Chef and author
Trimble’s
Kidwell
shares her confectionery designs in book
‘Cakes
of Love’ offers the instructions
to create the cake of your dreams
By
Debra Maylum
Staff Writer
MILTON, Ky. (April 2005) – Geraldine Kidwell,
owner of Artistry in Cake of Kentucky, has been decorating cakes professionally
for more than 25 years. “I have been playing with the art for much
longer than that,” she said.
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Photo by Debra Maylum Geraldine
Kidwell’s book |
Her involvement with confectionary art began with the
creation of various cakes for her three children, and then for her friends
and neighbors, until her specialty evolved into a full time business.
Her talent and her involvement with the International Cake Exploration
Societe (I.C.E.S.), has led to her latest creation, a 160-page, full-color
book titled, “Cakes of Love.”
Kidwell met Percy Alvarado of Mundo Books Publishers at an I.C.E.S.
convention about two years ago. He asked her to work with him on the
book that would be published in Spanish and distributed throughout Central
America. She immediately agreed to take advantage of such an opportunity.
Through the production process, which took place entirely through the
mail and e-mail over the course of about two years, Kidwell convinced
Alvarado to publish the book in English as well as Spanish.
The step-by-step wedding cake instruction book features 26 cakes designed
and created by Kidwell. Sam Stringer of Stinger Photography in La Grange,
Ky., took all of the photographs for the book. Kidwell has known and
worked with Stringer for many years. Stringer also worked as the I.C.E.S.
Show Photographer at the 2003 and 2004 I.C.E.S. Convention.
Kidwell began attending cake shows early on in her career and often
took home trophies and medals for her designs. It was at a cake show
where she saw a “magnificent creation of pastillage and gum paste,”
she said. “The Mexican sugar technique inspired me beyond words
so that I had to find the source of this masterpiece and further my
education.”
To do so, she traveled to Mexico City to study under Senora Marithe
de Alvarado. She lived in Mexico City with her husband, Bill Kidwell,
for nearly a month of intense instruction.
During the late 70s, Kidwell became a charter member of I.C.E.S. and
has since remained a member and met people from around the world with
whom she shares her love of confectionary art. She has served two terms
as the Kentucky I.C.E.S. Representative, served on two convention committees
and spent three years on the International Board of Directors.
She served as chair of the board during 1995 and 1996 and she was elected
president of the organization during that time. In 2002, she received
the organizations highest honor of induction into the Hall of Fame for
outstanding contribution to the culinary arts.
In addition to “Cakes of Love,” Kidwell has written many articles
as well as the book, “Gum Paste Figures and Fashions.” She
has been a featured writer and decorator in the I.C.E.S. newsletter,
Mail Box News, Louisville Bride, Sugarcraft Magazine (England), Special
Occasions Bridal Magazine and Tortas Con Estilio (Peru).
Kidwell is currently a contributing writer for the American Cake Decorating
Magazine. She co-edits the Kids in the Kitchen segment, where she features
simple cakes that children can make. Sam and Elaine Stringer work with
Kidwell on the photographs for her magazine segment. They were the only
people Kidwell considered using to take the photos for her newest book.
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“They were very helpful in the completion of this
book,” said Kidwell. “I made the cakes and took them to the
studio. We would set up the backdrops, and Sam would take the pictures,
then Elaine would put them on a CD that I would mail to Peru.”
“As artists, we both know what we like,” said Stinger. “She
knows what she needs to do to make a cake look the way she wants it
to, and I know what to do with lighting and the camera to get the best
shot. We work closely together on the projects and we work well together.”
Kidwell tried to use a large combination of different techniques in
her book. It includes complete instructions for each method.
“It isn’t for people to necessarily look through and reproduce
the same cake. They can combine the ideas in a number of different ways,”
Kidwell said.
In the introduction to her book she writes, “The cakes pictured
in this book are only examples for you to use as building blocks of
creativity. You can begin with a basic cake and change the color theme
or different flowers, and instantly you have a creation that has taken
on a whole new personality.”
Kidwell’s book encourages anyone and everyone to try the art of
sugar. She writes, “Enjoy the art, play with it – if you happen
to make a mistake, you can always eat it.”
• “Cakes of Love” is available from Kidwell by calling her at (502) 268-5975. Or visit: www.weddingcakeskentucky.com.