Sylvia Weinstock
- November 22, 2021
- 91 years
About Sylvia Weinstock
Sylvia Weinstock, 91, American baker.
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Full Biography
|Sylvia Weinstock (January 28, 1930 – November 22, 2021) was an American baker and cake decorator. She was known for creating elaborate, multi-tiered wedding cakes decorated with botanically accurate sugar flowers. She also designed intricate trompe-l'oeil cakes resembling objects such as cars, crates of wine, and Fabergé eggs.
Early life and education
Sylvia Silver was born January 28, 1930, in the Bronx, New York. She was raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Her family lived above their shop, which sold liquor and later became a bakery.
Weinstock earned a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1951 from Hunter College. She later obtained a master's degree in education from Queens College in 1973.
Career
Weinstock began her professional career as an elementary school teacher on Long Island. She began baking cakes for local restaurants and apprenticed with pastry chef George Keller at the suggestion of André Soltner of Lutèce. She founded her cake business at age 50, following her recovery from breast cancer. William Greenberg, a fellow bakery owner, began referring clients to her for wedding cakes. After moving to Manhattan from Long Island, she began baking for private events at venues such as the Carlyle Hotel. In 1983, she and her husband renovated a warehouse in Tribeca into a four-story home and headquarters for Sylvia Weinstock Cakes.
Weinstock created cakes for many celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, and Martha Stewart. She preferred not to use fondant, describing it as "cheap and easy." Instead, she favored buttercream, sugar flowers, and stenciled designs. Bon Appétit magazine dubbed her "the Leonardo da Vinci of wedding cakes."
After retiring from commercial baking, Weinstock appeared as a guest judge on the Food Network series Chopped Sweets and Top Chef: Just Desserts. She also appeared in season 1 of the Netflix series Nailed It!, where she was described as the show's "secret weapon." She also taught cake decorating at the Institute of Culinary Education.
Personal life
In 1949, at age 19, she married Benjamin Weinstock (1925–2018). They settled in Massapequa, New York, and raised three children.
Death
Weinstock died on November 22, 2021, in Tribeca at the age of 91. The cause of death was multiple myeloma.
Publications
- Weinstock, Sylvia; Manchester, Kate (1999). Sweet Celebrations: The Art of Decorating Beautiful Cakes. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9780684846750.
- Weinstock, Sylvia (2008). Sylvia Weinstock's Sensational Cakes. New York, NY: Stewart, Tabori & Chang. ISBN 9781584797180.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Articles & News
- "Sylvia Weinstock, the 'da Vinci of Wedding Cakes,' Dies at 91"nytimes.com
- "Sylvia Weinstock, master of the luxury wedding cake, dies at 91"washingtonpost.com
Reported coverage of Sylvia Weinstock; each link opens the original article on the publisher's own site.
Books & Media
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Weinstock
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Sylvia Weinstock's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what year did Sylvia Weinstock marry Benjamin Weinstock?
- A.1949correct
- B.1951
- C.1973
- D.1983
In 1949, at the age of 19, Sylvia Weinstock married Benjamin Weinstock.
Source: Personal life section
2.What did Sylvia Weinstock famously describe as being "cheap and easy"?
- A.Buttercream
- B.Stenciled designs
- C.Fondantcorrect
- D.Sugar flowers
Sylvia Weinstock preferred not to use fondant, describing it as "cheap and easy."
Source: Career section
3.Which magazine dubbed Sylvia Weinstock the "Leonardo da Vinci of wedding cakes"?
- A.Food Network Magazine
- B.Bon Appétitcorrect
- C.New York Magazine
- D.Bakery Weekly
Bon Appétit magazine dubbed Sylvia Weinstock the "Leonardo da Vinci of wedding cakes."
Source: Career section
4.Where did Sylvia Weinstock and her husband renovate a warehouse into a home and headquarters in 1983?
- A.Massapequa
- B.Tribecacorrect
- C.Williamsburg
- D.Long Island
In 1983, Sylvia Weinstock and her husband renovated a warehouse in Tribeca into a home and headquarters.
Source: Career section
5.What is the title of the 1999 book co-authored by Sylvia Weinstock?
- A.Sweet Celebrations: The Art of Decorating Beautiful Cakescorrect
- B.Sylvia Weinstock's Sensational Cakes
- C.The Art of Baking
- D.The Cake Decorator's Handbook
Sylvia Weinstock co-authored Sweet Celebrations: The Art of Decorating Beautiful Cakes with Kate Manchester in 1999.
Source: Publications section
6.Which Netflix series featured Sylvia Weinstock as a "secret weapon"?
- A.Nailed It!correct
- B.Chopped Sweets
- C.Top Chef: Just Desserts
- D.Baking Impossible
Sylvia Weinstock appeared in season 1 of the Netflix series Nailed It!, where she was described as the show's "secret weapon."
Source: Career section
7.What specific item did Sylvia Weinstock's family shop sell during her childhood?
- A.Clothing
- B.Groceries
- C.Pastries
- D.Liquorcorrect
Sylvia Weinstock's family lived above their shop, which sold liquor and later became a bakery.
Source: Early life and education section
8.What was the cause of Sylvia Weinstock's death in 2021?
- A.Heart failure
- B.Multiple myelomacorrect
- C.Natural causes
- D.Breast cancer
Sylvia Weinstock died on November 22, 2021, and the cause of death was multiple myeloma.
Source: Death section
9.Where did Sylvia Weinstock obtain her master's degree in education in 1973?
- A.Queens Collegecorrect
- B.Hunter College
- C.Institute of Culinary Education
- D.New York University
Sylvia Weinstock obtained a master's degree in education from Queens College in 1973.
Source: Early life and education section
10.Which of the following objects did Sylvia Weinstock create intricate trompe-l'oeil cakes to resemble?
- A.Sporting equipment
- B.Famous buildings
- C.Fabergé eggscorrect
- D.Kitchen appliances
Sylvia Weinstock designed intricate trompe-l'oeil cakes resembling objects such as cars, crates of wine, and Fabergé eggs.
Source: Introductory paragraph
11.In which city did Sylvia Weinstock pass away?
- A.Tribecacorrect
- B.Brooklyn
- C.Massapequa
- D.Bronx
Sylvia Weinstock died on November 22, 2021, in Tribeca at the age of 91.
Source: Death section
12.In which city was Sylvia Weinstock born?
- A.Brooklyn
- B.Bronxcorrect
- C.Long Island
- D.Manhattan
Sylvia Silver was born on January 28, 1930, in the Bronx, New York.
Source: Early life and education section
13.What degree did Sylvia Weinstock earn from Hunter College in 1951?
- A.Psychologycorrect
- B.Culinary Arts
- C.Fine Arts
- D.Education
Sylvia Weinstock earned a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1951 from Hunter College.
Source: Early life and education section
14.What profession did Sylvia Weinstock pursue at the start of her professional career?
- A.Elementary school teachercorrect
- B.Cake decorator
- C.Pastry chef
- D.Restaurant owner
Sylvia Weinstock began her professional career as an elementary school teacher on Long Island.
Source: Career section
15.At what age did Sylvia Weinstock found her cake business?
- A.30
- B.40
- C.60
- D.50correct
Sylvia Weinstock founded her cake business at age 50 following her recovery from breast cancer.
Source: Career section
16.Which pastry chef did Sylvia Weinstock apprentice with at the suggestion of André Soltner?
- A.William Greenberg
- B.Kate Manchester
- C.Benjamin Weinstock
- D.George Kellercorrect
Sylvia Weinstock apprenticed with pastry chef George Keller at the suggestion of André Soltner of Lutèce.
Source: Career section
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