As Chef-Owner of one of the country’s finest couture cake studios, Ron Ben-Israel started his confectionery adventures after a fifteen-year career as a professional ballet and modern dancer. Performing with companies spanning three continents no one would ever have thought that lifelike sugar flowers and delicious cakes would become Ron’s next passion.
After apprenticeships and engagements in Toronto, Canada and Lyon, France he was led to New York City. In 1996 his cakes were discovered while on displayed in the windows of Mikimoto on Fifth Avenue, commissions quickly followed from Villeroy & Boch, Baccarat, DeBeer’s, Bloomingdales, Bergdorf-Goodman.
In 1999 Ron established his flagship design studio and bakery in Manhattan’s fashionable SoHo neighborhood. In addition to wonderful private clients, many of New York’s premier hotels such as The Pierre, The St. Regis, The NY Palace, The Ritz-Carlton, The Waldorf-Astoria, The Four Seasons and the Mandarin Oriental are devotees. Aside from serving the northeast, his cakes are frequently delivered to destination throughout the continental U.S and abroad.
Ron’s confectionary creations have been featured in countless publications, many times adorning their covers. Some publications include: The New York Times, New York Magazine, Town and Country, People, NY Post, NY Daily News, Martha Stewart Living, In Style, Modern Bride, Bridal Guide, Elegant Bride, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, The Knot, TimeOut and Vogue to name a few. In 2004 Vogue named Ron the number one best baker and Martha Stewart’s favorite baker.
Many books have highlighted his cakes including Vera Wang on Weddings, Kate Manchester’s The Perfect Wedding Cake, Bette Matthews’ For Your Wedding – Cakes, and Joan Hamburg’s City Weddings. Zagat Survey’s have published glowing reviews on Ron’s confections for the past six consecutive years. His personae and operation have been thinly disguised as a feature character in the New York Times’ bestselling novel Shopaholic Ties The Knot by Sophie Kinsella.
The creativity, level of detail and love in every Ron Ben-Israel cake is only surpassed by his sense of togetherness. Family, friends and community are a cherished part of Ron’s life and he is dedicated to all three.
CHARITY ENDEAVORS
Seeds of Peace, The Hatter’s Ball, Children’s Museum of the Arts, Boston University - School Of Hospitality, City of Hope, The Jewish Museum – Centennial Celebration, The Brook Jackman Foundation, Knights of York, Mayor Bloomberg’s Design for Our City, Fete De Swifty, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Ron is a proud member of the Food Council of City Harvest and a Maitre Rottisseur of the New York City Baillage of the Chaines de Rottiseurs.
TELEVISION & MOVIES
The Oprah Winfrey Show, NBC News (NBC), Fox News (FOX), Good Morning America (ABC), The Today Show (NBC), The Morning Show (WB), Eye To Eye (CBS), How To Succeed In Business (CNBC), HBO Oxygen TV, TRL (MTV), SheTV (JAPAN), The View (ABC), Nightline (ABC), Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (BRAVO) and TV Food Network. He is a favorite guest of Martha Stewart Living and was a featured guest on David Letterman (CBS). Paramount's “In And Out” and as Walter in HBO’s “Everyday People”.
GUEST INSTRUCTOR & LECTURER
Culinary Institute of America, DeGustibus at Macy's, Oklahoma State Sugar Show. He was recently named the only Master Pastry Instructor at the French Culinary Institute in New York City. Chef has been awarded prestigious gold medals for his confectionery achievements, most notably from the New York Guild of Chefs, The Societe de Saint Michelle and the Societe Culinaire Philantropic.
“Ron Ben-Israel does amazing sugar work…formed flowers – so perfect!
I love this cake… His cakes taste as good as they look!”
- Martha Stewart presenting Ron Ben-Israel’s cakes on the Oprah Winfrey show.
"Rest assured that you can have your cake and
eat it too…particularly amazing are his incredibly lifelike sugar flowers."
-Zagat Survey, 2000/2001/2002
“Amazing one-of-a-kind cakes."
-Joan Hamburg, WOR Radio, author of City Weddings
“Ben-Israel has mastered the art of the sugar flower.
Glamorous but tasteful cakes…”
-New York Magazine, Weddings issue, Spring 2002
“A Piece of Perfection!”
-Modern Bride Magazine, August/ September 2002
“One of the arbiters of high-fashion edibles. The Cartier of the pastry set…”
-Elegant Bride Magazine, Fall 1999
“Mr. Ben-Israel is the Manolo Blahnik of wedding cakes…”
-The New York Times, 2003
Master cakemaker Ron Ben-Israel wheeled out a masterpiece gateau…
-Liz Smith, syndicated columnist, NY Post February 2004
“The Wedding Cake Master! You’ll need to hock your jewels for theses delicious masterpieces, that look fabulous and taste even better, but you get what you pay for!”
-Zagat Survey, 2003/2004
“The King of Cakes… Elevating the wedding cake to couture status…”
-Modern Bride Magazine, Trendsetters, June/July 2004
