Emma Dodi Cakes, the home of luxury cakes and macarons, was founded by Emma in London in 2016. Born in Italy, to an Italian father and English mother, Emma lived in Rome and went to an English School before moving to the UK to study law at university and subsequently, a Masters degree in Finance. In a previous life, Emma was a banker working at HSBC, ABN Amro and Goldman Sachs, but left the City to start a family.
Now with 4 children and a very busy household, Emma runs her business from her London studio in Battersea. Emma has always been creative and loves all things sweet so starting Emma Dodi Cakes only seemed natural, after all, you only need to drop a letter to go from banker to baker! Emma Dodi Cakes now has a reputation for beautiful bespoke cakes and hand-painted macarons. Instantly recognisable, Emma’s creations are both luxurious, visually spectacular, and almost too beautiful to eat! All lovingly made in her Battersea studio, using only the finest ingredients, Emma’s exquisite creations are a real feast for the eyes and palette.
I love working in the luxury cake and macaron industry because….
Once upon a time there was almost a standard wedding cake – tiered, fruit and decorated with fondant & royal icing. Nowadays, the wedding cake industry is so, so, so much more exciting! In fact, Emma believes it is comparable to the fashion industry, where things are always changing and bursting with new ideas and designs. With all rules having been scrapped, couples are really thinking about what they want from their cakes, macarons, and sweet treats, they are now looking for them to be an integral part of their big day, reflecting who they are as people and what they love.
We now see couples going for such a range of designs, from romantic, to architectural, to colourful, to having multiple cakes or even macaron cakes and towers! The same can also be said about their choices of flavours and fillings, ranging from classic vanilla, to double chocolate, lemon & orange blossom, raspberry & lemon yuzu, chocolate & salted caramel, vanilla & elderflower, just to name a few! So, things have changed and working with couples, designing their cakes, their macarons as wedding favours and gifts, and helping them choose exciting flavours, makes it just so interesting and personal. The bottom line is, there really is never a dull moment!
Emma Dodi is best known for…
Her instantly recognisable hand-painted macarons. So intricate, delicate, and delicious, they really are her hallmark. Hugely influenced by her love of flowers, Emma is best known for her floral hand-painted macaron collections that range from roses, to purple veronicas, to daffodils and daisies. At weddings, couples are often keen to give macarons as gifts to their bridesmaids, groomsmen, and special guests, as well as giving them to all their guests as wedding favours, individually wrapped and tied with satin ribbon.
Emma’s most popular wedding designs are her Lily-of-the-Valley and Signature Roses collections, with couples frequently choosing to add a little personalisation, such as their wedding date or initials on the back of the macaron, or maybe even adding a specific colour that is meaningful to them. More and more often, couples are coming to Emma requesting something completely bespoke, and Emma relishes these opportunities. Emma loves the creative process, it is the beauty and aesthetics of the end product that drives her, so the challenge of designing something new, unique and beautiful, well, that is just her thing!
My biggest achievement to date is…
Having had the courage to try something different, leave the corporate world behind and enter unknown territory. If someone had told me when I was still in the City that I’d be here today, having built up my own business, a business that I love so much, I’m not sure I’d have believed them! I run Emma Dodi Cakes, a business that came from an idea in my head, a business that carries my own name, a business where I can be creative, a business where I am the decision maker, a business I can run while juggling my 4 children (my 4 proudest achievements to date!), well, that’s all pretty damn cool, and I feel very lucky!
We’re inspired by…
Everything! From art, to nature, to fashion to photography! Sometimes it can just be seeing a vase in a shop, or a print on a dress, a painting in an art gallery or a shell on the beach, and suddenly an idea is born. What is exciting about the creative process is that often what gives you the original idea is just the starting point, and the end result is not often what you thought it would be, but it is the journey that matters, it is the trials and errors that get you there that really matter, so next time you get inspired, that journey will make you better, bolder and even more adventurous.
The current cake trends we’re loving are…
Floral designs, always a real soft spot for anything floral! Flowers are always so integral to wedding cakes designs, they are romantic, timeless and beautiful! Flowers give you endless choices – shape, size, colour – and we at Emma Dodi Cakes are particularly partial to floral cake designs where everything is edible. Beautiful blooms can be hand-piped with delicious Swiss meringue buttercream, creating the most alluring and elegant cakes. All white or in bold colours, large flowers or simply beautiful petals, sometimes with a touch of gold or mini macarons, these are the designs that are most definitely the signature Emma Dodi Cakes styles for 2023.
Our favourite cakes from our wedding collection are…
- Oro Bianco – white gold – exquisite hand-piped white florals, white macrons and 24k gold leaf, so elegant and timeless;
- Signature Floral, intricately piped floral design that includes edible rose petals, an absolute showstopper and statement showpiece;
- Wild Flowers, our new floral design, complementing our Wild Flower macarons collection, so unique, original and just Emma Dodi Cakes all over!
My favourite place in the world to skip the crowds is…
Rome – when I need a real break, a place where I am completely at home, a place where I can be more Italian again, then I go to Rome. Rome, the beautiful city I grew up in, the city that never ceases to surprise me. From an unexpected beautiful fountain in a little alley, to a narrow cobbled street I had never been down before. The city where people are so loud and opinionated, the city that effortlessly makes the most delicious food in the world. The city that I left as a 19 year old girl, that’s where I like to go, the city that still holds a piece of my heart!
The best person to follow on Instagram for big-day inspo is…
The Wedding Edition of course! I also love @temperleybridal – their ethereal dresses are to die for, and @marchesafashion is just so feminine and stunning. I have so many floral designers I love and am inspired by, just to name a few @bloomandburn, @tulipinadesign and @neillstrain.
And finally, what’s next for Emma Dodi?
Well, the ideas never stop! We are always working on new macaron and cake designs, it is a bit like the fashion industry, you need to move with the trends, be relevant, but staying true to your brand. We love working with our couples for their big days, and we have some really exciting new projects in the pipeline. We continue to expand our work with fabulous brands, and we are particularly excited about some of our new bespoke macaron designs. We also recently launched our new subscription macaron service which is being very well received. I guess it’s just more, exciting, bigger, creative, and always a lot of fun!
For more visit: www.emmadodicakes.com
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