In fact, most of the painting reproductions in the 2003 film were possible thanks to Licia’s technique involving special resurfacing of printouts, which were then glued onto canvas. Licia was well versed in ancient painting, having studied art restoration in Florence, Italy, and the work paid off: the team was nominated for an Oscar for Best Art Direction and Set Decoration. 

“It was an amazing experience,” says Licia, but she has also delighted in others. Her last restoration project, for instance, was a painting from the 1700s at the Italian embassy in Brussels. It depicted a family, although some of the details were unknown until her restoration brought them to light.

“When I cleaned it, I found a village which had been painted over.” She also discovered not only the name of each boy and girl in the painting, but the family name on a sceptre. “After they saw the name of the family, they uncovered another little painting similar to the [larger one], it was a shock. Restoration is unbelievable because you discover a lot about the painting, what happened to it.”

Licia Zappatore cleaning the 18th century painting Photo: Licia Zappatore 

Licia has lived in Luxembourg for 20 years, apart from a 2011-15 stint in Brussels. It was while she was in the Belgian capital that she first began cake decoration, at the request of a friend asking for some help. She enjoyed getting back into three-dimensional work which, she says, reminded her of her school days: each project and deadline was different. She was hooked.

Upon her return to Luxembourg in 2015, she got serious about decorating cakes, starting Licia’s Cake around the same time. A mother of three boys, Licia enjoys the flexibility the work gives her and does most of the decorating at night. “It’s my time. I don’t have to think about picking up my children or anything. There is a deep level of concentration, it’s complete ecstasy.”

A cake tends to take her two days to create: the first to prepare the base of the cake, and she won’t decorate until that’s prepared.

“There’s a block in me. I prefer when the base is covered with sugar paste or cream, then it’s like a blank canvas, and I can start my art.” She spends most of the time on the concept, for example, studying in detail the flower or characters she wants to create. Among her favourites are Minions, the yellow characters from “Despicable Me”. “When I make Minions, I smile all the time because of their size, and how they’re looking at me.” 

In both her art restoration and cake decorating, details are key. “I might lose a lot of time just for a tie or a shoe, but it’s very important for the total design of the cake.” One of the most difficult projects she worked on was a fashion-themed cake for a friend in Italy. Although Licia did some advance prep in Luxembourg, she did the bulk of the work in a house in the mountains, with limited baking supplies.

The edible Jimmy Choo designed by Licia for her girlfriend’s birthday cake Photo: Licia Zappatore 

Nevertheless, she managed to create each of the elements, including an edible replica of a Jimmy Choo stiletto. But the hardest part came later, when she transported the tiered cake via cable car and snowmobile to the restaurant. 

Seeing the pleasure her creations bring others is what Licia loves most. “It makes me so happy. The best is when I ask if the cake went well, and people send me a picture or video of their child getting it. It’s a pleasure I can’t calculate.” Licia’s already taken some pastry classes in Belgium--which she values not just for the new techniques, but also because it gives her “me time”. Next up for her? Learning the art of sculpting with chocolate.

See more of Licia Zappatore’s creations on the Licia’s Cake Facebook page.

This article first appeared in the print version of the March/April 2020 edition of Delano magazine.