Anyone for a slice of Chanel cake?

With a portfolio of cakes that look far too good to eat under their belt, Northumberland's Symphony in Sugar have created designs for the rich and famous using iconic luxury items as their inspiration. From red-soled Louboutin to Pandora jewellery, and KTM motorbikes to Rolex watches, there's nothing this trio won't try and replicate. So I had a little chat with them to find out what they're all about.

Slice of Bombay Sapphire, anyone?

Who are you all? 

There are three of us. David and Clare, who are married, and me, Christine. I’m Clare’s mum’s next door neighbour. [See why making friends with your neighbours is a good idea? – Laura]

Why did you start Symphony in Sugar?  

Clare's nephew wanted an Xbox cake, but it was going to cost about £100 with a local cake maker. So Clare decided to give it a go herself and save some pennies. It was brilliant. I saw the photograph on Facebook and shared it with friends. It got so many compliments.

So when did it all begin?  

That happened about three years ago. For a long time we just made cakes for family and friends, mainly to gain experience and perfect our technique. Our friends and family are our biggest supporters - we've only done two wedding fayres and haven't taken out any mainstream advertising – so all our business is through word of mouth and social media.

So you make cakes all day? It must be delicious... 

Clare and I both have three children to care for. We also both have one-year-olds (bad timing, we know) so it's family first. Any free hours are thrown into the cakes. Dave took over from Clare while she was pregnant, as she couldn’t stand to be around raw eggs! Tricky when they’re a main ingredient. Since then he has taken over 90% of the baking and does all the modelling. It works perfectly, he's nicknamed the cake ninja.

What do most people want a slice of?

Without a doubt the Pandora, Chanel and the Rolex watch.

Have there been any challenges? 

Honestly, there have been many occasions when we've nearly called time on it. We moved the business from a home, to a shop, and then back home in the last year or so. So it’s just finding out what works best for us. It’s very stressful, but then it’s also very rewarding. I love seeing the shock on peoples’ faces when they see their cake for the first time. 

Do you use your talent for charity?

We do. This year we donated a beautiful cake that was auctioned at the Diamonds and Ice Ball for Tiny Lives. We've just started raising money for Fabrice Muamba's Hearts and Goals charity too, so hopefully we'll get to do something amazing for them. Maybe a cake defibrillator!

So which celebs have enjoyed your creations? 

We’ve made cakes for several celebrities. First one being the Royal Wedding Garden Party Cake for Ant and Dec at Ant’s home in London. Then there was an adidas themed cake for Example, Monty Magpie for NUFC, Blue Lamp Foundation cake for Duncan Bannatyne, MTV's Geordie Shore, an Alice in Wonderland Dessert table for Ricky and Vicky, and a model of Brenda Blethyn's Landrover 'the beast' from ITV's Vera.

Which one gets the most rave reviews? 

The Xbox was the first cake ever made so we were obviously loving that, but I think the first cake that everyone was in awe of was the Chanel handbag and shoe cake. We can turn a cake like that around in a day, but the shoe is also edible and is hardened and sanded into shape. So that process starts at least a week before.

It all sounds lovely. So what advice would you give to someone who wants to start their own cake business? 

It’s not a piece of cake! Be prepared for a bumpy ride, try and work a second job alongside until you're fully established. It costs so much money for the right tools and machinery, so most of what you bring in initially will go straight back out for new purchases. And don't undervalue your work; put a pricing strategy in place and know exactly how much it costs to make your cake.