My standards are very high when it comes to what I do, which I learned in part from my grandmother, who got me started in cake decorating when I was younger. She made numerous wedding cakes in her lifetime, most of which were gifts to the bride and groom, all at great personal cost to her. In her memory, a few pictures of the cakes she has made can be seen throughout this website.
I didn't actually take any interest in cake decorating until I was 10 years old and watched her make my cousin’s cake [see Cake #05R01]. To make something from scratch, from mixing and baking the batter to putting the last leaf on the finished product is an amazing art. Patience, a steady hand, as well as an eye for color and texture are what turn a cake into a masterpiece.
My first true experience with wedding cakes came after some friends eloped to Vermont. For their six-month wedding anniversary, I made them the wedding cake they never had. Unfortunately, there are no photos of it..
A few years passed before I seriously took up the notion of cake decorating. After an impromptu move to Iowa, I started working as a cake decorator at the Wal-Mart Bakery. The following month, I was asked to decorate a display wedding cake, for everyone to see. It was a huge undertaking and took four hours to complete.
I averaged about two wedding cakes per month during my 18-month employment with Wal-Mart, but have since left and am doing wedding cakes “freelance”, as it were.
My grandmother passed away several years ago, and it saddens me that she never saw me get married or create my own wedding cake [see Cake #11C01], but her legacy will continue on through me, because I enjoy doing so. It is in my blood, after all.
Thank you for visiting my website, and I look forward to creating the perfect cake with you.