the internet are going crazy for her beautiful cake designs.
“I couldnt bear to cut into it,” [sic] wrote internet user diane a. “Would be like Miss Havisham and keep it forever.”
Gnut has drawn inspiration for her cakes from artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Lewis Carroll, Vincent Van Gogh, and Ciruelo Cabral, a fantasy illustrator from Argentina.
Many of her cakes have a magical element with depictions of Disney princesses like Elsa, Rapunzel, and Belle from “Beauty and the Beast.” Gnut also loves working with floral designs, creating intricate blossoms from frosting and other ingredients. Her other favorite design motifs? Creating “gotcha” cakes that look like something else entirely, such as a log with an ax embedded in it, a barrel of wine cascading with grapes, or a big, juicy steak.
When people see Gnut’s cakes, the consistent response is that they can’t believe they’re actually made of something edible.
Some people wonder: is all of it really something you can eat?
“I’d guess all of it,” said internet user Magdalina777 in response to a comment asking how much of the creations could be eaten. “Although sometimes some construction bits are actual wooden/plastic/metal sticks/wires but they are possible to make out of edible stuff too. You can actually make flowers like this from chocolate or sugarpaste(not sure if that’s the right word, we use a different one here) or possibly other stuff I don’t know about, though some people also use real flowers in their cakes.”
There seems to be no end to Gnut’s creativity.
The attention to detail is absolutely astounding and keeps people coming back for more. She posts frequently from her popular Instagram account, and each post is flooded with comments full of amazement at her skills. People from all over the world love Gnut’s cake designs.
Gnut also teaches a baking course in her hometown of Kaliningrad. The beginner-level course goes over three weeks and is focused on the theme “Winter Cakes.” Beginning bakers can sign up with the famous pastry chef to learn some of her skills for all their winter baking. The course costs 10,900 rubles, about $165.
The course also focuses on how to use edible watercolor paint on frosting to make designs as well as how to transfer pictures onto cake surfaces.
There’s no doubt Gnut is an expert in cake design, so the course has a perfect teacher for that. The students also learn how to incorporate sculpture into baking, another skill that Gnut has clearly perfected.
If that weren’t enough, the course teaches how to create a number of special baking effects, including creating the impression of different textures and even how to make false “light.”
In the meantime, Gnut is still sharing her amazing designs online and continuing to astound people around the world. If you’re ever in Kaliningrad, give her a call to order a special cake.
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