Some know him as an artist, some know him as a bassist and some know him as a guy who just can’t sit still. But Chef Duff Goldman will always be know for the creative and unique cakes that he makes on his Food Network show Ace of Cakes.
In a lecture sponsored by Student Entertainment Events last night, Goldman appeared in front of a crowd of about 800 people in the Grand Ballroom at the Stamp Student Union. However, the show was anything but a lecture, and was more of a “get to know Duff Goldman” session.
Goldman began his professional career at the age of 14, and although he knew he would work with food, he said he never admitted it until the day before he left for college.
“The day before I was leaving for undergrad, I was like I don’t want to go. I want to go to culinary school.”
Goldman said he doesn’t regret getting a degree, but still went to culinary school after graduating with a major in history (for the stories) and minor in philosophy (for thinking and arguing).
Moving from restaurant to restaurant, Goldman finally set up shop in Baltimore. He began his business in his apartment, advertising by walking down the street with a handful of business cards and a Styrofoam cake. People saw the cake, asked for his card and his business was up and running.
Once, Goldman remembers, a Baltimore City health inspector visited him based on reports that cakes were being sold from his apartment. Goldman replied, “Do I look like a cake decorator?”
The health inspector agreed and departed, leaving Goldman with the realization that he really needed his own place to sell his cakes. Charm City Cakes, Goldman’s cake shop featured on his TV show, opened on March 3, 2002.
Four years later, Goldman’s show Ace of Cakes began airing on the Food Network. On his show, Goldman creates desserts ranging from the typical wedding cake to cakes resembling dogs, cars or anything he is given a picture of.
His most challenging cake was “a giant replica of the field at Dolphin Stadium in Florida” with a 4-foot chocolate sculpture of the Lombardi Trophy — and Waldo hidden somewhere on the cake – done for the Superbowl XLI. The cake also had every football player and coach on it.
“It was hard because it was humid, and really far away,” Goldman said. They drove the cake from Maryland to Florida, and the cake was glistening in the Florida heat.
And, even in the current economic situation, Goldman said he hasn’t noticed any decline in cake orders.
“People still get married. People still have birthdays,” he said.
Goldman’s cakes cannot be created by the average person on a whim. The cakes are immense in design and the entire process is a challenge, something Goldman truly takes pleasure in.
“The only career path to follow is something that you enjoy,” Goldman said, adding that otherwise life would suck.
Goldman also assured students that “it’s OK to not know what you want to do when you leave college,” suggesting students relax after school and see the world.
Students couldn’t get enough of Goldman, applauding throughout the entire event. Joanna McAvoy, a senior business major who watches Goldman’s show, thought it was great that “he was the same person” as he was on TV.
Similarly, Sasika Subramaniam, a senior cell biology and English major, said she “learned more from the event about Goldman than watching his show on the Food Network channel.”
In the end, Goldman wanted to leave one message with students: “We want to inspire people, we want them to be awesome.”
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