At the beginning of this year I started a new day job which is the main reason why I have not resumed taking custom cake orders as I had originally anticipated I would. I wanted to give myself the time and energy to give 100% focus on my day job. While you wouldn’t think that making cakes would take a lot of time, it isn’t just the cakes that does, it is running the business. Answering SMS’s and calls, replying to Facebook messages and emails, providing quotes and customer service. I find myself getting home from work of a Friday afternoon and I am done. I use the weekend to recharge now, rather than staying up until at least midnight every night, trying to get business tasks done after my son goes to bed.
During this down time, it’s given me an opportunity to reflect on my business – where it started, and where it is going. I thought while I am not completely flat out, it might be fun to blog about my Sweet Journey thus far. Possibly it will only be me that reads back on these posts in the future, reminiscing of this wonderful time of my life where I was blessed enough to offer such Sweet Creations to the people of Canberra. While I am not currently selling custom cakes, I still see new followers and likers to my Facebook page – it is such a humbling and flattering feeling knowing there are people out there, even other baking businesses, that think my work and page is worthy enough to follow!
I thought I would share a few of my inspirations – particularly those that sparked my interest to explore more into cake making!
My Cupcake Addiction
I cashed in on an Aldi sale where they were selling piping kits for $12.99. I had no clue what I was doing with these tips, nor even knew a suitable recipe for buttercream, but I was willing to give it a go. I headed to YouTube and searched for a buttercream recipe and landed on Elise Strachan’s My Cupcake Addiction.
And it was from here that I started exploring her other videos and fell in love with the idea of cupcake and cake making – her work is so creative and she makes it achievable for everyone to follow with her step-by-step instructions.
How To Cake It
It didn’t take long before I wanted to pursue something a little more complicated – so I thought I would attempt to make a 3D BB8 cake for my son’s 3rd birthday. Off to Google I went to find a suitable tutorial, and stumbled across Yolanda Gampp’s How To Cake It.
Again, I continued to explore her other videos and woooow, she is so talented! And I really love her style in presenting the instructional videos – she has a wicked sense of humour and keeps it real.
Texas Cake House
I love love love watching cooking shows (SBS Food Network is one of my go-to’s), and on one occasion they had a theme month of cakes and bakes. Lo and behold, I was introduced to Texas Cake House. Oh. My. Lord. Natalie Sideserf of Sideserf Cakes is quite simply put – my cake idol.
It was actually through watching her make these stunning creations that I learned how to construct some of the cake structures that I’ve needed for some of my more elaborate 3D structured cakes. She is definitely in the category of cake artist, and a true inspiration that always leaves my jaw dropped with her cake creations.