IT sounded like a scene straight out of the famous Cake Boss reality television series as Durban North confectionery chef, Kevyn Buys, told the Northglen News of his recent experience baking a beautifully decorated and decadent birthday cake for President Jacob Zuma.
The husband and father of two was stunned when he received a call from the vice-president of the South African Chefs’ Association, asking him if he would be interested in baking the president’s 73rd birthday cake.
“I was climbing out of my skin. I was so excited and wanted to tell everyone, but I was not allowed to say anything until after the president’s birthday. This is such an honour and memorable achievement. It is something I can share with my children. There is no one more special to bake a cake for, and not many people can say they have baked for the president,” said an elated Buys.
The beautifully intricate three-tiered cake weighed more than 70kg and spanned more than a metre in length. Buys and two of his assistants, Danielle Bronkhorst and Glenn Allanson, spent approximately 36 hours baking and decorating the completely edible creation.
“We had so much fun making the cake, from getting creative during the planning stage right through to the delicate and time-consuming process of decorating it. I think the flags came out quite cool. One is the South African flag and the other represents the Jacob Zuma Foundation. We draped them over the top tiers,” he said.
The cake’s base consisted of vanilla chiffon sponge, the second tier was made out of chocolate torte cake and the top tier was a red velvet cake with cream cheese filling.
The hardest part of the whole experience, said Buys, was transporting the massive creation to the venue. “We had to plan the process strategically. It was the most stressful part of the job, and really nerve-wracking. Everything had to be done carefully. At one point we thought that the wooden board would collapse underneath the cake’s weight. We were also concerned that the cake board would not fit through the door,” he laughed.
