Architectural Confections

CONSTANCE ROMWEBER thinks in monumental terms. For 12 years, she designed large-scale mantels, arches, range hoods, and mirrors for people’s homes. Then, in 2005, Romweber turned her architectural eye to a passion from her childhood: making cakes and chocolates.

Her creations, which include a fairy-tale pillow cake topped with a frog, wedding cakes that resemble Roman columns, and tower cakes that would be at home in a museum of modern art, are feats not only of engineering but also of taste. From a Danville catering kitchen she rents from her pastry mentor, chef Patrick David Schoolcraft, Romweber constructs highly decorative cakes without the aid of fondant icing, the spackle of the dessert world.

                                    (Alisha Petro)

“I can’t stand fondant icing,” says Romweber. “It tastes like soap.” She says that for her, tasting a gorgeous cake that’s been made with fondant “is like finding out that your favorite movie star has false teeth and a wig.”
When Diablo editors tasted Romweber’s cakes, we found out that they’re full of real butter in the buttercream frosting, an irresistible layer of caramel atop the chocolate mousse filling, and zippy raspberry pulp in the raspberry mousse.
Cakes start at $7 a slice, and her largest can serve up to 400 people. Constance Romweber Confections, (877) 229-2253, www.crconfections.com