At the end of 2014, the bakery and studio relocated to a new, expansive location with over 4,500 square feet in the heart of Manhattan’s Garment District.
The collections of trendsetting cakes have been featured in countless books, TV shows, films and publications and can also be spotted in many of New York’s premiere hotels and venues. The bakery received additional acclaim in 2011, when Ben-Israel became host and judge of the Food Networks hit show “Sweet Genius,” which after three seasons was syndicated around the world.
This journey has allowed the company to position itself as a leader within the industry and to partner with and promote charities such as City Harvest. He and his team also enjoy sharing their expertise and techniques through demonstrations and classes.
Ben-Israel draws inspiration from fashion, graphic design, nature and architecture, among other things. “I went to visit Martha Stewart and saw her wonderful bushes of hydrangeas. That inspired me to make hydrangeas when no one else was doing that.”
As a child, Ben-Israel preferred to observe his Viennese mother’s culinary magic as she whipped egg whites into frothy meringue or transformed flaky crust into ethereal apple strudel. “I was enchanted,” he gushes. “Watching a fruit reduction become a gelée was fascinating. But I certainly wouldn’t have guessed that the art and science of baking would become my life’s passion.”
Ben-Israel is fervent when he talks about baking and creating his extraordinary confections. Each time he fashions a cake—and he’s designed thousands of stunning, one-of-a-kind gateaux in his career—he’s as thrilled as he would be if it were his first masterpiece.
As he cheerily observes, “Each cake is like a performance—my team and I feel like we are attending countless opening nights every weekend.”
