Gourmet wedding cakes are A Piece O'Cake for Kelly Kobus who also offers gluten free cakes out of her East Lansing Michigan Bakery
I discovered Kelly's website recently and her gourmet wedding cakes caught my interest, and so did her story. Kelly's bakery "A Piece O' Cake" is a story about family. Her business is a family affair, and I thought my readers would find that very refreshing.I asked Kelly if she would like to do an interview with Wedding Cakes For You about her gourmet wedding cakes, her gluten free cakes and her family, she graciously accepted.
A Family Affair
Lorelie-Were you brought up working in the restaurant or has the family restaurant business influenced you in some way?
Kelly-My grandfather started the Colonial Bar & Grille in Lansing, Michigan in 1965. My father took over the business when I was little and I grew up spending a lot of time at the bar. During the summer months we ate lunch with my grandparents and parents every weekday. On busy days my siblings and I would help my grandma and dad was dishes. Owning your own business is the only life I know. I’ve seen the advantages of being your own boss and I always knew it was something that I wanted. Growing up, my father always took us to school, was home when we came home from school, and was always home at six o’clock for dinner. Not many families are as lucky as we were to have that flexibility.
Lorelie-Do you have a staff or is it the family who jumps in when needed?
Kelly-My mother works with me every day and my dad helps when he is needed. My dad and I deliver our wedding cakes, sometimes my mom is there to help, too. I have one other employee that works two or three days per week.
Gluten Free Cakes And Favorite Flavor
Lorelie-What made you decide to offer Gluten free desserts? Are they a big seller and do you get a lot of brides requesting these?
Kelly-We offer gluten-free cakes and cupcakes. We feel that it is important that gluten-free brides are able to enjoy their wedding cake and we are happy to be able to accommodate them.
Lorelie-What is your favorite cake flavor or combination of flavors?
Kelly-I love our Kahlua fudge chocolate cake with our chocolate ganache filling. It is decadent and when coupled with creamy buttercream frosting it is so delicious!
Wedding Cake Photos
Lorelie-Has your photography experience helped you in your cake decorating. Did you have other creative avenues, prior to this, or other similar interests?
Kelly-I’ve always had an interest in art, especially photographing food. My family loves to cook, so I have been cooking and baking for years. I did consider culinary school for quite awhile. This passion led me to A Piece O’ Cake. I was interested in the art of food styling, which is essentially what I do every day with my cakes and cupcakes! The photography background that I obtained at Albion College has helped tremendously; I am constantly snapping wedding cake photos.
Cupcakes And Grooms Cakes
Lorelie-Cupcakes seem to be very popular right now, do you get requests for cupcake wedding cakes? do you do a lot of Grooms cakes?
Kelly-Cupcake weddings are a growing trend, although I still prefer a wedding cake. You can have a cupcake any day. There is, hopefully, only one time in your life when you can have a beautiful wedding cake.
Groom’s cakes are growing in popularity. I think it’s a nice idea to serve the groom’s cake as dessert at the rehearsal dinner and surprise the groom with a cake that is designed with him in mind. Such as a tool box or his dog!
Advice To Bakers Decorators And Brides
Lorelie-What is your #1 piece of Advice for cake decorators considering opening a business?
Kelly-You must have the passion for cake decorating and a love of people. This is a demanding business. It is much more work than anyone can ever imagine. Fourteen-hour days are not uncommon. Having the passion for what you do makes it worth it and gets you through the really busy times. You also have to love people because cakes are very personal. Your client is asking you to create something special for someone that they care about. This is a huge honor and certainly a big responsibility. Each cake should be treated with equal attention.
Lorelie-Do you have any advice for a bride and groom searching for the perfect wedding cake of her dreams.
Kelly-Choose a designer that makes cakes that you love. If you do not love their work you probably won’t love your cake. Take your baker photos of your dress, flowers and color swatches. All of these details can be used in your cake to create something that is 100% unique to you. You want to walk into your reception, see your cake and know it was made just for the two of you. The cake is a huge centerpiece at the reception. You want a gourmet cake that is as delicious as it is beautiful.
Lorelie-Being in the business myself I know how stressful it can be. Do you have a relaxation technique or an exercise plan to stay in shape around all of the sugar and cream?
Kelly-Believe it or not I’ve lost weight since we started the business. Being on your feet all day and staying busy keeps you active and does not leave much time to eat! After a long week I make sure to get a lot of sleep on Sunday and take time to read or cook dinner, enjoy something that does not involve cakes!
Lorelie-Your gourmet wedding cakes look like award winning cakes to me. Have you competed in any cake competitions as of yet or do you have plans to in the near future?
Kelly-We have not competed in any competitions and currently do not have any plans for the future, although anything is possible! We did recently make a cake for the Style Network’s hit TV show “Whose Wedding is it Anyway?” which will be airing in September.
~Kelly~
Lorelie-Are there any bloopers or funny stories you would like to share with us involving your cakes?
Kelly-I had my first cake “accident” recently. I was driving to meet some photography friends and I was bringing them four cupcakes. I slammed on the brakes at a yellow light and everything in the car fell to the floor, including the cupcakes! They were absolutely destroyed. That was my lesson to never slam on the brakes when a cake is in the car! Fortunately they were not for a client! I’m glad after nearly three years the first disaster is out of the way!
Lorelie-How far will you travel to deliver one of your gourmet wedding cakes?
Kelly-The furthest we have delivered a cake out of state was Jacksonville, Florida in May 2010. The furthest we have delivered in the state of Michigan is Mackinac Island in July 2010.
Lorelie-Do you have a favorite or most memorable cake? and why?
Kelly-Every cake has a unique story. One cake that I loved was the barn cake. We made a cake just like a woman’s barn near Lake Michigan. Her best friend ordered the cake for her birthday. It was her friend’s dream to have a home on Lake Michigan. She spent her life as a single mother raising her son, making sure he was well taken care of, and often, as many parents do, going without so her child did not.
When she realized that her dream was not going to be a reality she bought a barn near the lake. This meant so much to her! She was surprised with this party and her son flew in be there with her! The lady who ordered it for her is a very sweet woman and a favorite client of ours, so I know her friend must be special, too. The barn was made identical to hers, even incorporating the hollyhocks around the barn, the water pump in the back, and her dog laying in the driveway.
Visit Kelly's Website Piece O' Cake
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