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Sylvia Weinstock

Sylvia Weinstock (January 28, 1930 – November 22, 2021) was an American baker and cake decorator.[1][2][3] She was known for creating elaborate, multi-tiered wedding cakes decorated with botanically accurate sugar flowers. She also designed intricate trompe-l'oeil cakes resembling objects such as cars, crates of wine, and Fabergé eggs.[4]

Early life and education

Sylvia Silver was born January 28, 1930, in the Bronx, New York.[4] She was raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Her family lived above their shop, which sold liquor and later became a bakery.

Weinstock earned a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1951 from Hunter College. She later obtained a master's degree in education from Queens College in 1973.[2]

Career

Weinstock began her professional career as an elementary school teacher on Long Island.[4][5] She began baking cakes for local restaurants and apprenticed with pastry chef George Keller at the suggestion of André Soltner of Lutèce.[4] She founded her cake business at age 50, following her recovery from breast cancer.[6][7] William Greenberg, a fellow bakery owner, began referring clients to her for wedding cakes.[2] After moving to Manhattan from Long Island, she began baking for private events at venues such as the Carlyle Hotel.[4] In 1983, she and her husband renovated a warehouse in Tribeca into a four-story home and headquarters for Sylvia Weinstock Cakes.

Weinstock created cakes for many celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, and Martha Stewart.[8] She preferred not to use fondant, describing it as "cheap and easy."[4] Instead, she favored buttercream, sugar flowers, and stenciled designs.[9] Bon Appétit magazine dubbed her "the Leonardo da Vinci of wedding cakes."[2]

After retiring from commercial baking, Weinstock appeared as a guest judge on the Food Network series Chopped Sweets and Top Chef: Just Desserts.[10] She also appeared in season 1 of the Netflix series Nailed It!, where she was described as the show's "secret weapon."[6] She also taught cake decorating at the Institute of Culinary Education.[4]

Personal life

In 1949, at age 19, she married Benjamin Weinstock (1925–2018).[2][11] They settled in Massapequa, New York, and raised three children.[4]

Death

Weinstock died on November 22, 2021, in Tribeca at the age of 91. The cause of death was multiple myeloma.

Publications

  • Weinstock, Sylvia; Manchester, Kate (1999). Sweet Celebrations: The Art of Decorating Beautiful Cakes. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9780684846750.
  • Weinstock, Sylvia (2008). Sylvia Weinstock's Sensational Cakes. New York, NY: Stewart, Tabori & Chang. ISBN 9781584797180.

References

  1. ^ Strauss, Alix (June 1, 2019). "A Conversation With the 'Queen of Cake'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Quinn, Dave (November 23, 2021). "Sylvia Weinstock, Famed Luxury Wedding Cake Designer, Dead at 91". People (magazine). Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  3. ^ Seelye, Katharine Q. (November 28, 2021). "Sylvia Weinstock, the 'da Vinci of Wedding Cakes,' Dies at 91". The New York Times.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Smith, Harrison (November 24, 2021). "Sylvia Weinstock, master of the luxury wedding cake, dies at 91". The Washington Post.
  5. ^ "Interview With The Leonardo DaVinci of Cakes Sylvia Weinstock – Wedding Market". Wedding Market News. April 17, 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Meet Cake Queen Sylvia Weinstock: 'Nailed It!'s Secret Weapon". Decider. March 16, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  7. ^ "Sylvia Weinstock's fabulous wedding cakes travel across the globe". Miami Herald. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  8. ^ Ghert-Zand, Renee (February 19, 2016). "At 86, NY's Queen of Cakes still sits sweetly on her throne". The Times of Israel. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  9. ^ "Q&A: Sylvia Weinstock". Nuvo. January 18, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  10. ^ Brion, Raphael (September 30, 2010). "The Wedding Cakewrecks of Top Chef: Just Desserts". Eater. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  11. ^ "Benjamin Weinstock Obituary (2018)". Legacy.com. Retrieved December 28, 2021.