María Amaría

To be honest, one day the idea just clicked for me. I left everything in Mexico and moved to Madrid to really start from scratch. Cooking is something I always did naturally and therefore I never took it seriously. But it was the sum of many factors: being unhappy with my corporate job and quitting, wanting to do something tangible with my hands, the desire to live more passionately, the idea of managing my time... all of this has been the perfect escape to unite three of the things I love most: cakes, flowers and pampering the ones I love.

I get a lot of inspiration from the season. Walking around the markets and strolling through the flower shops is something I love, I get a lot of ideas on the spot. For each project I try to get to know the essence of my brides / brands / clients in order to make them a proposal aligned to the occasion and their personality. I make moodboards and we review them together to have a direction, and then, I like to have some space to flow.

I love what it conveys: innovation, creativity, style and at the same time serenity, elegance and timelessness. That's how I would like my cakes to be remembered! For this project I have thought of a fresh table, with different elements that give it a fun touch and at the same time go back to the simple, give a twist to what we can find in a trip to the market!

As I am a cook for others I would definitely enjoy a dining set! I love the Kolu table set with Zuera chairs, and as a bonus, the Furry armchair to sink into comfortably!

Really think about what you like! It doesn't have to be what's in fashion or what's repeated according to your culture. Find someone who can create the table of your dreams with you. The options are endless. No matter how classic or simple the dessert or idea, you can always elevate it and make it unique in presentation.

Making a buttercream... from breaking the shells and separating the egg whites to watching it whip for 15 minutes to reach the perfect silk point. It's something so simple, so elementary... it brings me back to basics, reminds me to be patient and reaffirms that I have to trust the process... If you have the time it becomes a very relaxing process.

Amazing people who started in the world of visually different cakes. Without a doubt @yip.studio for their aesthetics, @yungkombucha420 for their daring flavour combinations and @fromlucienyc for continuing with the dream of opening a shop. I'm happy that this year I was able to try my three TOP references!