Miller - Naked cakes: simply beautiful handmade creations

Thank you to Handsome, Tahlia and Sam. You are what makes everything beautiful in my world.
I love you.

IM AN ENTERTAINER. I was brought up in a quintessential 1970s home on the northern beaches of Sydney, listening to Fleetwood Mac and hiding under tables while Boney M played on the stereo, and conga lines flowed through our laughter-filled home on my parents party nights. When a party was announced, I would delight in my mothers enthusiasm and attention to every detail. The food was always at the heart, and the styling for the evening was complementary. If it was a modest barbecue, the vibe would be relaxed, carefree and organic no place settings, just plates and cutlery in piles, simple napery and a beautiful, organic, rustic feel. Food was placed in the centre of the table for all to share. Salads were served in stylish yet understated bowls. However, if it was a formal affair, then all the treasured family china came out, the glassware, crystal and cutlery were polished, new taper candles were purchased and fresh flowers were bought or picked from our garden (or dare I say, someone elses!). Considering her skill, it was no surprise that my mum ended up owning a caf which, I am proud to say, became an institution in our home town.

My mother had champagne taste and a beer kick. She loved the good things in life, but often couldnt afford them (with six kids and four jobs) so she made us feel like we had it all and we felt like we did. She knew how to set a scene and make everyone feel welcome and warm. You could say food was her language of love. With a brood to feed, sometimes a birthday party was just a modest invitation for all our family and friends to visit and eat cake not a full meal, but just an afternoon around the family table, indulging in a decadent cake and delighting in its beauty.

This is where my interest in food began, as well as my affection for nature and its gifts of fresh produce, not to mention my enjoyment of styling a scene, taking pride in being a hospitable host and making the ordinary extraordinary. I am my mothers daughter!

I started out as a food stylist at health retreats where the brief was to make the food both taste and look beautiful. Stuffed vegetables were a challenge to make appetising, so I brought in edible flowers to use as props, as my mum used to do in her caf. However, I soon realised that decorating cakes brought me the greatest joy in the kitchen the scope for unleashing my creativity was almost limitless.

It wasnt until my wedding day some years later that I first saw a naked cake. My sister Sarah made a magnificent cake to fit the boho chic theme of my wedding (Im a little bohemian at heart!). It was a tiered white chocolate mud cake, soaked in liqueur, topped with buttercream and crowned with fresh and exotic blooms and seashells. It was perfect the most memorable gift I have ever received, and I was captivated by its sheer organic beauty. This is where my love affair with naked cakes began.

WHAT ARE NAKED CAKES? Naked cakes have been popping up everywhere in the last few years, and are simply cakes that arent covered in icing or frosting. Fondant-haters, lazy bakers and time-poor hosts rejoice! Naked cakes are budget-friendly, DIY and absolutely swoon-worthy. However, dont get me wrong they are not frosting-free. They just use frosting in a different way and are filled with luscious buttercreams and topped with delectable treats for the tastebuds. Some bakers and cake decorators may call this style of cake unfinished, but I love the simple elegance of this undressed cake, especially when paired with the natural romance of flowers, foliage, delectable fruits and other decorations.

Naked cakes come in all different shapes and sizes. They are beautiful, simple and unpretentious. There is an unlimited amount of elements that can be created and added to your cake, so the naked cake can transcend a number of different themes and styles for any event. These naturally textural cakes are popular for the bride wanting a rustic-themed wedding, or anyone who wants to add some sensual and organic flair to their home entertaining.

You can go for a naked cake thats clean and tidy and exercise your piping skills between cake layers, a whitewashed look with a thin layer of buttercream swept over the surface, or go for a more eclectic and organic look. There is no wrong way. Whether youre a fan of a more towering creation or delight in a petite gateau, are hosting a sophisticated or simple affair, these beauties dont play favourites.

Regardless of what you are celebrating, you can pick and choose your profile flavours, selecting from or adapting the abundance of suggestions within these pages, and make a show-stopping, delicious and beautiful creation that you can truly claim as your very own.

So many people are intimidated by the thought of putting together a tiered naked cake. There is no need to be. It is nothing like building a traditional wedding/tiered cake. Remember, theres no icing! Leave the traditional decorated cakes, with their fondant and frosting techniques, to the master bakers. The naked cake forgos all of that traditionalism by choice. Whats more, a naked cake need not be perfect. There is charm in its imperfections. The beauty of home-made reigns supreme. The naked cake is about beauty in simplicity.

There are three elements to the naked cakes in this book, the base, the fillings and the toppings. However, I wanted to start the book with a selection of finished cakes (my queens), designed to excite and inspire you, and show you the possibilities.

THE QUEENS This chapter includes a selection of the most beautiful cakes I have made to date. They are my stars, all of them quite unique from wholesome and feminine, to sexy, sophisticated and even flamboyant. I chose cakes that would speak to each and every one of you, as beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There isnt a lady among them who wouldnt shine as the centre of attention at your next event.

BASES TO INSPIRE When deciding on your own naked cake, the first element is the choice of base cake consider these your canvases. In this chapter you will discover fourteen simple and versatile cakes. Most often, naked cakes tend to be made using a plain sponge or Madeira-style cake, but they dont have to be sometimes I like to make things a little more exciting. Explore this chapter, together with my simple flavour-pairing bible, , and start to develop your cake and flavour profile. You can stick to a single flavour or mix to your hearts content. Create a single, double or multi-tiered cake I have also included tips and techniques to help you layer your cakes successfully.