CLIENT: CHARM CITY CAKES
PROJECT: "ACE OF CAKES" DUFF GOLDMAN
FEBRUARY 2008 - BALTIMORE, MD
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ADRIENNE HELITZER
ALL IMAGES COPYRIGHT ADRIENNE HELITZER/2008©
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PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Documentation of Charm City Cakes bakery in Baltimore, MD, and celebrity owner and baker, Duff Goldman (star of the Food Network's popular show, "The Ace of Cakes.") Adrienne Helitzer photographed the bakery staff at work during a period of 10 days during February, 2008. These photographs are intended for publication in an upcoming book project by publisher HarperCollins on the bakery and Duff Goldman. Helitzer worked closely with book project author/producer Willie Goldman, who is also co-producer of "The Ace of Cakes."
Below is a selection of images being considered for publication in "Ace of Cakes" (release date October 20, 2009)
For more on the book including pre-order information please go to the following links:
http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780061703010/Ace_of_Cakes/index.aspx
http://www.harpercollinscatalogs.com/harper/516_970_313839353939.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Ace-Cakes-Book-Duff-Goldman/dp/006170301X/
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Duff Goldman star of Food Network's "The Ace Of Cakes," and owner of Charm City Cakes Bakery, laughs during the filming of a question and answer part of the show filmed in the basement of the bakery. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
The front door to Charm City Cakes bakery in Baltimore, MD. The bakery was once an art gallery and was originally bulit as a church. Duff Goldman opened the door as the bakery Charm City Cakes in March, 2000. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
A gift from a Charm City Cakes customer bearing caricatures of staff members at the bakery acknowledges that Goldman's business grew quickly from the small bakery that began in the year 2000 to a bustling and well-known operation producing unique cake creations shown on the Food Network's "The Ace of Cakes." (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Duff Goldman and his brother Willie Goldman (co-producer of the Food Network's show "The Ace of Cakes," lead a staff meeting to plan upcoming projects at Charm City Cakes bakery. A film crew from "Authentic Productions" tapes the activity. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Owner Duff Goldman gets a huge laugh from a comment made by his brother Willie Goldman (right) during a staff meeting at Charm City Cakes. Willie Goldman, co-producer of "The Ace of Cakes," was instrumental in bringing his younger brother to television and national audiences. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Charm City Cakes manager Mary Alice Yeskey keeps things in order for this fast-paced bakery. Here she receives a call from a client about a cake order. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Cake decorator and icer Sofia Rodriguez (at left) looks up some information about a cake project with front office manager Jess Curry. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Cake decorator Sofia Rodriguez works color food dye into a piece of fondant to bring about just the right shade of orange desired for a cake she works on at the bakery. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Sofia Rodriguez, a cake decorator whose specialty is "icing," wraps orange fondant around a flour cake. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
A wide variety of pre-mixed fondant colors line the stock shelves at Charm City Cakes. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
An array of clean cake pans, well-used during their service at Charm City Cakes, are neatly stacked along the bakery's shelves. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Head baker Adam Goldstein shows intern Joe Avery-Weinstein how to make sample cakes for customers. The samples, which are sent out each week for customer tasting, each offers a different flavor and frosting. As the head baker at Charm City Cakes, Goldstein's responsibilites are involved in the creation of every cake. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Charm City cake intern Joe Avery-Weinstein works on his first sample cake project while head baker Adam Goldstein gives him encouragement and support. Meanwhile a videographer from Authentic Productions films the activity. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
The varitey of frostings used for sample cakes sent out to clients who select one of the flavors to order for their own cake creation. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Each client gets a box of sample cakes to try out before they order their own flavor. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Decorators Katherine Hill and Ben Turner discuss the details of a cake that Ben will build for a client. The cake designers at Charm City Cakes often collaborate to share ideas and innovative techniques to create these unique cakes. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Duff Goldman, owner of Charm City Cakes, is known as the "ultimate tool guy," and "not your typical baker" in that he routinely utilizes power tools in the creation of his cakes. With his unusual approach to baking he has established one of the most unique, fun and well-known bakeries in the country. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
As Duff Goldman uses a blow torch to create a pipe that will hold explosives inside a cake, a television crew films his every maneuver. (Film crew members include still photographer Justin Gurnari, camera director Matthew Carr and sound technician Duffy Nagle. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Duff Goldman, founder and owner of Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, MD, loves his job and his bakery. He has established a unique bakery that hires artists to create award-winning cakes that are "never frozen, always fresh." His infectious enthusiasm and creativity has gained him a large following, including a devoted audience that watches his show "Ace of Cakes" on the Food Network.(Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Geof Manthorne, executive sous chef/decorator, researches designs for a "cathedral" cake he is creating. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Geof Manthorne, executive sous chef/decorator, cuts out pieces of fondant to apply to the framework of his "cathedral" cake. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
The bakery at Charm City Cakes is divided into different sections for building with power tools, baking the cakes, design and painting. In the tool space three decorators can work at once without disturbing each other's work space. Here, Katie Rose (top left), Duff Goldman (center) and Anna Ellison are all hard at work. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Part of the success at Charm City Cakes is the constant positive teamwork between staff members. Here, decorator Ben Turner (at right) demonstrates how to shape styrofoam to Mark Muller. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
The cake decorators at Charm City Cakes use a variety of steel forms to make different shapes for their cake designs. Several drawers filled with these forms are available at the bakery. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Cake decorator Katie Rose works on the color features of her cake project. There is always a lot of research that goes into each cake design at Charm City Cakes. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Anna Ellison, artistic director and cake decorator, works on shaping styrofoam for a "Russian Doll" cake model she is creating for display in the bakery. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/Charm City Cakes©)
Anna Ellison, decorator and artistic director at Charm City Cakes, poses with her finished "Russian Doll" cakes created for display at the bakery. Ellison drew inspiration for the cakes from the real model, a small wooden doll that stands in front of her cake dolls. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Food coloring mixed in plastic squeeze bottles help decorators achieve the right color palette for each individual cake they design. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Sherri Chambers, a cake decorator at Charm City Cakes, airbrush paints her "Owl Cake" at the bakery's painting station. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Duff Goldman sprays a piece of styrofoam he considers using for a cake that will include explosives. One of Goldman's creative signatures is building elements of surprise into his complex cake designs, such as explosives, motion and interactivity. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Decorator Katherine Hill puts the finishing touches on her "Hamburger, Hotdog & Fries" cake.(Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Decorator Katherine Hill gives her best "creme de la resistance" kiss to her "Hamburger, Hotdog & Fries" cake. Hill has a reputation in her cake design work for bringing a very realistic style to her creations. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Elena Fox creates a "Marie Antoinette" cake that will be completed with a bloody slit in the throat. Fox is recognized for having a creative penchant for the mysterious, edgy, non-traditional concepts of Charm City Cake creations that call for the "dark side." (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Cake decorator Mary Smith takes the detail of cake piping to a whole new level as she works on one of her creations at Charm City Cakes. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
A closeup of a small cake embellished with a piping design by Charm City Cakes decorator Mary Smith. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Duff Goldman admires the the piping detail on a set of small cakes created by decorator Mary Smith. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Anna Ellison, cake decorator and artistic director of Charm City Cakes, applies the finishing touches to her seven-tiered cake. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Anna Ellison watches as fellow staff member Katherine Hill adds some detail to Ellison's seven-tired cake. Teamwork is often essential to a successful finished product as each cake decorator at Charm City Cakes has honed a specialty that adds value to the process. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
A shelf filled with pretty ribbons used on cakes are just some of the many non-edible accessories that decorators can use to adorn their designs. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Each cake has some wonderful elements that make it a one-of-a-kind creation. This bowtie and piping produces an elegant statement created by cake decorator Katherine Hill. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Katie Rose, cake decorator at Charm City Cakes, works on the final phases of her cake by painting a border of color to separate each layer. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Erica Harrison, cake decorator at Charm City Cakes, "paints" her cake by applying food coloring to white fondant. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Elena Fox, cake decorator at Charm City Cakes, works on a cake that shows off her ability to create patterns and graphic designs. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Elena Fox shares a laugh with other cake decorators in the bakery, which has a laid-back atmosphere and an open work space which encourages friendship and teamwork. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Cake decorator Ben Turner adds silver caps to embellish a "teeth cake" he creates at Charm City Cakes. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
A group of display cakes, which are styrofoam copies of the original, sit on a shelf in the bakery. Each display cakes is uniquely different and shows off the creative imaginations of the Charm City Cake decorators. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Charm City Cakes staff has received some wonderful and creative presents in the mail, including this beautiful patchwork quilt and some homemade dolls which are displayed on the bakery's staff couch. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
Working late into the evening is just another typical day at Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, MD. The beautiful stone building, which was constructed originally as a church, has become a landmark of high creativity and good tasting dough. (Photograph by Adrienne Helitzer/for Charm City Cakes©)
(For more information on Duff Goldman and his bakery Charm City Cakes visit www.charmcitycakes.com)