Welcome to my series of interview-based blogs spotlighting some of my favorite vendors.
They are talented, creative, responsive, and responsible: a pleasure to work with!
This post is dedicated to Enrique Rojas of Have+Some+Cake By Enrique fashionable wedding cake studio in Birmingham, UK.
Please introduce yourself and your business.
I am Enrique Rojas and I am the Owner, Founder, and Artist behind HAVE+SOME+CAKE By Enrique. I specialise in Bold, Modern, Unique Wedding Cakes. My Studio is based in Birmingham, United Kingdom and I basically cover the whole of the United Kingdom and also Destination Weddings. I am also the Winner of the CAKE MASTERS Wedding Award in 2018 and a judge in Wedding Industry Events in the United Kingdom.
What are the current trends in the wedding cake industry?
Textures and Volume will continue to reign once we come out of these hiatus. This Pandemic is giving us, Cake Artists, more downtime to experiment with different edible materials to create a variety of Textures that were not present in the Past. Of course, the White Wedding Cake will still reign supreme but I see more and more Couples wanting a Unique , Bold, Artistic take for their Wedding Cakes. As a former Architect myself, in my case, I am experimenting more with Volume and Parametric Designing where the Materials we use are possible, very much in the sense that Iris Van Herpen designs and produces her fabulous dresses.
Do you have a preferred cake style?
I am totally in love with Square and Tall Cakes. Not gigantic 3 meters tall nonsense Cakes but slim and tall Cakes. And I definitely prefer Minimalism to an excess of textures and techniques, so yes, my preferred Style would be Minimalistic, Tall and Square Cakes or what I like to call them Statement Wedding Cakes.
What is the most important consideration for a couple when choosing a cake?
I think there are several considerations that are very important when choosing a Cake. Things that are overlooked like getting to know your Cake Supplier! All Wedding Cakes should be a Personal Unique Affair, after all, every couple is different so when choosing who will make your Cake, you have to check their Design Philosophy is akin to what you are expecting. Another one is obviously the Economics of Cakes, they are not cheap for a reason and you should always bear in mind that the most elaborate designs are going to be more expensive. And finally, Flavour! Ask for Cake samples from your favourite vendors from a very short shortlist (I would suggest no more than 3 Cake Artists).
Many of your cakes look like a piece of modern art. What are your artistic influences?
I have a degree in Architecture and a Master in Design Research but also growing up my Mother was a very keen seamstress and my Father a Photography Lover so I grew up surrounded by Haute Couture Magazines (Elle, Bazaar, Vogue etc.), lots of Photography Magazines and Books that nurtured me from an early age into Colour and Volume and Shadows and Textures. Later in my youth, I got very interested in Art like Pottery, Graphic Design and obviously Architecture. They are wide influences but you can see a little bit of all of them when you look closely.
What inspires you to create new designs?
I'm constantly searching for Imagery, whether Haute Couture dresses, Landscapes, Architecture, Paintings, etc, and they generally serve as a huge source of inspiration. I like to deconstruct them and create something out of their elements into a Cake. So if it is a specific Building, my inspiration could be just a similar Texture or a Window but never a straight-up Building to Cake translation that results in a Cake that looks like the Building but more like an Art Object.
Can you name a few décor elements you love to incorporate into your designs?
I love working with Rough Stone textures, Textured Panels, Bold Sugarflowers, and Geometric Patterns.
What is your favorite kind of cake to make?
Coffee, Pecan and Hazelnut with a Cream Cheese and Coffee filling! It is absolutely delicious. And after that, I will say Lemon and Raspberries! I also like Cakes with Alcohol so the Coffee Cake with a good dose of Amaretto or Kahlua Liquor make for a fantastic boozy Cake, perfect for Autumn and Winter!
Taste vs Design & Presentation: which is more important?
Taste is always very important! but in a Wedding Cake situation, BOTH should have the same level of importance! The Cake should make your Guests go OOOH when they see it, must make the Couple NOT want to cut it and finally it should leave everyone wanting MORE of it after they taste it! So basically It should be a whole sensorial Memory for the Couple and Guests!
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