A dream-come-true for children and confessed sugar addicts, Pixie Pie makes colourful creations from pure sugar and marzipan paste. Baking with fondant, frosting, food colouring and such is becoming more and more fashionable. The baking videos from the USA on YouTube are the main reason why this trend has spread to Europe as well. If you don’t have the skill or patience to decorate cakes yourself, but would still like to surprise your loved ones or guests with such sweet pleasure,then take a look at the creations made in the sugar workshop Pixie Pie.
When you enter the District V cake shop owned by Polly Németh, you enter a world of fanciful cakes adorned by edible Disney figures, cats, blossoms and other decorations. The career-changer has been preparing cakes, cupcakes, cake pops and tartelettes for mainly birthdays, weddings and company events for over a year now.
Her products are not only versatile and one hundred percent handmade, they also don’t place any limits on the clients’ wishes. It does not matter what shape, colour, taste or decoration is required: anything is possible at Pixie Pie.
Delicacies as a gift
Németh’s entry into the baking business was not ordinary: she worked for a law firm before. During her high-risk pregnancy she discovered her talent in handicrafts. Németh, who calls herself Pixie, learned by herself how to handle fondant, a thick creamy sugar paste that can be formed. When she was looking for baking courses she always stumbled upon her limits. This is why she started writing a blog, publishing her successes, difficulties and baking tutorials.
It did not take long for people to begin following her and her blog on Facebook, asking for tips and tricks, and finally they encouraged her to open her own business. However, in Hungary it is required to complete a confectionery course, in which they teach both the manual skills and regulatory principles, such as hygiene conditions, for example.
So it had to be done: Németh went to evening school for one year and passed her confectioner exam. Now she already has a full-time assistant and two trainees.
For such elaborately decorated cakes they usually use American cakes, which are made from a thick layer of dough and a thin layer of filling. However, Németh adapted her creations more to the Hungarian taste and uses more cream- or butter-based fillings.
Although she still can’t bake Michelangelo’s “David” or Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa”, because “the mixtures would collapse”, her cakes are still eye-catchers. She decorates the round or square basic shapes with a remarkable decoration to try to fulfil all customers’ wishes. “Many times I have to use my own creativity,” the confectioner explains. Often the orders are used to surprise loved ones on their special day.
Do it yourself
To order a personalised cake, do so at least one week before the planned celebration. “Of course, most people want their cake for the weekend,” Németh laughs.
However, to guarantee quality and freshness, she can’t make more than ten creations a day. Her business requires a lot of planning. “Sugar figures can be prepared a few days in advance, since they last forever,” she says. Disney figures are especially popular, so are Minions. She hasn’t had any accidents yet, though once almost mixed up the desired decoration” but “fortunately I noticed in time”, she adds with a laugh. The customers are handed her masterpieces in her showroom, where some examples are exhibited.
The cake shop holds a large bakery equipped with industrial machines and all kinds of pastry tools plus a workshop where Németh prepares her sugar figurines. She also offers modelling courses about different topics every Wednesday and Saturday. The participants learn how to decorate cakes on a first come, first served basis. The limited places on the courses are very sought-after.
Polly Németh loves her job, which allows her to use her creativity, whatever mysterious source it springs from. “It’s just fun to develop always new ideas and concepts to decorate my cakes.”
She lays great emphasis on baking ingredients free of additives. “It’s only food colourants that we can’t avoid using, all in all.” The best part is seeing her customers happy. “That’s the moment when I know that all the work was worth it.”
Pixie Pie
161 Rákos utca, District XV
Telephone: (+36-1) 708 4801
www.pixiepie.hu
