The Milanese pastry chef created the desserts that appear in the second episode of the iconic fashion film
For the filming of The Devil Wears Prada 2, directed by David Frankel, with the participation of Meryl Streep, once again in the role of Miranda, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt, Adolfo Stefanelli was in charge of the pastry shop, selected among the excellences of the Milanese pastry shop. The collaboration was born in an unexpected way, through food stylists tasked with finding artisans capable of making surprising desserts in Milan, where several scenes of the sequel were filmed. What attracted the attention of the pastry chef was one of his iconic creations, the “Sail” cake: a base of almond pastry, Piedmont hazelnut praline, dark chocolate ganache and thin sheets of chocolate that rise like light structures, evoking the movement of an unfurled sail. An elegant, essential gesture, born from a personal intuition gained during an experience on a sailing ship.
the vision
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Alongside the Vela cake, Stefanelli has developed a series of desserts designed specifically for the film that express his technical and creative vision. Thus were born a single portion with a mango heart and a violet vanilla Bavarian cream chosen by Meryl Streep, a sphere of raspberries with a very soft base, pasEccera cream and finish. Added to these are chocolates made for the set and particularly appreciated by Lady Gaga, to the point of being requested in large quantities even off stage. “Work for the cinema imposed completely different rules compared to traditional pastry making. Only a few desserts were intended for tasting: the majority had to resist for hours under the spotlight, maintaining absolute aesthetic perfection. This meant designing “stage” desserts, built with more rigid consistencies and structures designed to last over time, even at the cost of giving up taste. Another unexpected challenge was to “break” the desserts: dig in with the spoon, simulate tasting, deconstruct what is normally preserved in the its perfect integrity. A counterintuitive gesture for a pastry chef, but necessary for the narrative construction of the scene”, says Adolfo Stefanelli.