Popular Birmingham pastry chef presents R&B singer with eye-catching graffiti-style cake before sold-out show

R&B singer Chris Brown received a four-layer graffiti-style cake from a Birmingham pastry chef outside his dressing room at the BJCC before he took the stage on Thursday night.

Kristal Bryant, head pastry chef and owner of K&J’s Elegant Pastries, created the cake especially for the controversial singer.

“I did a lot of research into what he might like in cakes. He likes to draw and paint, so my first thought was to print out some of his artwork and make edible pictures out of it,” Bryant explained.

“I also put in the tour logo and the galaxy theme. And then I read online that he likes strawberry cheesecake, so the bottom layer is a vanilla cake with strawberry filling and cheesecake pieces, the middle layer is Oreo’s cookie and cream, and the top layer is just vanilla. Then I was able to get the topper made with glittery lights. I work with a lady, Andrea Smith, who makes toppers for my cakes, and she made the ‘Breezy in Bham’ sign with lights on it. I freaked out because I really wanted some kind of joke to make the cake special.”

Bryant partners with Sodexo, the BJCC’s catering company, as the preferred dessert supplier.

However, this is the first artist for whom the chef has created a cake at the concert venue.

However, Bryant says she plans to deliver cakes to Nicki Minaj and Sexxy Red when they stop here as part of their fall tour.

Thursday night’s show was Brown’s first in Birmingham since 2014.

According to Sam South, BJCC communications director, the show at Legacy Arena was sold out with more than 10,000 attendees when tickets went on sale in March.

The R&B singer’s “11:11 Tour” is named after his latest release, a 2023 double album that includes the track “Summer Too Hot,” which was nominated for a Grammy this year in the Best R&B Performance category.

Brown has received 22 Grammy nominations throughout his career and won a trophy for Best R&B Album for “FAME” in 2012.

The tour began in Detroit in June and, according to his current schedule, ends on August 6 in Los Angeles at the Crypto.com Arena.