Claire Ptak

Claire Ptak grew up in Inverness, California, where she developed her baking skills with her mother and grandmother, even baking a wedding cake at age seventeen. She gained experience working at local bakeries like Bovine Bakery and Cakework before pursuing film studies at Mills College in California. Following her graduation, Ptak worked as a film and fashion assistant in San Francisco. Her culinary journey led her to become a pastry chef at Chez Panisse for three years, where she was mentored by Alice Waters, learning to refine her palate and approach to ingredients. In 2005, she relocated to London, transitioning into a successful career as a food stylist for notable chefs such as Yotam Ottolenghi, Nigella Lawson, and Jamie Oliver. Alongside her styling work, Ptak became a food columnist for The Guardian and The Observer, contributing regularly to both publications.

In 2008, Ptak started a stall at Broadway Market in East London, selling cookies, pies, and cakes made from her home. These items featured fresh buttercream and seasonal ingredients, quickly gaining popularity among local customers. After two years, she expanded her business, moving the Violet Cakes stall from her home to a derelict building in Hackney. This space was renovated and transformed into the Violet Cakes bakery-café, initially intended for private use but opened to the public due to local enthusiasm. This marked a significant turning point, establishing her presence in London’s culinary scene. Her commitment to fresh, seasonal ingredients and her distinctive baking style helped Violet Cakes become a well-regarded establishment.

A notable highlight in Ptak’s career occurred in 2018 when Violet Cakes was commissioned to bake the wedding cake for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The selection was influenced by Markle’s familiarity with Ptak’s cookbook, “The Violet Bakery Cookbook,” and a previous interview for her lifestyle blog, The Tig. Ptak presented six samples to the couple, who chose her lemon and elderflower flavor. The cake, prepared over five days, featured ingredients like elderflower syrup sourced from the Queen’s Sandringham estate. In June 2022, Ptak also baked the first birthday cake for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter, Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, further cementing her association with royal occasions. Ptak became a naturalised British citizen in 2022 and continues to operate Violet Cakes, publish cookbooks, and contribute to food columns.