Vendor Chat with by Susan Morgan from Elegant Wedding Cheesecakes

Yesterday, we asked you the following: What’s Better than a Louis Vuitton Handbag? That answer is a Louis Vuitton Handbag that is made with CHEESECAKE AND CHOCOLATE (a taste of heaven). That’s right! The gorgeous handbag below is a replica of a Louis Vuitton handbag in edible form. A few weeks back I stumbled upon, Elegant Cheese Cakes. The company is based in Half Moon Bay, CA and is owned by the famous pastry chef and master chocolatière, Susan Morgan.

Disclaimer: All photo images are copyrighted images of Elegant Cheese Cakes. In order to use these photos, you must receive written consent. Please do not copy these images without first obtaining written permission from the provider. Copying and printing these images without written consent is a copyright violation.

When I saw these couture cake designs, especially the handbag and shoe designs, I was in complete awe. But when I learned that these designs were made of cheesecake I knew that I had to learn more about the genius behind these delectable treats. With that said, last week I contacted the lovely Susan Morgan and arranged to ask her a handful of questions.

They are as follows:

TD: What is the story behind ‘Elegant Cheese Cakes’?

SM: Twenty years ago I did my sister’s wedding cake. It looked very home-made like a Bundt cake, but it was a cheesecake. People went nuts and I thought I needed to take a stronger look at this idea of cheesecake for weddings.

TD: Certainly that has paid off big time. I’m glad you decided to pursue this.

SM: No one was offering cheesecake in wedding cake form at that time, so I saw an opportunity. [I] started baking at home, revising and perfecting recipes and then finally got it right so it could withstand hours on that cake table. Mastered the chocolate paper and voila it just keeps evolving!

Today we ship our creations all over the country. We are the pioneers of shipping these incredible works of art in the hundreds for such events as holiday buffets, birthday or the out of town thank you. You can imagine the response when they open the box to see an incredible work of edible art!

TD: In general, how many hours does it take to create these masterpieces?

SM: Most wedding celebration cakes after the baking is done…so just decorating time, will take a staff of three 8 to 15 hours to make it a show stopper. We, in my group of artisans, each have our forte, so we all work in concert for a flawless finish!

TD: Okay, I was taken over with your work, especially when I saw the ‘handbag’ cake designs. Where did the inspiration come from to create designer handbags or should I say put them in edible form?

SM: [We] never inspire what other cake designers do. That is lacking creativity. So trends in fashion, texture, colors and what she [the bride] is in search of…a one of a kind treasure. As you see once we debut our season, many will want to knock us off but in a rather cookie cutter amateur way.

TD: I understand that completely.

TD: What is the one thing that you cannot start your day without?

SM: Coffee and chocolate. I always have samples of either chocolate decadence or butter cake to nibble on. It’s important to sample at all temperatures, since when a product is cold the product may seem tight or stale. Once it warms up, like to the temperature at the wedding celebration, the flavors come full and ripe.

TD: What advice would you offer to bridal couples when choosing or deciding on their cake design?

SM: Visit with the designer personally to see their wares, ask friends who they liked. Taste and get a feel of how they handle the process from start to finish. If you are not into expensive glamorous wedding cakes, then don’t tease your self by visiting the top of the line. Align your budget to what is important. If cake is it, then go to the best and plan to pay for edible art. It is one of the most important visual attractions to the day (other than the couple) and then to have beautiful and delicious together is the next [best] thing to a great marriage. Our motto is ‘At Elegant Cheese Cakes, how something so beautiful can taste so delicious, just try it’

Upon your meeting taste, discuss designs, colors [and] textures, then decide if they are the one. Book as far out as you can. Plan on a deposit to confirm the date, sketches to follow, then final approval of sketches can even happen up till two weeks to the event. Your eyes will open when you visit a cake designer that exceeds the expectation of what wedding cakes were [and] you can have it any way you wish.

Another fascinating thing about Elegant Cheese Cakes is that they ship these masterpieces all over the continental United States. They not only specialize in wedding cake designs, but birthday cakes, corporate and custom cakes, and seasonal designs.

After seeing these masterpieces, I would not want to cut them. Okay, I could go on about Susan Morgan and her team of artisans, but I will stop here so that you can go check them out.

Disclaimer: All photo images are copyrighted images of Elegant Cheese Cakes. In order to use these photos, you must receive written consent. Please do not copy these images without first obtaining written permission from the provider. Copying and printing these images without written consent is a copyright violation.