Since I was young, I can remember helping my mother bake cakes, cookies and pies in our kitchen. I never thought in a million years that I would be using the skills that I have learned to start a home-based-business. It started about 11 years ago, when my oldest daughter was turning 8 years old. I wanted to give her a cake that was all for her and about her. She had become a big sister for the first time, and she needed to know that she was still mommy’s sweetheart. I decided to make her a barbie themed cake. I have to admit, I didn’t know the first thing about fondant, or how to make frosting from scratch. I knew nothing of the types of things you see today in my cakes but I did my best. As long as my baby loved her cake, I was satisfied. Needless to say, she loved it.
With each cake I make, I try something new. I started working with fondant but at first had no idea what I was doing. The first cake I made proved unsuccessful, though it looked very pretty. I noticed that people were peeling the fondant off before eating the cake (the fondant really didn’t taste good at all). I then searched far and wide (internet) for a remedy to this problem until I came across a recipe for Marshmallow fondant. I started to work with this new fondant and the peeling stopped and it was definitely tastier. I decided that from now on, that would be the medium I would use.
Having an art background, I felt that designing and sculpting cakes were not a difficult task at all. I made anything from bears to hats, a bus, pumpkins, and other artistic things that come to mind. What really pushed me into a career of making theme cakes was the father’s day cake I made for my husband. I wanted to make him a cake that put him in his element. Him being a Pisces who loves taking bubble baths, I made a jacuzzi cake with him in it, of course. He loved his cake so much that he showed everyone he met. From that cake, I gained new clients and I began taking classes at the local Michael’s store not only to brush up but to learn new cake decorating skills to please my clients and challenge myself. I have also considered taking culinary courses in the future, so that I can be certified in the pastry arts. Working with fondant is now one of the most popular mediums I have worked with, but now I work with chocolate as well. I have made so many interesting cakes but, to this day my husband thinks the pizza cake I made for a friend at Comedy Central is the best.
July 3rd is my grandmother’s 83rd birthday, and my Aunt has asked me to make her something fabulous and that defines her life experience. Since she was born in Harlem in the 1920′s, a Harlem Renaissance themed cake was the theme we came up with. Being a person who is very interested in Harlem in that era in history,I was so thrilled to create a cake in honor of this positive time in black history. I have been drawing and researching images so that she can have the perfect cake for her party. Out of all of my cakes, this is my most anticipated because I am anxious to witness it’s outcome.
I am in the process of making a website where my cakes can be seen. I also have a blog dedicated to my cake making adventures. cakeshemakes.blogspot.com/
