Presenter
Maximilien Brown
Document Type
Creative Exhibit
Publication Date
2026
Abstract
The purpose of this project was to design and execute a multi-tier decorative cake to present at the annual Sojourner House Masquerade Ball cake competition. Last semester, a group of six students and Chef Livsey dedicated several weeks from October to November to design and execute a seven-tier dummy cake. Each participant put in around 40 hours of work total: fondant wrapping foam cake rounds, molding and hand shaping fondant and gum paste decorations, painting renaissance masterpieces on gum paste canvases with food coloring gel, airbrushing details, pouring isomalt, and much more. The Sojourner House Masquerade Ball is the charity's biggest fundraising event of the year. In order to raise money to support victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, and trafficking, Sojourner House hosts a yearly event with raffles, live music, food and drink, and of course, the cake competition. Participants are given the theme of the gala in advance and have several months to design and execute a cake following that theme that will impress the gala's attendees. The theme for the 2025 gala was Venetian Twilight. The cake features elements of Venice's architecture such as fountains, columns, and the domed ceiling of Saint Mark's Basilica. Also featured are six hand painted renaissance style gum paste canvases, hand sculpted fountain statues with isomalt water, hand shaped and decorated masquerade masks, hand painted golden embellishments, and more.
Faculty Mentor
Susan Lagalle, M.Ed., CEPC
Academic Discipline
College of Food Innovation & Technology
Repository Citation
Brown, Maximilien; Plingos, Finch; Stutzman, Ava; Rallo, Max; Caldwell, Seth; and Kruk, Jon, "Pastry Arts Club Cake for Sojourner House Gala" (2026). Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium. 361.
https://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/innov_symposium/361
