Sweet Style

Nothing says lovin’ like
 designer bags from the oven.

Designer bags are popular because, well, they are well-designed. You get great detail with top stitching, shiny leather and that oh-so-important logo.

What better way to say I love haute than a cake replica of your favorite bag. Yup, these bags are basically just flour, butter and sugar topped with a fondant that looks remarkably like leather.

The team at Jacques Pastries in Suncook, headed by Jacques Despres and wife Paula, take the time for the details that make these cakes so accurate. Working from photos for custom orders, the team colors and models the fondant, much like Fimo clay, to get the zippers, handles, stitching and buckles just right.

Expect to pay between $200 and $300 for that Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel or Louis Vuitton eye-popping cake. The sweet version tastes a whole lot better than the real one and won’t clutter your closet.

Jacques says he bakes more than 1,800 cakes a year and has competed on the Food Network, won many prestigious awards and is the only Northeast bakery invited to the annual Chocolate Show in New York. His wedding cakes have been featured in Grace Ormond’s Wedding Style magazine and The Knot among others.

At age 21 Jacques was executive pastry chef at The Balsams when he met Paula. They continued training in Montreal before opening their shop in 1973. Now their son Justin and his wife Tami are part of the team and poised to continue the tradition. Bake on!

— Susan Laughlin