Norman R. Davis came home to make a cake.
The Cambria County native -- owner of The Sweet Life, a custom-design "cakery" in Annandale, Va. -- and his assistant, Zane Beg, prepared a big, sweet shopping bag full of Pittsburgh-inspired goodies Thursday morning at Giant Eagle Market District store in Shadyside to kick off a promotion sponsored by Citizens Bank.
Davis was joined by Mike McCarey of Mike's Amazing Cakes in Redmond, Wash., for a two-hour free decorating class that melded cake, solid chocolate and gum paste into works of art expressing the essence of Pittsburgh.
From start to finish, Davis' cake took about 16 hours, including baking the batter, letting hand-molded decorations dry and painting the objects in the Market District bag -- including a tall bottle of Heinz ketchup.
"That piece was so much fun to do," says Davis, adding that the cake probably would retail for about $3,000, if it was offered for sale.
McCarey's artwork involved cake cut into the shape of and decorated as the Duquesne Incline and complemented by a Steelers helmet covered in modeling chocolate -- a pliable mixture of corn syrup and chocolate that can be tinted as desired. Also, included were solid chocolate figures of Fred Rogers and the Cathedral of Learning. McCarey says it took two days to prepare the confection, which he estimates would serve 350 people and cost $5,000 retail.
"Most people don't understand the amount of hours to make these creations," says Davis. "They'll go to the beauty shop to get their hair done and pay $100. The hairdresser is an artist -- and so are we. Brides will spend $3,000 on their gowns but not understand why a cake costs $800."
Both chefs have appeared on "Food Network Challenge," a series of cooking and baking competitions on the Food Network, featuring small-town cook-offs to the World Team Pastry Championship.
"Rake In the Dough" is a game card promotion by Citizens Bank that continues through Nov. 30.
