Piecing Together the Social Fabric


Southwest Progress Report 2012 19


tiered edible masterpiece that is sitting on her kitchen table to inspect her work of the evening. It is a scenario Possberg has pieced together as she talks about her passion while


weaving together anecdotes about making her favourite cakes, leaking secrets of the trade and conjuring up awe-inspiring images of three-and-a-half-foot cakes with ruffl es painstakingly detailed with a toothpick. A person simply does not willingly spend hours working into the middle of the


night on something that isn’t their passion. Based upon the rapid uptake of her edible artworks, Possberg’s mantra “always beautiful” isn’t off the mark. Possberg, a Swiſt Current-based pastry chef is the owner of Semper Belle Cakes,


which is her mantra translated into Latin. Originally from Humboldt, she was raised in a family of 10 and comes by the pastry trade honestly since she had to learn at an early age. In 2007, Possberg leſt her childhood home and moved to Prince Edward Island


where she attended the Culinary Institute of Canada and studied Pastry Arts. Following her completion of the program she began her career at the Willow on Wascana and then worked in British Columbia before moving back to Saskatchewan. It was through the “gentle nudging of some friends that thought it would be a smart


business move” that led to the creation of Semper Belle Cakes. No longer working in a commercial kitchen, Possberg has reconnected with her talent on her own terms. “I used to not like doing wedding cakes,” she said. “While working in a busy restaurant kitchen, wedding cakes were just one more thing that had to be done on top of my


daily work,” she added. “Now that it is what my focus is, I love it.” According to Possberg, wedding cakes take the cake because they are classy and there are so many steps to creating them. When she puts on the fi nishing touch and steps back to take it all in, “It is very rewarding.” It isn’t unheard of for a cake to take between eight and 30 hours to create.


Last year Possberg was invited to participate in the Crème De La Crème cake competition in Saskatoon were she won best overall design. Her competition cake was kept to a beautiful classic design of hand piping on fondant — scrolls and swirls.


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“My favourite cakes are the ones with intricate piping. T at is what I absolutely love to do,”,” she described.. However, the current trend is “less is more,” so a lot of people are asking for a some fl owers, a touch of detail and some ribbon. Typically the inspirations for her cakes come from the brides themselves. T ere are trends that seem to emerge each year. As for the innards of the cake, give Possberg her choice and it will be chocolate, but not just any chocolate, it will be made with Guinness. Don’t worry the beer can’t be tasted. Instead a person tastes chocolate with a “little somethin’ somethin’ in the background,” because it gives the cake an extra nutty, delicious and rich fl avour. Possberg will oſt en put a unique spin on her dessertts, such as making candied Maple Bacon cinnamon b Everything is made from scratch.


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As for the inna ds of th olate, b t not t worry th ate with because fl


dess “T ere is nothing worse than food that


cheap,” she said. “T e restaurants I worked at were all about homemade, local and fresh … that is what I try to do for my cakes.” T at is why she uses only butter, makes a fondant that satisfi es her taste buds, buys farm fresh eggs and even makes her own vanilla extract.


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T is year is a busy one for Possberg. She has


already had to turn down some clients and is currently booking into 2013. For each of her cakes there is a base price established and then the price increases depending on the time and detail required. A typical wedding cake will cost approximately $400 to $600 while a birthday cake runs between $40 and $150.


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Some of pastry chef’s Lisa Possberg’s work is truly a delight to the eye.


Photo by Elizabeth Heatcoat


Chef Lisa Possberg works on a three-tiered edible masterpiece sitting on her kitchen table. Possberg is originally from Humboldt, Sask. but moved to Swift Current recently.


High-end pastry chef on the rise T


BY ELIZABETH BY ELIZABETH HEATCOA H HEATCOAT he music off G don L gh f Gordon Liighttfoott is p is playing in g in the backgr e fl ps to 12:05 am as pastry c ef L a P n the background.. T stove fl ips to 12:05 a.m. as pastry chef Lisa Possberg steps back from a three- g steps back f m a t


T e clock on the ee


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