This wonderful cake was made by Cristina Arévalo from The Art Cake Experience
This Marvelous cake was created for the Steam Cakes – Steampunk Collaboration. To celebrate the Steampunk International Day, Cake Artists from around the world gathered to create their own edible Steampunk masterpieces.
I also want to spotlight Cristina Arévalo and share my interview.
Tell me about yourself. How long have you been decorating cakes? How did you learn to decorate? Do you decorate professionally? Have you taught any cake decorating classes? Have you competed in any cake competitions?
My name is Cristina Arévalo, I was born in Venezuela and now live in Lisbon , Portugal.
I´ve been a cake decorator for 13 years, I took a course on basic cake decorations and never stopped. As many of us started I did it to make my daughter´s cakes and from making cakes to my friends and family it became a business.
I´ve always been a teacher , for my other job is to be an ESL English teacher, so I decided to combine both passions and started teaching decorated gelatins and 3D gelatin flowers in Portugal about 7 years ago. That grew to teaching cake decoration and sugar paste modeling as a freelancer and now I have my own online school called The Art Cake School
I´ve participated in local competitions and online competitions and collaborations but never on and international event, that is something I hope to achieve soon.
What is the name of your business/bakery, where you are located, what area you serve, and what you specialize in.
I don´t have a bakery, for my baking work is not my main business, I own a blog, a YouTube channel and my Online School and keep working as a freelancer instructor for cake decoration and gelatin art. I live in Cascais area in Lisbon- Portugal and go around the country teaching.
Social media links:
Web www.theartcakeexperience.com
Online School www.theartcakeschool.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theartcakeexperience
Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/cristina_theartcakeexperience/?hl=en
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBpvPVs8kxPZBrxggFfLiNA?view_as=subscriber
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.pt/theartcakeexperience/
Tell me about your cake. What was the inspiration for your cake? How did you create it?
It started by searching inspirations in Pinterest as I usually do. I love checking for pictures and illustrations instead of other cakes so I make a big board of inspirations and end up with so many ideas that I have trouble deciding.
The first piece I made was the Mechanical dancer, that started from the face, yes, I started by modeling the face and after seeing her expression decided to make her as I did.
I thought about just making her but I have a thing for my sugar dolls that for me they have life and is like the sugar paste talks to me ( I have to confess that I even talk to them when no one is watching, I call them my other kids)
So, she told me, that she was lonely, so I made Ed-The robot.
After making Ed, it looked like they needed someone to protect them, and I´ve been looking to some monsters that I loved so then I decided to make The Beast, and when I finished his face, my daughter said it looked like my cousin Many, so we called him Many- The Beast.
Finally I needed a character to bound them together and I felt that an animal was missing. Since I was going for the freak show theme, a circus usually has big animals, so I was going to do the opposite, a very small one with a big personality. And that is how The Magical Mr. Archibald was born.
So, I even created a story…
Mr. Archibald was a mad scientist that accidentally put his mind inside one of his lab rats during an experiment gone wrong. He went to live on a Theater where he met Priscilla. She was a dancer that lost her legs on a terrible Theater accident and was recued by Mr Archibald that transformed her into half human half machine, giving her four legs to dance.
Ed was just Mr. Archibald´s helper, a robot he made long ago, a bit clumsy but with a great heart.
Finaly, Many-The Beast, was a dog, enhanced with electrical powers to become a super strong beast on Mr Archibald´s laboratory, created to help with the hard work and carry the tent and the props for the great Circus.
And that is how the Steam Freak Circus Show was born!
Hope you like it!
Stories about your cakes. Do you remember the first cake you decorated? When and why did you decide that you wanted to create cakes as a business / hobby?
There are so many stories about my cakes, some good, some bad, some disasters, but I took long enough with my cake and the only thing I can say is that all the stories that have happened during this 13 years ( good and bad) have helped me get to where I am.
I had the bad habit of secong guessing everything I did and comparting myself to everyone and putting myself down.
One thing that was a turning point for me, you can call it an aha moment was when I realized that it is not that they are better than me, It is just that I haven´t got there yet!
That for me was a totally shift of mentality and I let go of the doubts and things starting to happen for me. So now I only see the better me at the end of the horizon. It works.
If one of the famous cake decorators offered to make you your dream cake, what would you ask for?
Funny enough I love amazing decorated cakes, but I´ll be happy with any of my fellow bakers making me a very simple, not decorated tasty vanilla and caramel cake!
What is your favorite fandom?
I am such a geek, love all the fantasy worlds, magic , creatures, you name it, that was actually what I loved about this interview and made me do it.
Rigth now I am hosting a Harry Potter collaboration for 2021 and I am over the moon with the turn out, so many great artists wanting to participate. Se let me get geeky here!
Who is your favorite Harry Potter character?
Severus Snape
If you went to Hogwarts, which house would you want to be sorted into?
I would love to be a Hufflepuff, but I am a Gryffindor
If you were a teacher at Hogwarts, what class would you want to teach?
Divination
What would your Patronus be?
A Cat
Who is your favorite Star Wars character?
Yoda and Han Solo
Which Star Wars movie is your favorite?
The return of the Jedi
Do you have a favorite Star Wars TV show or book?
Love the side stories, haven´t seen the Mandalorian yet
If you were living in the Star Wars universe – what would you want to be Jedi, Sith, Rebel, Imperial, Resistance, Smuggler, Bounty Hunter…?
Rebel
Who is your favorite Star Trek character?
“ Bones” the doctor
Which Star Trek series is your favorite?
The original series I used to watch it as a kid
If you were part of Star Fleet, what position would you want and which captain would you want to serve with?
I´ll be in translations because I love languages , and has to be Capitan Kirk
If your desired position is captain, what ship would you want to be captain of?
I don´t think I´ll be a Capitan!
Do you have a favorite Disney movie?
Wow, so many! Mary Poppins is one of them.
Do you have a favorite Disney character?
Daisy Duck, Mary Poppins and so many more!
What is your favorite thing to watch on Disney+?
Not in Portugal yet
Have you been to any of the Disney parks?
Yes!
Do you have a favorite ride?
The Haunted Mansion
Do you have a favorite story about a trip or experience at one of the Disney parks?
In 2017 we have a family reunion at Disney World Orlando with my Venezuelan family that I haven´t seen in 23 years, that was awesome, I had more fun than when I went as a kid.
Which Doctor is your favorite? Who is your favorite companion? If you could travel in the TARDIS just one time, where would you go?
Sorry, don´t know much about Dr. Who
Do you have a favorite superhero?
I love super heroes, but I really like the X men
What is your favorite superhero movie?
Iron Man and Dr Strange
If you read comics, what is your favorite comic or run on a comic?
X-men
If you could be any superhero, who would you want to be?
Professor Xavier
If you could have one super power, what would it be?
Time travel
Do you have a favorite cartoon series or character?
So many, I don´t know.
What was your favorite cartoon to watch when you were little?
All the Hanna Barbera but I was a big Muppets fan
Would you prefer live in Bedrock with the Flintstones or in the future with the Jetsons?
The Jetsons!
