Dorri Partain
Managing Editor

A scale model on display at the Museum of Kansas City smells good enough to eat. From  stately columns to “stained glass” windows, baker Michelle Tobiason has recreated Corinthian Hall entirely from edible components —- flour, eggs and sugar.

This home-based baker founded Michelle Leigh’s Baked Goods two years ago, specializing in decorated sugar cookies and cakes. Tobiason said her gingerbread house creations reflect her lifelong love of baking and cooking.

“This is my fourth large gingerbread house of a Kansas City building, but it’s the first year one  has been on public display,” said Tobiason. “It’s been so exciting to finally share this work with the public and see people’s reactions. I made a promise to myself last year that I would make a goal going forward to try and have these on display so everyone can enjoy them as I put a lot of work into them. When fall came around I reached out to the Museum to ask if they wanted a Gingerbread house, they said yes and I started baking! They have been wonderful and I couldn’t have started at a better place than the beautiful Corinthian Hall.”

Tobiason began baking in November, working on it a few hours a day.

“The process starts with choosing the building, gathering as many reference photos as possible, scaling measurements from those photos, and creating templates on poster board,” she said. 

“From there, I spent the month baking, icing, and assembling. Because the house is fairly large, every piece has to be baked and iced individually. Everything is held together with royal icing, so drying time is a big part of the process and really what takes so long.”

Tobiason said she compiles as many reference photos as she can, studying every aspect of the structure, taking note of smaller details that may not be obvious at first glance.

“I try to capture as many details as possible because it’s the small elements that really add up and make the final piece feel realistic, which is always my main goal,” Tobiason said. “I find it rewarding to step back and see what looks like a miniature, dollhouse-style version of the real building, completely made from gingerbread and icing.”

Except for the cardboard base and two cardboard tubes inside that support the roof, all the elements of the house are edible. Measuring four feet wide and 2.5 feet tall, the completed mansion weighs 70 pounds.

This Beaux Arts-style home at 3218 Gladstone Boulevard was completed in 1910 and was built as the home for lumber baron Robert A. Long and his family. Long’s daughters deeded the home to the City in 1939 to be used as a public museum.

While Tobiason has no background with building anything, her love of baking led her to try creating gingerbread replicas of Kansas City landmarks. In past years, she’s recreated Union Station, the iconic Western Auto building and the historic Truman home. These creations usually last about three months, then start to fall apart on their own, she stated.

“Unfortunately, I don’t eat them,“ she said. “By that point they’re very stale, and after spending so much time on them, that’s the last thing I’d want to do anyway. Once it reaches the point where it’s no longer stable, I take a hammer to it and destroy it and then start dreaming about what next year’s gingerbread house will be.”

“It’s an art form I find both challenging and fun, and it’s something I plan to continue doing for many years,” Tobiason said.

Tobiason’s gingerbread Corinthian Hall is on display in the Museum’s Breakfast Room through Sunday, December 28, during regular operating hours. Museum admission is free. Visit www.museumofkansascity.org for a complete list of hours and upcoming programs..