By DAISY DUMAS
Last updated at 9:02 PM on 5th October 2011 In a bright SoHo loft space, a massive fridge door swings open and two chefs deftly - if a little precariously - lift an extravagant four-tiered wedding cake from its cold darkness.
Behind them, away from the industrial brushed steel, is a room full of white-clad figures hunched over intricate sugar filigree, pots of liquid gold and edible glitter lined up as they dip fine paint brushes, adding gilt to ornate icing.
We are in the private New York studio of Ron Ben-Israel, one of the world's leading cake makers and a master in the art of sugar decoration.
Master of sugar: Ron Ben-Israel is the star of new Food Network show, Sweet Genius. He has made spectacular cakes for royalty, Elton John and movie hits
Ron has produced edible spectacles for royal families, Elton John's 60th, Uma Thurman's family and Robert Downey Junior's wedding in the past and is the star judge of new TV show, Sweet Genius, which pitches four cake makers against each other to win $10,000 each episode.
'I love the process, I've learnt a lot,' he says of the Food Network programme. 'I have to taste everything and some things are amazing and some things are not so good.'
But then, he is a hard man to impress.
In the words of New York magazine, the 'Manolo Blahnik of cake makers' was fittingly responsible for the stunning, gravity-defying cake featured in Sex and the City 2 (a replica of which can be yours for a cool $32,000) and his creations have been used at movie premieres and many a star-studded wedding.
Born in Israel, Ron, 54, has lived in Manhattan since his 30s. He fell into cake making 15 years ago after a successful career in modern dance that he always knew would not last forever. 'I had to retire, I baked a lot at home - I was fascinated with the visuals and the chemistry of it.
Edible art: Ron specialises in sugar flowers and decorations. His cakes start at around $1,500 and can cost many times that - especially if a private jet is needed to transport the creation
'The cakes just started happening, it wasn't planned.'
Here in the kitchen, smells are the stuff of Willy Wonka-esque dreams - dulce de lecce and chocolatey vanilla mix with blackberry creams, velvety ganache and orange butter. It's not hard to see why Ron admits that, although a luxury item, he has to eat cake every day.
A giant vase of orchids, complete with a gold and pink flowered pattern is, it turns out, edible. Shelf upon shelf is crammed with boxes of sugar petals, leaves and tea roses in pinks, reds, white, and orange.
Cakes start at around $1,500 and can run into the many thousands - especially if private jets are needed to transport the creation, as recently happened for a client in Sweden.
The productions can take up to half a year to plan - special moulds are created and sugar details can be made weeks or months in advance of the cake being baked.
Behind the scenes: Cakes are intricately decorated by a team of specialists. Many months of planning goes into the creations, which must be baked, decorated and delivered within just three days to stay fresh
The layered confections then take just three days to make, from baking to delivery, the process a careful balance of deadlines and controlled temperatures.
His largest project was a 12 foot high replica of The Plaza Hotel, a gift from the exclusive Central Park-view institution to the city of New York in celebration of its 100th birthday.
And no matter who the client is, or how much pressure the team is under, the ethos is always the same.
'Ultimately, the philosophy is that every bride should fee like she is famous - it's her moment.'
Still, he is modest. The logistical operation of producing one cake - let alone 15 a week during the busy wedding season - is not simply about luck.
He puts a hefty portion of his success down to his Israeli military training, the discipline of which, he says, stood him in good stead for the precision needed to create such seemingly fantastical works.
Alice in Wonderland: Ron's team created the cakes for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland premiere. A hookah pip and mushrooms sit alongside the Queen of Hearts' crown and a hand of playing cards
He knows how much drive it takes to do well in the highly competitive cake industry - and has seen on Sweet Genius how far some are willing to go.
'I've seen people who will do anything to win. I've seen people who hope so much that my heart breaks when I have to eliminate them. Some people I've rooted for have made mistakes...
'You have to be ready for surprises. People either rise to the challenge or they don't.'
Star judge: As chosen by Ron, one pastry chef from four hopefuls wins $10,000 on each episode of Sweet Genius
Perhaps easier said than done given that he confesses that 'pastry chefs are very particular people - we like a controlled environment, we don't like an audience.'
This, coming from a man who once made a cake for a Sri Lankan family on the proviso that he could ride an elephant when he delivered the cake. Sure enough, he entered the town on elephant back - his cake not far behind.
As humble as Ron may be, he clearly does enjoy an audience at times: TV shows, foreign travel, royal clients - it all seems a long way from his days at art college, tinkering with baking.
'I sometimes have to remind myself: These are cakes.'
It's not all sweetness every day - he has seen an extravagant cake delivered to the wrong address in upstate New York, a local truck company saved the day that time - and has been approached by more than a handful of 'minor celebrities who would like cakes for free.'
Still, he says, 'it's a happy profession - when you're doing something you love and you're being paid to do that...' He pauses and changes tangents, '...but if you think you're good, you're in trouble.'
Sweet Genius contestants, take note.
Sweet Genius airs Thursdays at 10pm on the Food Network.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-2045682/Behind-scenes-Ron-Ben-Israel-cake-maestro-star-TV-hit-Sweet-Genius.html
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