A Contributed Article by Chef P.N.D. ( 639 words, 3 min. read)
There are pastry chefs, and then there is Amaury Guichon, a man who does not just decorate cakes, but carves dragons, velociraptors, and working safes out of chocolate. If dessert had a Louvre, Guichon’s work would be behind glass… until someone took a bite.
From Cannes to Cocoa Cathedrals
Born in Cannes, France in 1991, Guichon trained in classical pastry arts, winning awards from prestigious schools like Lenôtre and Wolfberger College. By 21, he was already an executive pastry chef in Paris, but it was in Las Vegas that he would unlock his full creative potential.
In 2019, he co-founded the Pastry Academy, where sugar becomes structure, and chocolate dreams are engineered with precision.
From Sketch to Sculpture
Unlike most pastry chefs, Amaury does not begin with a recipe, he begins with a sketch. Each piece is engineered like a building. His chocolate sculptures often feature:
- Steel-like internal chocolate frames
- Tools from sculpture studios: lathes, carving knives, airbrushes
- Careful tempering, so chocolate behaves like stone or wood
“Everything starts with a sketch… I always find a way to take an idea into an actual product.”
His art is not built to last but that is part of the magic. It is as ephemeral as a memory, and as delicious as you hope.
Chocolate That Roars: Iconic Sculptures
Some of Guichon’s pieces are so monumental, they blur the line between dessert and installation art. Highlights include:
- The Velociraptor: 2.5 meters tall, made entirely of chocolate. Muscles, teeth, claws; all carved by hand.
- Chocolate Foosball Table: Life-sized, playable, and completely edible.
- The Safe: A fully working chocolate safe with a spinning lock mechanism.
- Giant Squid: Writhing tentacles and glistening eyes make it look like it is swimming off the plate.
Each project takes days to complete and sometimes weighs over 150 pounds. They’re not just “wow”, they’re “how?”
A Sculptor’s Eye
Guichon’s gift lies in detail. He is not just creating a chocolate bird: he’s carving feathers. He’s not just making a gramophone: he is reproducing brass finishes, wood grain, and metal screws using colored cocoa butter and micro tools.
He manipulates texture, tone, and shadow until the chocolate imitates life. Rusted steel? Aged wood? Shimmering glass? All made of sugar.
“Creating art is difficult. Creating it with chocolate—a medium that melts and shatters—requires full control.”
A Taste to Match the Technique
Despite the visual spectacle, Guichon never compromises on flavor.
“If I had to choose, I’d rather lose a little of the aesthetic than sacrifice the taste.”
His creations taste as exquisite as they look. Think of dark chocolate spiced with citrus, or vanilla mousse hiding caramel centers, or praline hiding under feather-light ganache domes.
He is a perfectionist from sketch to spoon.
Chocolate Meets the Algorithm
With over 15 million Instagram followers and viral TikToks (some hitting 300 million views), Guichon turns his studio into a visual symphony. His short, sped-up videos show every painstaking step: brushing, carving, melting, assembling.
He doesn’t just share the result, he shows the labor of love, the mistakes, and the moments of chocolate collapse. It is humble, awe-inspiring, and totally addictive.
The Chocolate Academy
In Las Vegas, Guichon’s Pastry Academy trains chefs in the art of sculpting, glazing, layering, and—most importantly—imagination. He teaches:
- Geometry through ganache
- Engineering through sugar
- Patience through pastry
He shows students how to create functional art that tastes like heaven.
When Dessert Becomes a Masterpiece
Amaury Guichon’s art is decadent, dramatic, and daring. His chocolate sculptures elevate pastry into a contemporary art form, breaking every convention and baking new ones.
Like Rodin with marble, or Calder with metal, Guichon sculpts not just for the eye, but for the senses.
In his hands, chocolate becomes architecture, theater, engineering, and emotion, all rolled into one delectable masterpiece.
