Award Winning Wedding Cake, La Bella Italia Pastry Shop, Chicago
The pictures of this award winning wedding cake are from La Bella Italia Pastry Shop in Chicago
Location was in the Taylor street neighborhood, Grand Avenue. A young Andrea Salara is seen here completing the finishing touch on a wedding cake that was said at the time to be a record holder for the tallest wedding cake. When I was living with my grandmother she gave me this photo as a gift, to this day it hangs in my home. I believe that the photo is more than of 75 years old. It is mounted on 1/4 inch plywood in a wooden frame that has been painted at least 5 times.
I have no Idea how he got the top of the cake up there. I do know that back in the day you could not buy the decorations that today we take for granted. Each one of the trellises were created by piping icing over coffee cans cut in half or on foil cut outs. Once dry they were put in place. Think of the time it may took!
Andrew (Andrea) Salara was known to listen to opera and drink pots of espresso as he created his masterpieces. Before becoming a baker he was a tailor and a violinist.
Here is a closer image of the piping work as well as silver leaves he created with foil. The only thing purchased were the figurines and silver decos. Mr. Salara was known for creating elaborate cake designs inspired from pictures taken of cathedrals from his trips to Europe. One noteworthy creation was lit with tiny Italian lights and when the cake was cut, a door in the dome released a doves!
The sign says This wedding cake made and put up by La Bella Italia. He was truly the Ace of Cakes of his time!