Only good as the last cake

Greer Wylder

Chris Russom’s towering, five-foot, 200-pound Christmas sculpture

featured a Raggedy Ann, a puppy, a hatbox and a jack-in-the-box

Santa.

Russom’s masterpiece was not chiseled from stone or even ice.

Rather, he created this holiday fantasia with the skillful carving of

cake and the artful spatula whirls of delicious butter cream

frosting.

For this temping and edible Christmas monument, Russom won first

place in the prestigious Food Network Holiday Cake-Off competition

and a whopping $10,000 check.

The Food Network tapped Russom for the competition from his

specialty bakery in Costa Mesa, Let Them Eat Cake. There, the

44-year-old Russom has refined his confectionary talent by creating

the ultimate in cakes for weddings, birthdays and other special

events.

Culinary school was not the right fit for Russom. Although he

understood the value of the culinary arts, it was too rigid and

stifling. There, he was scolded for experimenting and working outside

the box.

“For what I wanted to do, it was a waste of my time,” Russom said.

He did start his career as a chef, but cooking was not creative

enough for him.

Yet, Russom had baked most of his life and loved it.

“Nothing can compare to the presentation and aesthetics of the

dessert end of the business. There’s something so attractive and

extravagant about a wedding cake,” Russom said. “It’s one of the most

important days in someone’s life, and it calls for creativity and

interpretation.”

So, he courageously opened Let Them Eat Cake in 2001. Russom

avoided taking out a conventional loan to start his business.

Instead, he sold his home and everything he owned.

In four years, Russom went from sleeping in his car, or on a

friend’s sofa, to proudly standing in his own shop, pointing to a

copy of a six-foot Food Network check on the store wall.

“I took a huge risk and it paid off,” Russom said. “I read Donald

Trump’s book, [which said to] be tenacious and never give up. I

decided that’s what it was going to take.”

Russom’s one-of-a kind artwork is 100% edible, and he bakes with

only the highest-quality and freshest ingredients. Russom won’t add

margarine, Crisco or lard to save money or compromise on taste. His

brownies are made with three different European chocolates.

One employee’s sole job is to make pastry fillings. Only the

freshest juices and butter are the essences of his luscious lemon

curd, and his delectable ganache is folded with only the richest

creme.

Russom accepts all requests for 3-D cakes, even if he’s uncertain

at first how to build it.

“It’s challenging,” Russom said. “And I love the learning

process.”

Assembling a completely original 3-D cake is more than most bakers

can even handle or imagine. Russom said many bakers refer their

customers to him because “they can’t or won’t do this work.”

Russom’s repertoire of cakes includes a free-standing

Perrier-Jouet champagne bottle, complete with copper-like wrap and

trademark swirling anemone design. There are merry-go-rounds and

treasure chests, Belle’s dress from Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”

and even a giant turkey leg for a pirate-themed party.

Although customers do shop for fresh baked goods and enjoy

specialty coffee drinks at Let Them Eat Cake, Russom’s shop is, at

its heart, a custom bakery. His assistant, Marjorie Chua, also

creates wonderful half-sheet cakes for any theme.

“We’re a niche market, not a mass production or an assembly line,”

Russom said. “It was never my mission to sell stacks of cakes that

sat around for days.”

Russom’s labor and dedication are well appreciated. Wedding cakes

start at $6.50 a slice, a custom two-dimensional cake costs $80, and

a three- dimensional cake will run $100.

Like a true perfectionist, Russom declares, “I’m only as good as

the last cake.”

If someone likes his cake, he believes they’ll tell three friends,

maybe even 10. It’s another reason why he refuses to compromise with

shortcuts and always sticks with the best ingredients.

* BEST BITES runs every Friday. Greer Wylder can be reached at

[email protected]; at 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626;

or by fax at (714) 966-4679.