Cake Fiction Owner Bakes Edible iPods, Handbags

“Every cake tells a story,” says Paula Tosonotti, owner of Cake Fiction. The three-tier striped cake with a man in athletic gear perched on the top is the story of a marathoner turning 50 years old. The shoe box topped with a Cole-Haan pump was baked for a fashionista celebrating a milestone event. The black S-type Jaguar, complete with edible hood ornament, is a road warrior’s passion for speed and the open road, baked in chocolate and layers of fondant.

South Orange resident Tosonotti has been baking cakes and telling stories since 1995. Growing up in Argentina, her family owned cafes where pastries were part of the appeal. Tosonotti began cooking seriously in Paris, while completing her master’s degree at the Sorbonne. Tosonotti studied for 3 years with at the I.A.G. (Argentine Institute for Gastronomy) and graduated with her chef’s diploma in 2000. After training in renowned restaurants Massey and Restó in Buenos Aires, Tosonotti operated her own catering business and also ran a pastry shop. When a family move—husband, Simon Barrell, and two young daughters—brought her to New Jersey, Tosonotti considered what she loved best about her work experiences. “I always liked baking cakes,” she recalls, “and I know that I did them well.” Tosonotti refined her skills at the French Culinary Institute in New York City before opening Cake Fiction in August 2008.

Working from her home in Montrose, Tosonotti has become known for her whimsical renderings, including Puff the Magic Dragon, a Louis Vuitton handbag and a wedding cake inspired by a birch tree. “I try to see what they’re seeing in their minds,” says Tosonotti of her patrons. “It’s a challenge and I love that.”  She has made a specialty of wedding cakes, the stories she most loves to tell. 

When a potential client, often a bride, calls, Tosonotti invites her to a cake testing in her kitchen. The bride views a display of sample cakes, some traditional tiers, others in shapes that are meaningful to the couple. For example, Tososnotti recently baked a groom’s cake in the shape of an iPod, edible playlist and all. Then the bride samples five or more cakes and the same number of frostings. “That’s the first half-hour” before the creative work begins, explains Tosonotti.

Her brides bring color swatches, samples of lace, photos of the wedding site, and even music to the consultation. As each bride describes her wedding vision, Tosonotti listens closely and sketches her ideas. Sometime after the consultation, Tosonotti offers a colorful rendering of the cake for the bride’s comments and approval. 

Cake Fiction’s name is a nod to the movie "Pulp Fiction." “My husband and I were talking about the dance scene in the movie 'Pulp Fiction' and thinking that it was whimsical and often surprising, just like the cakes I bake,” recalls Tosonotti. She cites other inspirations for her artistry, including the 6th arrondissement in Paris and honeymoon travels to Italy. Indeed, when this Patch writer visited, Tosonotti was crafting a Mardi Gras-themed cake, using a mask she bought in Venice on her honeymoon as a model. Likewise, Tosonotti’s flavor palette comes from all over the world. She recommends the dulce de leche frosting, saying, “I’m from Argentina, so I know a good dulce de leche.”

Tosonotti rarely repeats a design, which pleases her. “This part of the process is very exciting,” she says of the creative matching of flavors, shape and design. More often, repeat customers ask for very different designs the second and third time around. Tosonotti has found herself designing a Thomas the Tank Engine for a young train buff, as well as a tier cake topped with miniature, edible Nike sneakers for a first birthday party. “The first birthday is very special,” says Tosonotti with a smile. “It deserves a little extra something.”

Her own children also provide challenges, and Tosonotti recalled a recent Hannah Montana cake prepared for her older daughter’s birthday. She has no favorites among her cakes, though a Tiffany blue award winner at the September "Cakes for a Cause" wedding cake design contest has a special place in her heart. She recalls details of particular cakes, noting a lacelike trim on one creation that matched the bride’s veil. Tosonotti used a piece of the bride’s lace in order to duplicate it and recalls the bride’s reaction when she saw the cake. “She said, ‘You got it exactly,'" recalls Tosonotti. 

She has a busy month ahead with holiday orders and a special English fruitcake to bake. Still, she will make time to deliver each wedding cake herself or with the help of her husband. Not only does she want each cake to be at its best when it arrives at the wedding, but, “I love that part. I enjoy taking the cake, unwrapping it, and seeing their reactions.” It’s the happy ending of the story, a sweet way to close a chapter in life and turn to the next.