With the life aquatic as their muse, sisters Brenda and Mary Maher, of the Chicago bakery Cakegirls, dream up five stunners sure to make a splash.
Sweet Shells
"The appeal of shells is their texture," says Mary, who, with sister Brenda, created a
baroque arrangement on a simple monochromatic cake. The Mahers made these intricate treasures by pressing fondant into molds of actual scallop, clam and snail shells; faint lines of peach-colored iridescent powder add detail to each mollusk. Like the following cakes, this one is also iced with fondant, since its thick consistency stands up better than buttercream to warm weather.