Wynn Magazine - Las Vegas
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/760086
92 PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF GREEN The gift box-shaped cake with its pristine bow is Aghababyan's signature and the inspiration behind Celebration Cakes, which makes her custom creations available for retail or carryout purchase at Wynn Las Vegas. "We created Celebration Cakes to give people the opportunity to commemorate even pop-up cele- brations in the most personalized way," she explains. Celebration Cakes, which puts the wonders of Aghababyan's talents at the disposal of both Wynn and Encore guests as well as the city's residents, requires 48 hours' notice for one of her signature gift box cakes. More customized creations, such as an exact replica of this season's trendiest Dior handbag or a convertible Maserati with golf clubs in the back- seat require a minimum of five days' notice. Not only do Aghababyan and her staff of three fulfill the orders for the Celebration Cakes program, but they also handle the needs of the restaurants, nightclubs, and banquet requests for both Wynn and Encore, which number in the hundreds of cakes each week. Most of the time, people generally have an idea of what they want when they place their order, says Aghababyan, who notes that no order is impos- sible to create. "We never say no. Even if it's tough, we don't say no." Aghababyan's meticulous nature means she first draws a sketch of the creation she has in mind based on the customer's request—which turns out more like a precise architectural rendering, every detail taken into account. "When a customer is explaining what they want to create, I already have it in my mind and can envision the final product. I always draw before I start. I want everybody to understand, in black and white, exactly what I am going to make," explains Aghababyan, who has been a cake artist at Wynn since 2007 and before that was the chief cake designer at Bellagio Las Vegas. "Once I have a drawing, now I have to build it. I take the image from my mind and make it come to life." Her ability to make things come to life is aptly illus- trated in the masterpiece she is most proud of and is prominently displayed in the same kitchen where she works every day, almost as a reminder of her com- mitment to detail and artistic authenticity. Her face lights up as she points to the cake for which she won the grand prize at the 2010 Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show‚—an interpretation of the Ettal Abbey, a renowned Benedictine monastery in Bavaria, Germany. But it's not just her ability to create cakes, seemingly sprinkled with fairy dust, that evokes the kind of wide- eyed wonder requisite for any celebration—there are two other essential ingredients. "Good energy and love," Aghababyan replies in response to the secret of making a delicious cake. "It's the good energy that you put into it, combined with the love you have for what you're doing." This year's fabulous gingerbread house at Wynn greets guests at The Buffet. The edible sculpture, crafted from 35 pounds of gingerbread, 30 pounds of fondant, and 25 pounds of chocolate, features the hotel nestled into an ice mountain topped with gifts, penguins in their holiday best, Santa's sleigh, the Grinch, and a moving train. A triple-tier Chocolate Scroll cake is a celebration of its own. The Red Rose Fantasy cake, as precise as porcelain, is a delicious statement. "When a customer is explaining what they want, I already have it in my mind and can envision the final product."— flora aghababyan