A Piece of Cake: Cake celebration

If there is one thing that you break your carb-free diet for this DSS, take your inspiration from any of the teatime scenes in Marie Antoinette - remember all those ornately decorated treats?

Indulge your sweet tooth with all things cake-related at the annual Cake Celebration at Mercato this week. The 10-day celebration features a charity cake sale, cake decorating competitions and baking activities for kids.

tabloid! chatted with Ameed Saegh, one of the pastry chefs from Media Rotana who will be taking part in the cake decorating competition which started yesterday and runs until tomorrow. Saegh, who has been decorating cakes for more than 13 years, talks about the art of his profession.

Cake decoration is not a common career choice. What influenced you?

I loved cooking since I was a small kid. I always helped my mother in baking and decorating cake, especially during my siblings' birthdays. After I finished my college degree in tourism, I decided to get a specialisation in pastry. The college offered me a learning environment which enhanced my creativity.

What's the best part of decorating cakes?

Working on the final details before the cake is ready. It is at this point that you find out whether or not your masterpiece will succeed.

Your most memorable moments as a pastry chef?

To this date, my favourite cake is one that I designed with an UAE flag for the national day, it measured three by two metres. I also remember a wedding cake with a bicycle design that had a just married sign on it that required a lot of effort. Formula One cars are the most popular theme requests I get for cakes.

What would you say to all those who are eager to become pastry chefs?

Whenever you love something you will learn it quickly. You will learn faster by reading related books or by doing research on the internet. However, practice is most important; the more you practice, the more you will become qualified.

Icing on your cake

Cake decorating competition: Stop by Mercato at 6pm to watch Ameed Saegh and the other renowned chefs from the Rotana group compete in the annual cake decorating competition.

Once completed, the sugary masterpieces will be auctioned off to visitors immediately after they are completed. All proceeds from the auction will go towards the Dubai Autism Centre.

Cooking with up a storm: Mall visitors can watch chef Chadi Zaitouni as he cooks up a storm with food demonstrations, competitions and live cooking performances.

From Thursday to Saturday, Zaitouni will take you on a culinary journey to learn the secrets of Italian cuisine from 7pm to 10pm on the ground floor. If you want to cook with Zaitouni, call 06-5569494 for more information.

Cinnabon Summer Roll and Bake: The Cinnabon Baking Activity will offer fun for the kids from today until Saturday, between 5pm and 9pm. Children of all ages can look forward to learning how to make and decorate their own pastries, as well as enjoy balloon shaping and face painting for free.