A conversation with
Frank Barron @cakeboyparis
Frank Barron, better known as Cake Boy, welcomes us into his apartment in the heart of the Marais district. An enchanting place where everything is delicate and refined, where every object seems to find its rightful place, a place with old-world charm like no other. From the choice of tableware to the elegant moldings and the winter veranda that we discover around the corner, nothing is left to chance.
Hello, can you introduce yourself?
My name is Frank Barron, and I go by the name @cakeboyparis on Instagram. I started my business making American cakes for Parisian cafes, and today I make custom cakes and tarts.
Your love affair with Paris is starting to last, what do you like most about it?
Butter! Especially salted butter. I also love French pastries and beautiful museums. Paris is full of them, and the Guimet Museum is one of my favorites.
You attended art school, did that help you build your creative world in pastry making?
I think studying art history is essentially studying beauty, so there's a certain aesthetic appreciation in everything you do. You can indeed apply it to cakes, their decoration, and baking in general. You're always thinking about how it's going to look in the end, the aesthetic result of your creation. So yes, I think my studies have influenced the way I work today, and my desire to make my creations ever more beautiful.
What do you see as the main differences between American and French pastries?
It's simple! American pastries are much sweeter. French pastries are very refined and complex. American pastries are generally easier to make. Making banana bread or carrot cake versus a Paris-Brest is completely different! But both are equally delicious...
You have brought American baking back into fashion. What do you think is the key to your success?
Thank you! I think it's mostly a question of timing. When I started making my American cakes, they were actually hard to find in Paris. I wanted to be able to enjoy these cakes that I missed... and I couldn't find them anywhere. I have the feeling that my work was first successful with expats in Paris, who, like me, were nostalgic for American sweets! That's how it started for me.
« French pastry is very refined and complex. »
Just like By Charlot, you like to offer customizations, how do you go about it?
Sometimes I get very specific requests, like cakes topped with edible flowers; not everyone likes to eat them, but that's a customization I can do. And then, especially, a lot of people order the typical American birthday cake, which, again, is hard to find in Paris. Layers upon layers, with lots of buttercream frosting, then the famous rainbow edible glitter... I always have a secret stash that my family sends me from the States!
You've designed a pastry for By Charlot inspired by our L'Élégante candle. Can you tell us about it?
I was drawn to L'Élégante for its orange blossom notes, which is one of my favorite scents, as well as its citrus zest and tonka bean notes, which I thought were delicious… I imagined a beautiful citrus cake with mascarpone frosting and a hint of orange blossom to recall the candle. The cake itself is made with bergamot, which is the main note in L'Élégante. These are its predominant notes for me, and I wanted to highlight them in my creation. I'm happy to have the candle by my side. Sometimes, when you make a cake, the notes can fade. L'Élégante allowed me to rediscover this scent; it's nice to have it at home!
« I was drawn to L'Élégante for its orange blossom notes, which is one of my favorite fragrances. »
Just like our candles, your creations awaken the senses. Is the olfactory dimension in baking as decisive as taste in the success of a recipe?
I think that when you cook according to the seasons, it plays on the olfactory aspect. For example, in summer, when strawberries are very ripe, wild strawberries or gariguettes for example, you can smell them better and appreciate their olfactory dimension. When you make a strawberry cake or a strawberry shortcake, you will be able to appreciate their beautiful fresh smell. For me it is an important element in baking, but sometimes the notes disappear during cooking with certain fresh fruits. Conversely, when you cook chocolate, it leaves a trail that does not go unnoticed throughout the house…
This is one of my favorite cakes, a simple chocolate cake and the whole smell just wafts everywhere, like you're lighting a chocolate candle. It's amazing!
In the photos, your creations are surrounded by plants or flowers. Is it important for you to combine plants and food?
Absolutely! I think it's always a plus when you add edible flowers to a cake. The senses are heightened: the sight with the beauty of a flower, combined with the taste since you can eat it… I find it adds something beautiful and mysterious to baking when you try to incorporate nature into it. Sometimes I like to bake with tea, which comes from the beautiful tea plants… It's my favorite ingredient.
You cook at home, how have you organized your apartment so you can work there?
How do I organize myself? I make do, I find solutions… because my kitchen is small like most Parisian apartments! I do most of my decorating and baking in the dining room, but having this big marble table in front of which we sit is very useful. I can spread out there, something I couldn’t do in my kitchen! It’s great when I’m hosting my workshops, we’re all around the table and we have plenty of space to do the decorations, I can do my icing tutorials easily, present the beautiful products we’re going to use… Fresh fruit, pears or plums in the fall… I organized myself around all of that in the end, but it’s true that I wouldn’t say no to a little more space in the kitchen!
« I find it adds something beautiful and mysterious to baking when you try to incorporate nature into it. »
Is decorating your cakes important to you?
This is definitely the most important thing for me. When I think about the concept of a new cake or a new idea, I always start by thinking about how I want it to look. And because I like to cook according to the seasons, I think about the aesthetics of what I'm going to do and how I can highlight my creation. If it's winter, for example, I like to use chestnuts, or something equally beautiful. Obviously, the taste is very important... But a little beauty never hurts!
« I like to add plants to my home. Living in the Marais district, I have little access to nature, and it's important to bring a little greenery into my home. »
How do you bring nature into an urban interior?
I like to put plants in my home. Living in the Marais, I have little access to nature and it's important to bring a little greenery into my home. Especially with small plants in my kitchen. I don't have a green thumb, unfortunately, it's difficult to have it, but I'm lucky to have a balcony, I try to have plants there that can't die... Like ivy, so that I can enjoy it. It really changes the mood to have this daily view, green, natural.
How did you choose the plants in your apartment?
I chose them based on a very funny passion, well I guess it's not so funny, but I'm passionate about Southeast Asia and especially Bali, the island of the gods. It's one of my favorite places in the world. I think before, when I chose plants, I wanted them to have a tropical look, something that reminded me of the jungle or Bali. I tried to recreate that universe at home. A lot of the decor in my apartment comes from Thailand, Cambodia, my trips to Bali… So I tried to match my plants with the style of the objects in my house.
Are you sensitive to the color of the pot, the shape of the plant or its color?
When I'm looking for a pot for a plant or a candle, I'm drawn to natural colors, which will bring brightness and shine to the room. I also like gold, graphic black, mineral materials reminiscent of stone... These are the colors that attract me!
