MANILA, Philippines - We know they can make gorgeous wedding gowns. Now, thanks to a tie-up with popular cake maker Red Ribbon, Rajo Laurel and Frederick Peralta prove they can dish out beautiful wedding cakes as well.

The designers, who were commissioned to create a dozen cake designs each, will see six of their works included in Red Ribbon?s line of new cakes available beginning June 7, and the remaining half in the bakeshop?s roster of sweet treats in the last quarter of the year.

Available in all Red Ribbon branches nationwide, the Designer Cakes range from a surprisingly affordable P3,200 to P10,500.

Coincidentally, both have been involved in the design of wedding cakes before. When Laurel?s two sisters got married, he had a hand in the look of both their wedding cakes. ?So it?s not an alien concept to me,? he says. ?It?s parallel to what I do.?

?I believe in the project,? says Peralta, whose clients often consult him on their cake for their special day. ?A cake is a visual treat; even the simplest cake can look expensive with the right design. And of course, it has to be good, too. A wedding cake shouldn?t only be for display, it should be something you can eat and share.?

Challenge

Nevertheless, visits to Red Ribbon?s warehouse were necessary for both Laurel and Peralta to understand the process of baking. Clearly, interpreting a design on fabric and fondant are two different things, they discovered.

?I was thrust into the world of Martha Stewart,? says Laurel. ?We?re used to dealing with more fluid materials, so applying aesthetics to a medium and materials that were not normal for us to use was quite a challenge.?

Peralta, who also purchased books to aid him in his sketches, found the experience eye-opening. ?Mahirap pala mag-design ng cake,? he admits. ?I have a new respect for people who make them. They have so much passion and patience.?

Fabric and music were among Laurel?s inspirations for his cakes. His ?Bossa Nova,? layers of fondant that remind one of a woman dancing, takes its cue from flirtatious Brazilian music. The eyelet pattern on a doily sparked the creation of a cake called ?Marie Antoinette.? And when you order his ?Coco,? expect your wedding cake to come with the trademark trimmings of electric pleats and pearls.

Peralta, who typically incorporates his clients? motifs into their wedding cakes, does so in his Red Ribbon designs. His ?Sophisticake? includes inserts of big roses and baby?s breath in each of the cake?s three layers, and scallop designs on the basin of the square cake.

Pretty rosettes and caviar beadwork are among the details of his three-layer square cake ?Wedding Rendezvous.? ?Wedding Carousel? sounds exactly like a gown, with its lace and bead ornamentation on the textured, four-layer cake.

The clean and understated ?Florabelle? highlights calla lilies in a modest, two-layer cake. And ?Perfect Wedding? is just that?a three-layer cake with intricate lace and patchwork designs.

Thrilled

Like the couples who seek him out for their wedding, Peralta is thrilled with the partnership forged with Red Ribbon.

?It?s exciting when they put their full trust in you to make things good for them,? he says. Ditto with Laurel, who describes the project as ?wonderful. Both Red Ribbon and I learned from each other. The bakers were very accommodating, and I?m very happy with the results.?

Says Marizu Baser, marketing manager of Red Ribbon Bakeshop, ?At Red Ribbon, we continue the tradition of making celebrations more beautiful especially that once-in-a-lifetime dream wedding with our new Designer?s Collection Wedding cakes. This is a first in the industry with Red Ribbon partnering with two of the country?s top fashion designers, Rajo Laurel and Frederick Peralta, to come up with beautiful cakes inspired by the latest fashion trends in wedding gowns ... With the Designer Collection Wedding Cakes, you can be assured of a beautiful and great-tasting centerpiece for your wedding that will truly delight your guests.?