Madonna, Gordon Ramsay and Simon Cowell had one. David Beckham, Pierce Brosnan and Sir Paul McCartney all joined in as well. The list of Mich Turner's clients reads like an introduction to the Oscars. And indeed if there was an Oscar for cakes she'd be on stage receiving it. Because Mich's cakes owe nothing to your run-of-the-mill sponge, they are the elite version, looking more like an elaborate stage set of flamboyant proportions.

"When Gordon Ramsay says I'm the Bentley of cake makers," she says, "That's exactly where I want to be." Such an accolade isn't given lightly nor executed easily. It comes at a price. Mich confesses, "If I were a character in 'Friends' I'd be Monica." And for those that don't know, Monica is obsessively clean, tidy and, dare one say, neurotic. One wouldn't want to accuse Mich of over anxiety but she is comfortable describing herself as 'exacting, pedantic, precise, organised, talented, confident and driven'. That means, she says, "I can be quite hard on myself, expecting a great deal. I don't like to lose control. Because I'm so driven, if my worktops aren't polished I go mad." If all this is sounding just a little tense, be assured that's not the impression Mich gives in person. Lively and engaging, she's every inch the ambassador for her cake business, Little Venice Cake Company, which she set up ten years ago. A company that has since gone on to win numerous awards and accolades.

From the age of 14 Mich was interested in food. When she was 17 one of her lecturers asked if she'd like to decorate her wedding cake. She confidently said yes, took a crash course over four days, and delivered the goods. A BA Hons in food science and nutrition followed, sponsored by United Biscuits. That meant a year in industry as part of her studies. Dressed in a white lab coat she would measure the density of cakes, or be checking the quality of three quarters of a million Christmas cakes destined for Marks and Spencer. It was after university that the cake bug returned. One letter and one cake turned her into a cake supplier for Harvey Nichols, the upmarket, Knightsbridge store in London. A year later she was working there as a buyer and four years on left to set up her own company. She says, "It was a real niche market." The company was supplying five star hotels. "That's where we set our standards, always likening ourselves to those luxury partners."

Luxury and Little Venice Cake Company are natural bedfellows. There's no mistaking one of their cakes. Expect beauty, splendour, originality, drama and high quality. They can be as bespoke as you wish. When customers arrive by appointment at their Manchester Mews studios in London's fashionable Marylebone, the first thing they see as they walk through the doors are cakes showcased behind glass as though in a museum. Hand painted birds fly around tiers, vibrantly coloured sugar and chocolate flowers gracefully swathe and hug iced interiors. The instant impression is one of grandeur. These are cakes built for a purpose; to make a statement and produce the wow factor.

"When Gordon Ramsay says I'm the Bentley of cake makers," she says, "That’s exactly where I want to be."

No surprise then when Mich says, "When Philip Treacy, (hat maker extraordinaire), came to discuss his sister's birthday cake he was showering us with praise." But it's not just birthday and wedding cakes they design. They cater for any celebration. "We've just made 300 individual cakes for the opening of a shopping centre," says Mich. They create cakes for photo shoots, for bridal magazines, films, or retirement parties such as Sir David Frost's, the BBC presenter. When Bruce Forsyth celebrated his 80 ^th birthday, at the end of his popular show Strictly Come Dancing, it was a Little Venice cake that was wheeled on stage. As Mich says, "A cake is an extra, it's a luxury. You put in a lot of work and people literally have their breath taken away."

When Mich talks of her cakes she speaks of 'fashion' and 'new collections'. She says, "It's a design in much the same way as a fashion design, but in a cake. But it doesn't hold that reverence." Indeed she is inspired by the work of fashion designers. And given that many of her cakes will grace the tables of the wealthy and famous it's important for her to keep her finger on the pulse of what's 'hot'. She'll follow the current fashion trends, keeping her eyes on designers such as Gucci, Chanel and Dolce and Gabbana. She says, "White on white, pearls and pale blue" are all in vogue. Where clothes designers are encrusting fabric she's doing the same to cake.

Without her extraordinary discipline it's doubtful the business would ever have reached the heights it has. The company is now a brand. She says, "It's not just a cake, it's the experience." Mich admits, "It's a hell of a lot of work. There's invariably pressure and deadlines that can't be missed."

What with the daily business, master classes, the photo shoots, filming for Market Kitchen on UK Food Sky, liaising with wedding planners, networking, writing her books and the myriad of other things vying for attention, it's even more surprising that Mich manages to fit in family life with a husband and two young boys. Oh, and the occasional 15 minute run when time permits.

"Dressed in a white lab coat she would measure the density of cakes, or be checking the quality of three quarters of a million Christmas cakes destined for Marks and Spencer."

When I say, 'you get up at ten past five in the morning' she shoots back, "No, ten to five. Don't lose me those 20 minutes." Rest may not be high on her agenda but if she does get the chance she goes back to cake decorating just for relaxation, not for a deadline. She says, "The one thing you really want to do is the last thing on your list." But rumour has it, if you could peek into her studios some evening around 10pm, you might just find her with paint brush in hand, very precisely adding a flourish to her beloved cakes.

Couture Wedding Cakes by Mich Turner – published this autumn by Jacqui Small

Next master classes December 9/10th at Leith's School of Food and Wine.

For more information visit www.LVCC.co.uk or call 020 7486 5252

By Michele Nevard