Lisa Mansour

Lisa Mansour – UK Chef, TV Host, Master Pâtissier and Cookbook Author

Featured Chef in the 2016 Vanilla Vine, Issue #2

Lisa Mansour, an accomplished cake designer and business owner, is best known for her on-trend techniques and feminine cake designs. We had the pleasure of meeting Lisa at her shop in New York where we were able to see her amazing talent up close. Her cake designs included depth and beautiful details, making them a real sight to see. It is no wonder Lisa is recognized in the industry as a leading cake artist. Her love for baking and cake design hits close to home. From an early age, Lisa began learning techniques from her talented mother, Joan, who also shares the same special gift for cake decorating. She credits her mother for having the greatest impact on her career. “Even today, her critiques mean the most to me,” says Lisa.

Over the years, Lisa’s love for decorating has grown. Today, she creates masterpieces stimulated by the world around her. “Inspiration is all around us,” she says. “Sometimes it’s something you see on the street, something you see online, something someone says to you. I take a lot of inspiration from fashion, patterns in dresses, shoes, bows, [and] jewelry. You often find inspiration where you least expect it.” As inspiration finds Lisa throughout her day, she also keeps a close eye on up and coming trends. “It’s always fun to see what’s new and trending, [and] right now I love drip cakes! They’re super easy to make and very cute,” she says. “They allow people to have fun with making the cake, using different combinations of flavors and toppings, and loving the result.”

To aspiring cake decorators, Lisa offers a line of instructional videos on her website. She likes to be able to reach out to people and help them learn about topics and techniques that are not available elsewhere. Her passion and love for teaching is the main reason for starting Lisa Mansour’s New York Cake Academy.

Lisa teaches in a relaxed, laid back atmosphere where students will end up “feeling confident enough to go and make a wedding cake,” she states. “That’s what I love – teaching people they can do anything they can put their mind to.” Lisa has also been featured on radio and television shows and has represented the U.S.A. in the World Cake Design Championship in Milano, Italy. “It was an unbelievable experience,” she says. “I loved meeting people from different countries and seeing the different techniques each one specializes in. The level of talent was breathtaking.”

Of course all of these accomplishments require the use of the very best ingredients. Lisa counts on Nielsen-Massey Vanillas to add exceptional flavor to her recipes. “I have been using Nielsen-Massey products for years because I know it’s the best,” she says. “I use Vanilla Bean Paste constantly. I use it in butter cream, yellow cake, ice cream, [and] with the bean paste, the flavor is perfection.” Around the holidays, she uses Pure Peppermint Extract. “I love to make peppermint patties… it always gives the best flavor.” Let the talented Lisa Mansour inspire you to learn the art of cake decorating. Visit her online at NYCake.com, NYCakeAcademy.com and TheNYCakeShow.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.