Baker Claire Ptak poses for a photgraph inside her bakery, Violet, in east London on March 20, 2018. Ptak has been asked to make the wedding cake for the forthcoming marriage of Britain’s Prince Harry to his US fiancee, Meghan Markle. AFP
LONDON, United Kingdom — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have chosen pastry chef Claire Ptak, owner of celebrated London bakery Violet, to make a lemon elderflower cake for their upcoming wedding, Kensington Palace announced Tuesday.
“Prince Harry and Ms. Markle have asked Ms. Ptak to create a lemon elderflower cake to incorporate the bright flavors of spring,” it said in a statement.
“It will be covered with buttercream and decorated with fresh flowers.”
The couple were “very much looking forward to sharing this cake with their wedding guests,” it said.
California-raised Ptak is a food writer and stylist, recipe developer and consultant, as well as the owner of the small Violet bakery in east London.
She started the business as a stall on trendy Broadway Market, before opening her cafe nearby in 2010 with a focus on using high quality, seasonal and organic ingredients.
“I can’t tell you how delighted I am to be chosen to make Prince Harry and Ms. Markle’s wedding cake,” she said in the statement.
“Knowing that they really share the same values as I do about food provenance, sustainability, seasonality and most importantly flavor, makes this the most exciting event to be a part of.”
Fellow American Markle, a former actress, used to run her own lifestyle website, and previously interviewed Ptak for her blog.
She and Prince Harry will marry at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, a residence of Queen Elizabeth II’s located west of London, on May 19. /cbb