“Creativity has no limits,” Prachi Dhabal Deb is a living testimony to this statement. Pune-based cake artist, Prachi, makes unbelievably beautiful and creative vegan cakes that are majestic in appearance and delicious in taste. Taking her cake artistry to the world level, Prachi has won many international awards and holds two world records to her name – “Biggest Vegan Royal Icing Structure” and for creating the “Most Number Of Vegan Royal Icing Structures”.
Let us hear the exciting story of Prachi in her own words.
Give Us A Glimpse Of Yourself And Your Journey As A Cake Artist.
I grew up in Dehradun and there we used to have a lot of bakeries with great varieties of tasty & fascinating cakes. I was quite fond of the elegant and beautiful-looking cakes, particularly. I remember once asking my mother, why we cannot have a castle-themed cake or princess cake at home. I always had that perception that we could also make something like that also. I did have an interest in baking and crafts, I had baked a cake once when I was about 10 years, never realizing at that time that this would be what I would eventually be venturing into in future.
I started my professional journey as a cake artist in 2012. Becoming a cake artist was not a planned career for me. In fact, I used to be a Financial Analyst at a multinational company with a promising career ahead of me there. It was quite by chance that I had to take a break from my work for a short while, and I happened to explore the cake industry out of interest and hobby. With one thing leading to the other, I was eventually hooked into this world where I just felt that this was where I wanted to be. In a few years’ time, I was fortunate enough to be mentored by Sir Eddie Spence, MBE, who got me into the Royal Icing Artwork. He is a legendary cake artist who made special occasion cakes for Princess Diana and the Royal Family.
Creating A New Design Every Day Requires A Lot Of Creativity. What Inspires You To Stay Creative?
When I took that break and started baking, it made me feel very harmonious and I really enjoyed it. Moreover, I slowly started working on cake aesthetics focusing on Royal icing artwork. For me, it is like painting on a canvas with my creativity and passion as my paints and brushes. Cake decorating is not just restricted to baking a cake only. It is a long process and there are a lot of visualization, craftsmanship, and innovative approaches involved when it comes to customising the décor of the cake. It allows me to experiment with something different and create something new every day.
As an artist, it is very satisfying and exhilarating to expand horizons with new designs and themes. I am quite a resolute person when it comes to work and commitments, but for me, my work is more of a stress buster which personifies what Sir Eddie used to say, “If you love what you do, then you will never have to work again.”
View this post on Instagram
My family has been all along throughout my journey. All of them are incredibly supportive and keep encouraging me to follow my passion.
How Do You Keep Up With The Creativity In Each Cake That You Design?
I believe that my soul is of an artist. When I have to bake a cake, creativity is something that comes naturally to me, and I do not have to force myself much into thinking. I have been doing this for the past 10 years, but it still feels very fresh to me. The spark of creating something new is what excites me the most. And I must say that I can beautifully utilise my creative energy with this medium.
Choosing Between Passion And Responsibility Is Difficult. What According To You A Person Should Follow?
Yes, choosing a passion and what one has to take up as a responsibility is always a very difficult choice and many times has a lot of uncertainties.
If one knows his or her true passion and calling, then I think it will not need to be a choice. The passion itself will be the driver of dedication and will eventually fulfil all aspects of broader responsibilities.
However, it is “knowing that truest passion” which is the elusive elixir and leaves a lot to be weighed and balanced when there is even an iota of uncertainty there.
Thus, there may not be a right or wrong indicator that I can point to, to follow one’s dream or passion. But there always will be a need to have a strong determination and commitment to put heart and soul into work and to give a 100%, irrespective of whether one follows dreams or need to assume a path of responsibility. Both aspects are equally important, and essential and serve the greater good when hard work is involved and will be equally rewarding when that hard work pays off. It is only when the two paths get aligned that it automatically prompts the mind to aim to achieve greater heights.
