Julia Child's 100th Birthday Takes the Cake

Culinary and pastry chef Kathy Salemno learned first-hand the challenges women once faced in rolling their sleeves up to cook in kitchens alongside men.

Like Julia Child, Salemno’s commencement speaker at the Culinary Institute of America, Salemno said she had to break the glass ceiling in rising to cooking and baking success.

But, after being given a chance years ago, Salemno, the owner of in Hatboro, said she’s been teaching since 1974, most recently at the .

And on Wednesday, on what would have been Child’s 100^th birthday, Salemno, clad in a string of pearls reminiscent of the cooking diva, demonstrated to two dozen people gathered at the her tricks to frosting, crusting, quilting, stacking and decorating a three-tier cake.

“Baking is an art and science,” said Salemno.

Librarian Harriet Ehrsam said library volunteer Ruth Pickering brainstormed the cake decorating idea as a way to honor Child. In introducing Salemno to a roomful of women of varied ages, as well as young children, Ehrsam highlighted Child’s timelessness.

“Julia Child was a famous chef, before Chef Ramsey,” Ehrsam said. “She always wore pearls and she always wore an apron and she always talked funny.”

Some of Child’s cookbooks served as accoutrements to the room, which smelled of sweetness as Salemno worked busily transforming the unfrosted white almond cake into a soft-hued creation accented with icing trim and soft purple and gold highlights sprayed on similar to spray-paint.

“I believe in plain and simple,” Salemno said as she spread icing on the cake. “I like to make it look edible and tasteful.”

She also shared some of her tricks of the trade, most notably to use parchment paper for “just about everything,” including lining cake pans.

When it comes time to frost the cake, an angled spatula is Salemno’s tool of choice. Using the back half of it is the best way, she added.

“You want to be generous when you’re frosting the cake,” Salemno said as she plopped a mound of icing on top.

And, for those who opt to make their own frosting, Salemno said her secret is to use two pounds of confectioner sugar – plus flour – in whipping up a batch adequate for a three-tier wedding-style cake. 

Once Salemno finished decorating the cake, those in attendance had the chance to play culinary expert for the day in “stuffing” cupcakes with cherry buttercream frosting.