Marion founded Mamie Brougitte Cakes in 2013. Her days as a toddler were her first in the kitchen, climbing to the countertop for culinary teachings from her grandmother Mamie Brougitte. Those lessons remain the main ingredient in what has turned into a married world of baking and art. Raised by artist parents in multicultural surroundings, Marion pulls her deepest inspiration from her roots. Attention to detail is key. Working intimately with each client is her nature. And the process of turning a couple of ingredients into a story to remember is her gift.

Words by Marion Attal

My baking journey started as soon as I could pull my toddler legs up on a step stool for teachings from my French grandmother, Mamie Brigitte. Naturally, it felt fitting to name my business after her. A strong sense of ‘gourmandise’ was the driving force behind my gravitation towards getting myself elbow-deep in flour. As a child, my preschool lunch requests were for foie gras sandwiches or Roquefort tartines.

This proved to be a reliable source of mockery for American kids when my parents later moved us to New York City, but I would soon find out it proved useful in the culinary world to think outside the box.

However, this was not where my story commenced, my first attempt was to become an actress. In my 20s I studied theatre in NYC and Paris until one fine mid-winter break I decided to adventure to South Africa. That winter break extended into a 7-year-long move to the small coastal town of Plettenberg Bay. Due to the lack of theatre career opportunities there, I casually decided to do what was most natural to me, bake. Farmer’s markets had a particular abundance of fresh local ingredients and it inspired me to make my own homemade butter, buttermilk, and vanilla extract for the pastries. The efforts proved worthy, as locals started requesting more. They wanted cakes for all kinds of celebrations.

Truthfully, this was not quite in my interest initially. Sponge cakes with buttercream didn’t quite scream French patisserie, nor was it specifically calling to my artistic tastes. After some research, however, I discovered sugar flowers.

Marvelous life-like sculpted blooms from sugar paste, not unlike play dough, could be pre-crafted and used as exquisite decorations for tall luscious cakes. Additionally, as long as they didn’t get wet they could be collected after the cake cutting and be served as a keepsake for the clients. This certainly sparked my creative interest, ‘if I could do that, then I would be interested in making cakes’ I thought. And thus began my practice.

In 2016, my South African fiancé and I decided to return to the USA. The Berkshires turned out to be a leap of faith, one encouraged by my mother. Having lived remotely made moving back to NYC again seem impossible. Not to mention, impractical for sourcing fresh farm-made ingredients to maintain my motto of ‘the cakes must taste as good as they look’. The Berkshires was a perfect compromise- beautiful, food-driven, healthy distance to the cities and plenty of space for the three imported dogs that I could never imagine parting with.

My process with a client starts with a cake-tasting meeting and design consultation. Generally done in person, to maintain as much one-on-one contact. Although as we deliver nationwide, sometimes the samples are shipped. Every step is customised and carefully curated for an experience beyond just cake purchasing. I think of it as more of a commissioned art piece.

Orders are limited and have to be taken months in advance. The butter, buttermilk and vanilla extract are still homemade for each recipe. Fillings, jams, and curds are sourced from the tastiest of small-batch makers in the tri-state area, France, and Italy. Each and every decorative element is handmade in the studio, often taking up to 100 hours to create a 200-person cake. Interns are welcomed, and a small staffed business remains key for quality control.

Being in my studio, handling delicate materials with the necessary attention to detail is therapeutic for my anxious nature. And although not my original plan, using cake as an art form turned out to be perfect for me.

To find out more about Mamie Brougitte Cakes visit https://www.mamiebrougitte.com/ or follow @mamie_brougitte_cakes

Mamie Brougitte Cakes

Mel Calver

Makers Mixtapes