07.18Cake Artistry | The Wynn Resort Las Vegas
Flora Aghababyan is the master cake artist at the Wynn Resort Las Vegas. She is cool under pressure and there isn’t a cake request that she can’t fulfill in a moment’s notice.
Do you love the red Hermes purse in the photo? Wait . . . this is a birthday cake replicated by Flora. Trust me, Flora really can transform anything into a cake. When you want to impress someone in Vegas, as a very important Wynn executive wanted to do one birthday for his wife, of course you turn to Flora to get those extra bonus points for creativity!
Perhaps you have an equestrian in the family and want to celebrate a birthday. You might request this cake, which measured about 3 ‘ x 1 1/2 feet and was secured in a plexiglass case and loaded up in a private plane to be delivered for a very lucky young lady’s birthday.
The “Blue Baker,” my granddaughter, and I visited Flora and her team one afternoon and met Flora and her team. They are talented, creative and fast. One can only describe this as the home of cake magic. We watched as Flora recreated the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign on a sheet cake.
Then it was time for the “Blue Baker”, to decorate her first cake. First the frosting. Then selecting the flowers. (Flora can reproduce any flower grown). Finally, it’s time to pipe the frosting on the sides of the cake. Flora sent the “Blue Baker’s” creation home in a box. It was quickly placed in the freezer. I keep hoping for a taste, but many months later, the “Blue Baker” will not allow anyone to eat her souvenir. This is a cake that will forever be saved!
Flora was 12 when she decorated her first cake and already knew she wanted to become a professional baker at age 18. Here she is demonstrating to the “Blue Baker “how to create a perfect frosting finish. Flora’s personal favorite cake is one made with fresh berries, but all her cakes are mouth watering.
In the course of an average day, Flora will bake and decorate between 10 and 20 cakes. Above are some decorations waiting for placement. She gets her inspiration from just about everywhere – books, the internet and sometimes even an art store.
When asked what the hardest cake order she ever filled, Flora replied that she is actually quite comfortable with any design. I guess that’s why appearing on Food Network didn’t stress her out.
Flora has won numerous awards, including the National Grand Wedding Competition in 2010 out of 70 professionals in the Country. Always humble, she shares that “Every day is a competition for me. At the end of the day if everything is fine and everyone is happy, then this is the best award for every day.”
The most number of cakes Flora ever made were 550 creations in three days! Now, that’s working under pressure!
Flora is a great believer in working hard and following your dreams. When you look at photos of her cake creations, you know that this inspirational woman has found her dream job. Lucky for Wynn Resort and anyone able to savor her creations!
– The Gourmet Review