‘It looks great, but can we eat it?’

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Duff Goldman, Food Network star and Charm City Cakes mastermind, has a Hollywood year ahead of him.

He and his creative team are concocting uncommon creations out of fondant, gum paste, Styrofoam, wood and of course cake batter for the premieres of “Where the Wild Things Are,” “Get Smart” and the latest installments of the “Batman” and “Indiana Jones” franchises.

After honing his skills at the Culinary Institute of America and working as a pastry chef under acclaimed chefs, Goldman, a University of Maryland Baltimore County graduate, returned to Baltimore in 2000. Eight years later, his business is booming. Charm City Cakes is booked through July with several weeks through the rest of the year and 2009 taken, too. Disco queen Donna Summers is one of the lucky clients.

Q What’s the oddest cake request?

A We had a guy who wanted a trucking terminal to celebrate the company’s 100th trucking terminal nationwide. It was basically a building with loading docks and trucks, lots of trucks. Everyone had a raised eyebrow at that one. But it came out really cool. Doctors get the craziest cakes. They have sick senses of humor. For a gastrointestinal doctor, we did a guy being operated on and had his guts hanging out. For a neurosurgeon, we did a human head, minus the lid of the skull and the exposed brain painted with piping gel so it would look all slimy.

Q What don’t we see on “Ace of Cakes”?

A The actual baking. I guess [the Food Network] doesn’t show it because it’s not visually exciting ... Another thing the show doesn’t focus on is [the fact] we’re insane about flavors. We have an extensive list of butter creams — brownie, cardamom and pistachio, Thai iced coffee. They’re delicious. But until they invent the scratch-and-sniff TV, I don’t think we’ll be able to get across just how we are insane about how our cakes taste. When you see Bobby [Flay] or Emeril [Lagasse] sauteing steaks, they look good and you think I want to eat that. With cake, you see it, but you don’t know if it’s dry or not.

Q Have you tasted the Smith Island cake, recently nominated Maryland’s official dessert?

A I think it really captures the spirit of Maryland. It’s not polished. It’s just delicious. It’s like steamed crabs, not the prettiest things to look at and most people outside of Maryland are grossed out by them. But Marylanders dive into a bushel like ravenous wolves. It’s something right up there with a grandma-made recipe, Fuchs and Silver Queen corn.

Q What cake are you dying for someone to request?

A A hand-painted Picasso knockoff would be pretty cool.

Charm City Cakes

» 410-235-9229, charmcitycakes.com

» New episodes of “Ace of Cakes” air Thursdays at 10:30 p.m. on the Food Network

jnovak@baltimoreexaminer.com

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