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Welcome to another edition of Arizona’s Finest Weddings Q&A! I’m Ashley, Publisher of Arizona’s Finest Wedding Sites and Services, and today I’m thrilled to introduce you to Susan, the brilliant cake artist behind Artful Sweets in Scottsdale. Susan’s work is renowned for transforming wedding cakes into stunning pieces of art, perfectly capturing the essence of love and celebration.
In this interview, we dive into why Artful Sweets has become the go-to bakery for couples seeking a bespoke cake experience. From the creative process of designing a custom cake to the latest trends in cake design, Susan offers invaluable insights for those looking to make their wedding day truly memorable.
Finding a cake artist who not only understands your vision but can bring it to life with creativity and flair is essential. At Artful Sweets, Susan does just that, ensuring that each cake is a sweet expression of a couple’s love story. To find your own dream wedding vendors in Arizona, be sure to explore our site at finestweddingsites.com. Now, let’s dive into our delightful conversation with Susan!
Artful Sweets – Photo: Larissa Jean Photography
Artful Sweets is the perfect match for wedding couples who value artistry and creativity, delight in flavor and food presentation, and believe that sharing their wedding cake with cherished family and friends is an expression of love.
To give us ample time to explore cake design options that complement each couple’s reception theme, décor, and dreams, it’s a good idea to begin cake planning six months before wedding day. Each project is unique and special, so I accept a limited number of projects. To be certain their date is available, contact as soon as possible is recommended. Whenever possible I will accept shorter time frames.
Custom cake designs evolve as a collaboration between the couple and myself. We start with an initial phone, Zoom, or email exchange confirming availability and outlining initial ideas for the overall wedding theme/plans. An in-person cake tasting provides an opportunity to select flavors as well as explore design concepts and options in-depth. We look at their wedding colors, talk about their reception décor style and choice of florals, personal likes and dislikes, and examine examples of design elements that excite them. Using the ideas collected during our tasting, I then sketch a series of cake design concepts for feedback and fine-tuning. I always tell couples that I love creating their cake, but it is theirs not mine so their input and feedback is critical to a design that will make their hearts sing and their guests rave on wedding day.
Cake flavor choices often change with the seasons – fall/winter favorites like apple spice cake/salted caramel buttercream and pumpkin cake/white chocolate buttercream; while spring/summer selections tend toward lighter choices such as lemon lavender cake cake/lemon curd/vanilla buttercream and Earl Grey/blackberry buttercream. Adding touches of liquor can make a cake shine with Bailey’s, Amaretto, or Kahlua buttercreams. Recent favorites include butter pecan cake paired with salted caramel buttercream; chocolate bourbon cake with dark chocolate buttercream; olive oil cake with lemon buttercream; mocha cake with hazelnut buttercream. Sometimes couples request new flavors – a recent request for goat cheese buttercream paired with fig jam really turned my almond sour cream cake from great to extraordinary.
Artful Sweets – Photo: Jen Jenkins Photography
My couples tell me their cake tasting is the most fun part of wedding planning.
For their cake tasting, couples can select 3-4 flavors each of cake and buttercream from a list of I provide. As a trained pastry chef, I love testing new recipes and playing with different flavor combinations, so I also welcome requests for flavors not found on my list. During the tasting, we also take time to explore and brainstorm ideas for their cake design. Following the tasting, I sketch cake designs for the couple to review and we work together to fine-tune the design concepts making the cake uniquely their own.
To plan a cake tasting, couples should reach out to me directly – email, text, or phone are quickest; DM on Instagram works too.
I love testing recipes and working with a wide variety of ingredients and flavors. I have created dairy-free wedding cakes, but my kitchen is not gluten, nut, or dairy free. Gluten-free baking is a worry as cross-contamination is always a risk. In cases of severe allergy concerns, I refer people to bakeries specializing in allergy sensitive cakes and desserts.
Artful Sweets
Do I have to pick just one??!!!
Expressing a couple’s favorite hobbies, themes, loves, and passions make every cake special to me.
A few favorites:
I’ve received glowing reviews for a recent modern all white cake with flowing abstract swirls paired with all white orchids created out of wafer paper. This medium is the epitome of creativity as it’s totally edible, flexible, and light. It allows for a sense of movement, layers of texture, and breathtaking shapes.
I love when couples and their guests mistake my handcrafted sugar and wafer paper florals for fresh flowers. Florals add so much to a cake presentation – color, texture, focal emphasis along with romance. Whether they are large cascades or small groupings, handcrafted florals always add “WOW’ to every cake.
Always up for a challenge, I created a wedding cake inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Talesin. The multi-tier design picked up elements from the stone work, geometric shapes, and colors beloved by the couple. Their custom-built cake stand designed by the bride added extra focus on the design.
One of my most whimsical designs was for a bride who loves pineapples while her groom remains an avid soccer fan. The top tier of their cake was a carved and decorated pineapple with the couple’s monogram. The bottom tier was embossed with soccer balls and wrapped in a “scarf” with the groom’s favorite team’s logo.
I personally deliver and set up my wedding cakes with the assist of my husband, who also is my chief taste tester. In the weeks leading up to wedding day, I coordinate all of the final details with the couple’s wedding planner and/or venue contact to ensure that delivery is smooth and flawless.
For each delivery, I provide a cake cutting guide detailing the cake flavors, placement of the cake tier supports, and guidelines for cutting each cake tier.
I love that couples are expressing their personality and love story in planning their wedding and feel less constrained by perceptions of what they “should” or “must” do. Couples are choosing flavors they love and worry less about playing it safe. They’re open to combining different textures, shapes, and colors to express their personal style and love story.
Dessert bars continue their popularity too giving guests variety and a welcome sweet treat when they take a break from the dance floor.
I’m that person who reads cookbooks as if they are novels and hunts for farmers markets and new foods whenever I travel. I am always experimenting with new techniques, ingredients, and mediums and frequently take classes from world-renown cake designers and pastry chefs. Taking long walks enjoying our desert and visiting art fairs and museum exhibits spark my creative juices too.
Artful Sweets – Photo: Justine Grace Photography
Pinterest is great to jumpstart ideas but stay open for the creativity and expertise of your cake designer. It’s so much fun to brainstorm together uncovering unique and breathtaking touches that captivate guests and create forever memories.
I’ve traveled a circuitous road from my first career as an audiologist to my passion for cake design. After practicing audiology, I climbed the corporate America ladder for a number of years and finally, thanks to the encouragement of my husband, left it to pursue more creative outlets, pursuing formal training as a pastry chef. After graduating I worked as a restaurant pastry chef and then had the good fortune of becoming Assistant Corporate Pastry Chef for an international industry supplier. After moving to Arizona in 2008, I taught baking and pastry for Maricopa Community Colleges and managed a local bakery for several years. I opened Artful Sweets in 2019 and also teach baking and pastry part-time for Classic Cooking Academy in Scottsdale.
In a word, my cakes are all about joy. I’m so lucky to share in the happiest moments of a couple’s new life together, to collaborate closely with so many talented wedding vendors, and to continuously expand and evolve my own creative expressions.
Thank you to Susan Kolman of Artful Sweets for contributing your Cake expertise on Scottsdale Wedding Cakes!
Nice to have you for join us for this edition of Arizona’s Finest Weddings Q&A! We’ve had a delightful time exploring the world of Scottsdale wedding cakes with Susan Kolman of Artful Sweets. Her passion and artistry truly set Artful Sweets apart as the premier choice for couples seeking a custom cake experience. From innovative designs to mouthwatering flavors, Susan’s approach to Scottsdale wedding cakes ensures each creation is a unique reflection of love and celebration. For those looking to make their wedding day unforgettable, Artful Sweets offers not just a cake, but a memorable experience.
Don’t forget to visit our site at finestweddingsites.com to discover more top-notch wedding vendors and services.
TITLE PHOTO – Artful Sweets – Photo: Dreah Photography
Author:
Ashley Lopez, Publisher
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