Page 17 - TORONTO NORTH LIFESTYLE Magazine July 2022

I watch cooking competition shows and can almost feel the pressure through the screen. How do you handle it?
It’s a huge amount of pressure and it’s hard to make those really important decisions on the fly. I had to restart a cake at one point, but luckily I finished on time. And then there’s the fact that the cameras are on you and you don’t want to look like an idiot. At one point I fell down because I tripped on some butter cream and I thought, oh man, this is going to make the blooper reel.
How do you feel now, as a baker, coming off the show, versus how you felt going into the first episode?
I'm the only person on the show who doesn't have a bakery or hasn’t already appeared on a baking show. When I got asked to be on this show, I had almost retired from making cakes. I had my first child in 2019, which took up all of my time of course. Then I got this email out of the blue asking to be on this show. So when I showed up, I definitely felt like an outsider, a
rookie, and like, ‘why am I even here? I’m not sure you’ve got the right person.’ That’s how I felt going in. And you know, I’m really proud of how I did on the show.
I doubted myself going in. But by the end, I felt like I’d really proven myself. In fact, I’d proven myself to myself. I wasn’t sure that I could do it, but at the end, I thought, wow, I really kicked butt here. My skills were elevated as a result of being on that show.
You can view April’s mind bending creations on her TikTok & Instagram accounts, @apriljuliancakes or on her website, www.apriljulian.com
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever fashioned into cake?
There’s this video going viral, of me cutting into what looks like a charred chicken wing. But the surprise is that you can see in the background a tray of raw chicken wings – so I pick one up and eat it, and it’s disgusting, but obviously, it’s cake.
I felt grossed out and delighted at the same time watching that. What was the reaction?
Some people were mad, saying ‘how could you do that to me’ but some people felt surprise and in on the joke. It's also the shock factor -- people like to have their minds boggled – and the artistry – you think: I can’t believe flour, sugar and eggs can look like a giant bowl of salty ramen. That’s what makes this form of cake decorating so appealing – there’s a roller coaster of emotions.
Why are cakes that look like anything but cake so trendy these days?
It’s a really good April Fool's prank because it’s the one where you can't be mad.
Ultimately you get a piece of cake.
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