Claire Ptak, Meghan Markle's Wedding Cake Designer, Looks Back On Her Favorite Creations

This weekend, Bridelux will be hosting their first ever U.S. atelier at the InterContinental New York Barclay. A one-stop shop where brides and grooms can peruse all the luxury vendors, venues, and more. Meet everyone from dream wedding planners like Colin Cowie and Bryan Rafanelli of Rafanelli Events, to Meghan Markle approved vendors like royal wedding florist Philippa Craddock and cake maker Claire Ptak!

The owner of London's Violet Bakery, Claire Ptak has made some beautiful, delicious cakes in her day. And while she may be internationally famous for the gorgeous spring-inspired cake she made for Meghan and Harry's royal reception, a monochromatic dream of white buttercream frosting and fresh white flowers, so many amazing gateaux has she made, theirs doesn't even make the list of her top favorites!

For all the sweet, flavor filled inspiration you may need, read below for her walk down memory lane! 

1. My favorite cake is the first wedding cake I ever made, when I was 20. A lemon and raspberry buttercream confection that was decorated with garden flowers from the bride’s mother’s back yard. The idea for the cake had been clipped from a magazine article and saved for ages so it showed that she had really been thinking about this cake for some time. I made it in my mother’s kitchen.  It was beautiful and we still talk about it today. 

2. Next was a cake of 4 gigantic tiers for the daughter of the Academy Award winning sound engineer Walter Murch. He and his wonderful wife Aggie lived not far from where I grew up and asked if I’d like to make the cake when I was working at Chez Panisse. It was 4 different flavors and it was a very hot day. It was positioned near a sunny window and it did survive but it tested my nerves!!!! One layer was strawberries and cream with meringue, one was chocolate with hazelnut praline, one was lemon and I can’t remember the last! 

3. One simple devil’s food cake with marshmallow icing on top! It was small and I made it at the bakery one morning and put a single rose on top. It was just a way to use up some ingredients and it ended up becoming one of our signature cakes. 

4. The nougat cake I made for Nigella Lawson for a dinner she had on the bank of the Thames in an old rowing club. The meal was Sri Lankan and the cake had pistachios, nougat, and rose water. It was dreamy and she sent me a lovely thank you note which is now framed in the loo at Violet!

5. The gluten-free mocha cake I made for Jamie Oliver and his family. We made a gorgeous paper banner and when they lit the candles, it went up in flames!!!

[Photos via @violetcakeslondon]