Opulencia: Elizabeth Solaru’s Baking Bible

Here at 5 Star Wedding Directory, we’re delighted to announce that cake connoisseur Elizabeth Solaru is celebrating 10 years at the top of her game with the most mouth-watering book you’ll ever lay eyes on. We’ve featured many of her luxurious, statement cakes over the years, and while we shouldn’t have favourites, she has to be one of ours.

Opulenica by Elizabeth Solaru 5 Star Wedding Directory

Elizabeth is the founder and owner of the multi-award-winning luxury cake company, Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium. Based in North London, Elizabeth’s Cake Emporium is recognised as one of the UK’s most creative luxury cake companies. Elizabeth and her company create a multitude of exquisitely handcrafted cakes with near-realistic toppers, including sugar flowers, lace, jewellery, and other gems.

Opulenica by Elizabeth Solaru 5 Star Wedding Directory
Elizabeth Solaru

These delicious designs have been featured in a myriad of magazines, blogs, and publications including The Telegraph, Wedding Flowers, Conde Nast Brides, Wedding Magazine, OK!, Hello, Wedding Cakes – A Design Source, Cake Design Cuccina Chic, Magie de Zuckers and Grace Ormonde – that’s a pretty long list.

Opulenica by Elizabeth Solaru

Elizabeth originally founded her cake business in 2006, after dabbling in careers in the Biomedical Sciences, as well as the world of Headhunting – arguably scarier than creating the precariously balanced masterpieces you’ll find in her book. For the past decade, Elizabeth has gained international fame as the ultimate Queen of sugarcraft, award-winner, and competition judge.

Elizabeth Solaru Wedding Cakes

Her elite clientele has included Royalty from several nations, celebrities, and other prestigious individuals, and Elizabeth herself has appeared on television on a number of occasions, lending her skills as a cake expert to the BBC Good Food Channel, BBC Radio, and Sky Living. She’s also a much-loved regular on Sky TV, being the only three-time winner of The Great Cake Bake, a show featuring the best wedding cake makers across the country.

Now we’re all in luck, as she’s spilling her greatest secrets in a drool-worthy guide to baking, along with vital advice on selecting ingredients, plus invaluable tips on rescuing a spilt ganache or curdled buttercream.

Elizabeth Solaru Wedding Cakes

Her baking bible, ‘Opulencia’, showcases some of her most dazzling and intricate creations, from realistically delicate pillow cakes, to towering works of regal art, with stunning names like “Marie Antoinette”, “Dolce & Gabbana’s Sacred Heart”, and “Black Baroque”. Let’s be honest, some of these cakes are so insanely beautiful that you’d feel bad just cutting into them.

We’re not just calling it a bible for kicks, either. Lovers of all things cake will find tips, tricks, and full-on how-to guides on different types of icing (buttercream or royal icing?), how to ice, stack, and store your cakes, as well as the principles of cake design as detailed by Elizabeth herself.

Elizabeth Solaru Wedding Cakes

Truly a coffee table book, this guide practically screams luxury, from the name ‘Opulencia’ to the deep purple and gold cover, to the careful design of every single page. At the top of each cake, design page is a full explanation of the story behind the cake in question, giving you a little insight into where Elizabeth draws her inspiration for these creations.

‘Opulencia’ is a tour-de-force of artisan baking, not to mention an inspiration to aspiring cake-makers and trained professionals alike. So whether you’re thinking of starting your very own cake business, or simply love surprising others with scrumptious desserts on special occasions, this gorgeous book really is your new holy grail.

Elizabeth Solaru Wedding Cakes

Congratulations, Elizabeth, on your 10 years of magical masterpieces and a gorgeous baking guide that’s sure to take pride of place in every cake lover’s kitchen.


Image Credits: Nek Vardikos of NV Photographers

To pick up a copy of Opulencia just visit Amazon