Get to know Neil Levinson of beloved Valley bakery, Classic Cakes and Confections.
Have you always been interested in the culinary arts? I have been interested in culinary arts since I was a kid growing up in Montreal where my grandfather would have the executive pastry chef at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel make me custom cakes for my birthdays.
What inspires your dessert designs? I look everywhere for great flavor combinations. I like bright flavors for summer (citrus, mint, etc.) I come up with ideas for cake designs and my wife and lead designer, Ella (pictured with Neil), turns everything into reality.
What has been the most unique—and successful—flavor you have created? We offer so many different and popular items. My favorite right now is our Canadian sugar pie (a maple and brown sugar custard). We also make a great passion fruit Bavarian.
What do you love most about what you do? I love putting smiles on people’s faces with what we create here at Classic Cakes. At the end of a long day, that’s all that matters.
What are your future plans for your business? We opened our Scottsdale store about a year ago and hope to add another in 2015.
Favorite…
Cake flavor: I’m a chocolate guy.
Midnight snack: Wasabi soy beans.
Pizza topping: Mushrooms.
Chef Chat: Neil Levinson of Classic Cakes and Confections
