Call him the celebrity bride whisperer.
Ron Ben-Israel, host of Food Network’s “Sweet Genius,” has made cakes for A-listers from Britney Spears to Uma Thurman — and he’s discovered the key to dealing with bridezillas.
“I actually touch, I hold the bride’s hands, or the mother of the bride, and I say, ‘Dear so-and-so, you’re being a little difficult’ — and they like it,” Ben-Israel told The Post. “You can say anything with a smile, with honey.”
Ben-Israel — who grew up in Israel, served as a soldier in the Israeli army and has had a career in modern dance — is now famous for the elaborate, ornate cakes he makes in his Soho bakery. He was discovered by Martha Stewart, who saw one of his cakes in a New York shop window.
Now, on “Sweet Genius,” he acts as host and judge on the “Chopped”-style, whimsical baking competition show. Season 3 begins Thursday.
Ben-Israel says that working in New York, celebrities just come with the territory.
“They ask us to be discreet,” Ben-Israel says. “Some of those people are performing artists or entertainers, but a lot of them are in finance. Everybody in New York is a celebrity!”
But he dished with us about some of his big-name clients.
“Some celebrities that I’ve met were actually the parents of the bride,” he says. “I got to meet Mayor Bloomberg a few times. We did his eldest daughter’s [Emma’s] wedding. I met him in the wedding and afterwards in public events, and I see him sometimes on the subway, and he always acknowledges me.”
So, did Bloomberg go all “Father of the Bride” for his first-born?
“He wasn’t that involved. I think he just sent us his blessing and sent us a check,” Ben-Israel says with a laugh. “It’s nice to get a check from the mayor!”
His five-tiered, rose-themed cake for Knicks star Carmelo Anthony and Lala Vasquez took more than a week to make and landed in the pages of magazines after their 2010 wedding.
“For Lala Vasquez, they had two cakes inside,” he says. “One was dark chocolate but they also had a bright red velvet cake . . . it was very dramatic.”
Although his creations look extraordinary, Ben-Israel says that classic flavors are popular with his clients.
“I found out that a lot of the celebrities want comfort cake. For instance, for Robert Downey Jr.’s wedding, his then- fiance [Susan] asked for a marble cake, just like the way her mother used to make it.”