Penny Stankiewicz
Biography
As a pastry chef, cake artist and entrepreneur, Penny Stankiewicz has always been an artist. As alumna of NYU Tisch School of the arts, Penny began her professional life in the film industry, where she honed her storytelling craft. While producing the film Absolute Wilson, a feature documentary on the avant garde artist Robert Wilson, she enrolled at the Institute of Culinary Education as a Pastry & Baking Arts student, igniting her passion for creating artistic cakes and confections.
After graduation, Penny worked with Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market, under Chef Pichet Ong, turning her storytelling skills towards custom cake creations. By creating specialty cakes, she found all of her artistic skills and detail-oriented nature could be applied to her cake creations. Penny began teaching at the 92nd Street Y and was a development consultant for the recreational cooking classes at Sarah Lawrence Collegem and in 2014, she found her way back to ICE, becoming a visiting instructor in the Professional Cake Decorating program. She has also lead cake decorating classes at Degustibus Cooking School in Macy’s Herald Square.
In 2015, Penny opened Sugar Couture in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which boasts an impressive client list including Tory Burch, Hugh Jackman, Adele, Beyonce, John Mayer, Mercedes, Madison Square Garden, Sony Music, Edelman and R/GA. As an entrepreneur, she was honored to be selected to participate in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program sponsored by The Tory Burch Foundation.
Her work has been featured in New York Times, Vogue, New York Magazine, Town & Country, People, Brides, Time Out New York, Food Network, The Daily News, Village Voice and The Knot. She has been on Refinery 29, Heritage Radio, My Fair Wedding, with David Tutera, and The Nate Burkus show. She is thrilled to be a featured cake artist on a brand a new Food Network Show, airing in January 2018.
Education
- Institute of Culinary Education, Pastry & Baking Arts, 2004
Penny Stankiewicz on the Blog
- A Puff Pastry Recipe Perfect for Mother's Day
- Pâte à Choux's Potential
- How to Make a Christmas Cookie Centerpiece
- How to Make a Mold
- The Ultimate Birthday Cake Techniques
- The History of Royal Icing String Work
- How to Use Isomalt for Pulled Sugar Flowers
- Elevate the Conversation Hearts with Macarons
- How to Make a Dog-Themed Ice Cream Scene