The Californian baker is designing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding cake

<p>As excitement across the world builds and builds in the run-up to the royal wedding, everyone is starting to speculate over the details for the big day.</p><p>Who will design the dress? Which celebs will be in attendance? What song will they choose for their first dance? </p><p>But there&rsquo;s only one thing we&rsquo;re concerned about, and that&rsquo;s the food. Or, most importantly — the cake.</p><p>Last month, it was announced that Claire Ptak will be baking the wedding cake for the newest royal couple. But, unless you&rsquo;re hot on the London organic baking scene, Claire's bakery probably hasn't crossed your radar before.</p><p>We&rsquo;ve broken down all the details on the baker, including what the cake will look like, so you can be in-the-know with the latest details about the royal weddng <em>and</em> the hottest baker in the country right now. You&rsquo;re welcome.</p><h2>Who is Claire Ptak?</h2><p>Claire Ptak is a food writer, food stylist and recipe developer and lives in London with her two-year-old daughter Frances. </p><p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BgLyKPNgVgH/" data-instgrm-version="8" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.5% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BgLyKPNgVgH/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Violet By Claire Ptak (@violetcakeslondon)</a> on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2018-03-11T13:10:48+00:00">Mar 11, 2018 at 6:10am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async defer src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p><p>She owns Violet Cakes in Hackney, east London, which specialises in stunning cakes made with organic ingredients and seasonal flavours.</p><p>Violet is known for its traditional American bakes like delicious cinnamon buns, oatmeal-raisin cookies and chocolate rye brownies, and their elaborate and elegant celebration cakes smothered in fresh buttercream and topped with crowns of fresh flowers.</p><p>The royal wedding cake isn&rsquo;t the bakery&rsquo;s first A-list order. Claire has baked cakes for plenty of celebs before, including this scrumptious looking gluten-free mocha cake that Jamie Oliver ordered for his wife Jools&rsquo; birthday.</p><p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BcMXcStBVlt/" data-instgrm-version="8" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.5% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BcMXcStBVlt/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Mocha gluten free birthday cake for @joolsoliver from @jamieoliver ������ H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/violetcakeslondon/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Violet By Claire Ptak</a> (@violetcakeslondon) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2017-12-02T08:31:00+00:00">Dec 2, 2017 at 12:31am PST</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async defer src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p><h2>Why did Harry and Meghan choose her?</h2><p>Like us, Meghan Markle loves her food. She even used to have her own food and lifestyle blog called the Tig where she wrote about her favourite restaurants, recipes, wines and bakers.</p><p>One of the bakers she interviewed, while the blog was still up and running, was no less than Claire Ptak! In the interview, the pair discussed Claire's trendy bakes, their mutual love of organic ingredients and seasonal eating, so we know that Claire's baking has been on Meghan's radar for quite some time.</p><p>Like Meghan, Claire is originally from California. She moved to London from Berkeley, Cailfornia in 2005 and set up a market stall in East London to sell her delicious, organic bakes before launching her café-bakery in 2010.</p><p>Meghan is the first American to marry into the royal family in over 80 years, and has strong ties to her Californian roots, so it&rsquo;s not surprising that Meghan and Harry chose a fellow Californian to bake their wedding cake.</p><h2>What&rsquo;s the cake going to be like?</h2><p>Traditionally, royal couples have always had a tiered fruit cake covered in white icing as their wedding cake.</p><p>But Harry and Meghan aren't scared of straying from tradition, as they've ordered a delicate and beautiful lemon and elderflower sponge covered in buttercream and decorated with fresh flowers to celebrate their marriage.</p><p>Claire&rsquo;s cakes are always seasonal and incorporate the best of British produce, like this beautiful three-tiered cake pictured below which is crowned with the first peonies of the season. The royal couple chose the baker to design their cake for this reason, according to the palace, as the couple wanted a cake inspired by the “bright flavours of spring.”</p><p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg0ZelUgYwT/" data-instgrm-version="8" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.5% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg0ZelUgYwT/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Peonies coming soon...</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/violetcakeslondon/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Violet By Claire Ptak</a> (@violetcakeslondon) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2018-03-27T07:44:00+00:00">Mar 27, 2018 at 12:44am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async defer src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p><p>We're expecting a light lemon sponge, elderflower buttercream and maybe a lemon curd centre sandwiched in the middle of the extravagant and sophisticated centrepiece. As for flowers, the cake's decorations could match Meghan's bouquet, which we know will contain peonies, white garden roses, floxgloves and a traditional sprig of myrtle.</p><p>Luckily for us, Claire's signature style is easy to recreate at home with some homemade buttercream, fresh flowers and a palette knife. Here's a demo of how she ices her celebration cakes:</p><p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg5czdjgGgz/" data-instgrm-version="8" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.5% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg5czdjgGgz/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Violet By Claire Ptak (@violetcakeslondon)</a> on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2018-03-29T06:50:17+00:00">Mar 28, 2018 at 11:50pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async defer src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p><p>Feel like celebrating with royal wedding flavours but not sure you're up for baking a whole wedding cake replica? <a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/lemon-elderflower-cupcakes" target="_blank">Our delicious lemon and elderflower cupcakes</a> are inspired by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding and can be whipped up in just 35 minutes plus cooling.</p><p><em>Feeling inspired to whip up some seasonal bakes inspired by Violet Bakery to celebrate the latest royal couple? Make sure to stock up on everything you need <a href="https://groceries.asda.com/" target="_blank">at Asda</a> or <a href="https://storelocator.asda.com/#!/" target="_blank">pop into your local store.</a></em></p>

Everything you need to know about Claire Ptak

By ASDA Admin,2nd May 2018

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