Baker shares first photo of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's royal wedding cake preparations
When life gives you lemons…you make lemon elderflower cake!
Royal baker, Claire Ptak, owner of the London-based Violet bakery, is embarking on her biggest order yet: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s wedding cake. Ptak posted a photo on Instagram on Tuesday of several crates of lemons with the caption: “And so it begins” — as she gears up to create the mother-of-all wedding cakes.
The picture of six crates of fresh, Sicilian lemons, delivered by fruit and veg merchants Natoora in east London, immediately had her Instagram followers drooling in anticipation.
Last month, Kensington Palace revealed that Meghan and Harry asked California-raised Ptak “to create a lemon elderflower cake that will incorporate the bright flavors of spring.”
The statement, added that “It will be covered with buttercream and decorated with fresh flowers.”
The royal cake will claim center stage at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s wedding reception on Saturday. The 600 lucky guests will also be served bowls of food and canapés prepared with classic seasonal produce, drawn largely from Queen Elizabeth’s royal estates.
The informal serving of the sweet and savory nibbles will ensure that Harry, 33, and Meghan, 36 — who will arrive at the party after their carriage ride through Windsor — can talk to as many of their guests as possible.
“The day of the wedding has fallen very kindly for us. All the British vegetables are just coming into season,” royal chef Mark Flanagan told reporters.
“We know the couple wanted us to make sure we used all of the local seasonal produce as much as possible throughout their menu, and this recent good weather is really helping us to achieve that. They’ve been involved in every detail.”
Ptak, who once worked as a pastry chef under the legendary Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, added: “I can’t tell you how delighted am to be chosen to make Prince Harry and Ms. Markle’s wedding cake. 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.”
This article originally appeared on PEOPLE.
