"Hannah Mandel, the owner-operator, used her wedding cake to reflect both partners’ origins and tastes: “The inspiration was tri-state area Jewish deli flavors, with the aesthetics of aCal Earth building,” Mandel says. She incorporated bicoastal nods—marzipan apples and citrus—and made abstract marzipan shapes, producing a malted black sesame and almond marble cake filled with pickled berry jam and tahini buttercream. One of the most special parts was a ceramic cake topper made by the artist Janie Korn. Like other seasoned bakers, Mandel relied on practiced timing and kitchen muscle memory—prebaking, tightly wrapping and freezing layers, and staging frostings and garnishes—to make the day run smoothly." - Alicia Kennedy