Welcome to our Black Issue! This month, we’re embracing the darker side of sugar art, with dramatic designs, incredible textures and a little gothic charm thrown in for good measure! 

Our stunning cover, INK, comes from the hugely talented Tanja Campen-Howarth, who takes us through her striking creation step by step. Ľubica Kočalková shares her expertise in a fabulous texture masterclass, while Cindy Fearnell shows us just how beautiful simplicity can be with a stunning modern cake design. For those who love something a little darker, we have creepy-cute modelling from Sébastien Haramendy, an adorable vampire topper from Barbara Regini, and Ruchika Bhargava’s beautiful Goth’s Silent Symphony. Shumaila Rai and Prop Options also bring us Volcanic Noir, and because we all need a little something delicious to eat, we have a sourdough bread recipe from Bake International Best in Show winner Ben Smith!

Away from the tutorials, we have some wonderful stories and plenty of inspiration to share. We get to know Manuela Taddeo, catch up with Fatima Hasan in Newbie and Now, and speak to Yelyzaveta Azarov, one of Julia M. Usher’s competition winners. Kate Tynan from The Cake Business Club is back with some food for thought, asking whether you’re making it too difficult for customers to book you, as well as sharing an article on her upcoming business retreats. We bring you the remarkable story of Eugene Dough Sheeters - a journey of resilience through war and a move across the world, and take a look at Beyond Tomorrow, the international collaboration from Anastasia Osipova and Valentin Maevskiy. Of course, we finish with our Lookbook as usual. Happy reading!