A CONVERSATION WITH CLAIRE PTAK
From working within the storied kitchen of California’s iconic Chez Panisse, to founding East London’s most sought-out bakery Violet Cakes, Claire Ptak is no stranger to notoriety. A search of her name may bring up imagery of certain Royals (for whom she created the wedding cake), but far more than that, the creative’s passion for her craft remains unmatched. In anticipation of her new book, Love is a Pink Cake, debuting with Lee Mathews, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Claire at her London home.
Love is a Pink Cake reads as a love letter to baking, exploring the very act as an expression of love - whether that be self-love or shared. It’s a sentiment only natural to you - have you always felt this and where did it come from?
I started baking after school as a youngster - I think it had to do with having a lot of alone time because my brother was so much older and not around much, and both my parents worked. I self-soothed by reading cookbooks and creating my own versions of the cakes.
Your approach merges your Californian history with a British sensibility that seems to go hand in hand with baking - how do you blend these parts of your life into your bakes?
I’m acutely aware of how lucky I am to have grown up in such a place of natural beauty and with a connection to mother earth that so many don’t have the opportunity to experience. This informs who I am and therefore how I bake, but I also love how art and design inform everything I do in the amazing city of London with all its incredible international people, cultures and therefore food that occupy it. I truly feel I get the best of both worlds, and then that naturally comes through in what I do.
Claire wears the Cotton Cashmere Ribbed Cardigan and Nelson Skirt.
Within that, you spent time shooting Love Is a Pink Cake both in your adopted home of London and in a family friend’s wood cabin in California. What do each mean to you, and where do you feel most at home?
I feel most at home in a deep way when I’m in Inverness, around my family and group of friends that are also like family there. But my daughter was born in East London so that’s also my home.
What inspires or incites creativity within you?
Experience, senses, love and an impulse to escape. Baking is a wonderful escape.
How do these experiences help in your approach to a new idea - whether it be for a book, a recipe or anything else? What is your creative process?
I seem to be most inspired by other artists and the viewpoints they share through their work. It reminds me to use my own lens, and not to be afraid. I love getting older for this reason too. My confidence grows from year to year, and I feel more beautiful and more secure now than ever before (despite the wrinkles and the extra weight ha!). It’s also ingredients. I’m so inspired when I step into an organic farm and can pick fruit from the trees, then take it home and make something delicious. But I’m also always working in a visual way.
You’ve also said you come from a family that nurtured your passion - how does this inform your approach to not only business, but your day-to-day life?
They are so incredibly supportive - it’s almost embarrassing how much they support and love me. It’s a great role model for me on how to love my daughter. They weren’t perfect by any means, but they can never be faulted for not being loving and supportive.
With that, it seems only fair to call you a go-getter, taking your experience to the streets (literally via the Broadway market and following your passion to the store) – what drives you?
First of all, I needed to make a living like most people, so I worked incredibly hard to earn the money! I love fashion and beautiful things, and I want to be able to afford them ha! I suppose I am competitive too. I want my business to be a success because the idea of failure isn’t something I’m comfortable with.
How do you set up your space for success? And what are the absolute must haves for every kitchen?
Just invest in a stand mixer - it will transform your baking. Have sharp knives, keep as much off the counter as possible, and always clean as you go!
There is a welcoming warmth to your space - only fitting for baking! Why do you think this feeling is so natural? Is it intentional, or part of the natural essence of your work?
Why thank you! Baking definitely brings warmth - the smells that fill the space, the way you feel when eating a freshly baked treat - it’s all very cosy!
When you’re not baking, what are you cooking at home? Do you have favourite ingredients to work with outside the bakery?
I make a lot of roast chickens from which I then make chicken broth to use for stews, risottos, and soups. I love doing the entire process from start to finish with whole foods and whole ingredients. It’s the best.
Claire wears Florentina Shirt and Florentina Pant.
You’ve also worked with icons within the industry including Ottolenghi and Jamie Oliver – what’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
“Gather a good team around you.” They have both done that, and it means everything. My team are literally the world to me.
Of course, your recipes are endlessly collectible, but are you a collector of anything else?
Cookbooks! I have over 1000.
And finally, we must ask, just what is the secret to the perfect bake?
Love. And focus. Let go, get into it, and enjoy the process.
Claire wears the Cashmere Crew Neck Knit and Mortimer Pleated Pant.
Photographer: Charlotte Bland
A CONVERSATION WITH CLAIRE PTAK
From working within the storied kitchen of California’s iconic Chez Panisse, to founding East London’s most sought-out bakery Violet Cakes, Claire Ptak is no stranger to notoriety. A search of her name may bring up imagery of certain Royals (for whom she created the wedding cake), but far more than that, the creative’s passion for her craft remains unmatched. In anticipation of her new book, Love is a Pink Cake, debuting with Lee Mathews, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Claire at her London home.
Love is a Pink Cake reads as a love letter to baking, exploring the very act as an expression of love - whether that be self-love or shared. It’s a sentiment only natural to you - have you always felt this and where did it come from?
I started baking after school as a youngster - I think it had to do with having a lot of alone time because my brother was so much older and not around much, and both my parents worked. I self-soothed by reading cookbooks and creating my own versions of the cakes.
Your approach merges your Californian history with a British sensibility that seems to go hand in hand with baking - how do you blend these parts of your life into your bakes?
I’m acutely aware of how lucky I am to have grown up in such a place of natural beauty and with a connection to mother earth that so many don’t have the opportunity to experience. This informs who I am and therefore how I bake, but I also love how art and design inform everything I do in the amazing city of London with all its incredible international people, cultures and therefore food that occupy it. I truly feel I get the best of both worlds, and then that naturally comes through in what I do.
Claire wears the Cotton Cashmere Ribbed Cardigan and Nelson Skirt.
Within that, you spent time shooting Love Is a Pink Cake both in your adopted home of London and in a family friend’s wood cabin in California. What do each mean to you, and where do you feel most at home?
I feel most at home in a deep way when I’m in Inverness, around my family and group of friends that are also like family there. But my daughter was born in East London so that’s also my home.
What inspires or incites creativity within you?
Experience, senses, love and an impulse to escape. Baking is a wonderful escape.
How do these experiences help in your approach to a new idea - whether it be for a book, a recipe or anything else? What is your creative process?
I seem to be most inspired by other artists and the viewpoints they share through their work. It reminds me to use my own lens, and not to be afraid. I love getting older for this reason too. My confidence grows from year to year, and I feel more beautiful and more secure now than ever before (despite the wrinkles and the extra weight ha!). It’s also ingredients. I’m so inspired when I step into an organic farm and can pick fruit from the trees, then take it home and make something delicious. But I’m also always working in a visual way.
You’ve also said you come from a family that nurtured your passion - how does this inform your approach to not only business, but your day-to-day life?
They are so incredibly supportive - it’s almost embarrassing how much they support and love me. It’s a great role model for me on how to love my daughter. They weren’t perfect by any means, but they can never be faulted for not being loving and supportive.
With that, it seems only fair to call you a go-getter, taking your experience to the streets (literally via the Broadway market and following your passion to the store) – what drives you?
First of all, I needed to make a living like most people, so I worked incredibly hard to earn the money! I love fashion and beautiful things, and I want to be able to afford them ha! I suppose I am competitive too. I want my business to be a success because the idea of failure isn’t something I’m comfortable with.
How do you set up your space for success? And what are the absolute must haves for every kitchen?
Just invest in a stand mixer - it will transform your baking. Have sharp knives, keep as much off the counter as possible, and always clean as you go!
There is a welcoming warmth to your space - only fitting for baking! Why do you think this feeling is so natural? Is it intentional, or part of the natural essence of your work?
Why thank you! Baking definitely brings warmth - the smells that fill the space, the way you feel when eating a freshly baked treat - it’s all very cosy!
When you’re not baking, what are you cooking at home? Do you have favourite ingredients to work with outside the bakery?
I make a lot of roast chickens from which I then make chicken broth to use for stews, risottos, and soups. I love doing the entire process from start to finish with whole foods and whole ingredients. It’s the best.
Claire wears Florentina Shirt and Florentina Pant.
You’ve also worked with icons within the industry including Ottolenghi and Jamie Oliver – what’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
“Gather a good team around you.” They have both done that, and it means everything. My team are literally the world to me.
Of course, your recipes are endlessly collectible, but are you a collector of anything else?
Cookbooks! I have over 1000.
And finally, we must ask, just what is the secret to the perfect bake?
Love. And focus. Let go, get into it, and enjoy the process.
Claire wears the Cashmere Crew Neck Knit and Mortimer Pleated Pant.
Photographer: Charlotte Bland