The Gemini Bake Interview

Our latest Lazy Hotel collection took a lot of inspiration from questionable 70’s dinner party food - you know the sort, mushy veg encased in gelatine, or cursed cakes in the shape of a demented hedgehog - and we knew exactly who would share our appreciation for weird eats. @thegeminibake founder Sam makes the best 70s inspired celebration cakes and styles them for beautiful shoots with photographer @sammykeller in her studio. For us she made something a little different featuring ham, peas and prawns and we’re very happy about it even if we’re not sure we want to actually eat it. Check out the shoot and get to know more about her creative process and her tips for New York below.

@THEGEMINIBAKE

What inspires you and how did you end up doing what you do? How did you develop your style?

S: This all came about as a bit of an accident - I started making cakes for friends in 2018 just for fun. They were not very pretty, but my friends encouraged me to start an instagram, and once I did in 2019, I got my first gig as a food stylist

Apparently on my first birthday my mom ordered a cake from a local bakery and was so disappointed with the way it looked, she decided that she could probably do a better job herself. And from that day on, my mom made every birthday cake for my sister and me while we were growing up, and they were phenomenal. Her work has definitely been a huge inspiration.

I take a lot of inspiration from vintage cake decorating magazines, as well as from film & tv. if i had to narrow it down i’d say the biggest influences would have to be the musical films of Jacques Demy - The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The Young Girls of Rochefort, and Donkey Skin.

Tell us about your favourite creation to date?

S: I'm a bit of a perfectionist so I'm never truly 100% satisfied with my own work. I have a lot of ideas and concepts that are floating around at the moment for future larger-scale projects that I'm really excited about. I also still have a lot to learn, there are so many techniques I have yet to attempt. I’m not *quite* where I’d like to be in terms of skill, but I feel like I'm heading in the right direction.

Ever baked anything for any A-listers?

S: Just one so far :)

So do you get to just eat cake all day? What's your go-to snack while you’re working?

S: I admit, I have a huge sweet tooth, and most of my meals throughout the day consist of cake scraps when I'm working. But I also love to snack on wasabi peanuts and roasted seaweed.

If we came to visit you in New York, where would you take us, what would we eat, and what would we do?

S: 1.Cold brew from Crema in greenpoint.
2. Walk across the Williamsburg Bridge (I walk a lot) to the lower east side and stop at BonBon for sour Swedish gummy candy.
3. See a matinee at Quad Cinema.
4. Have a picnic in McGolrick park for lunch with food from Edy’s Grocer and Mongers Palate.
5. Cocktails at Diamond Lil.
6. Burgers and martinis at Bernie’s for dinner.
7. Dessert and a cozy party back at my apartment with some of closest friends - I’d order cakes from two very talented local bakers that i’ve been eager to try - @cakes4sport and @ninetynin.e

Talking of hotels, what's the most memorable place you've stayed. Could be worst, best or weirdest experience?

S: Hands down the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, California. It’s so weird and wonderful - somehow it manages to be both the most opulent and the least opulent experience at the same time. It feels exactly like what I imagine Jayne Mansfield's pink palace in late 1950’s Hollywood must have been like. Plus, they’re famous for their signature pink champagne cake - as well as a massive waterfall urinal.