Exquisite Gum Paste Flowers And Wedding Cakes by Sweet Grace Cake DesignsGum paste flowers-An interview with Sweet Grace Cake Designs about her amazingly true to life gum paste flowers.
Lisa- At Sweet Grace, Cake Designs, I stay on top of the latest trends and work with the clients to create an artistic cake for their special occasions. I guide my clients to create a cake they will love! I value responsiveness and personal interactions. It’s wonderful to be a little part of a slice of the client’s life.
Lorelie-The popularity of cake designing has grown so much since The Food Network Cake Challenge and other cooking shows. Do you ever plan on doing a TV challenge?
Lisa-Of course, I’d welcome a chance to be on a “challenge.” After all my years on Wall Street, I’m super competitive. Lorelie-While browsing your website I noticed that you have a sister who also makes exquisite wedding cakes. When growing up was there any indication that you would both be in the business of baking and decorating? Lisa-Renee and I both had our creative outlets growing up. We both also loved the culinary arts.
Lorelie -Did your sister's success have an influence on your decision?
Lisa-My sister Renee’s success was a huge influence in my decision to launch Sweet Grace, Cake Designs. Renee's website Bellamanse. She has been an amazing mentor to me and we talk daily to share advice and give encouragement. If we lived closer, we would join forces as our skill sets compliment each other.
Lisa-Fashion design and cake design are amazingly similar. I earned a degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology and designed many of my own clothes – including designing and sewing my own wedding dress. Cake design takes inspiration from many art forms such as fashion, fabrics, works of art, wedding décor, etc. Cake design, like fashion, also pushes trends. A top cake designer must stay on top of these trends and introduce new trends to the marketplace.
Lorelie -How do you go from Wall Street to cake designing? At what point did you decide that Wall Street wasn't for you?
Lisa-After college graduation, I was at a crossroad – a career in fashion or finance – since I earned degrees in both. I chose finance then, but now I choose fashion, albeit in a different medium – sugar instead of fabric. Wall Street was my passion after college and I pursued my MBA and CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst). I loved the years I spent as an equity research analyst and learned so much about working hard and professionalism, but I also have a creative side that was not flourishing. I wanted to be more in control of my schedule (since Wall Street is a 24/7 type of career) so I decided to launch Sweet Grace, Cake Designs. To my surprise, I’m still working 24/7, but for my own business which makes the world of difference.
Lorelie -Your gum paste flowers are impeccable. I noticed that right away, because frankly speaking mine are not. I envy people with that much patience to make the flowers look completely real. Do you make your own and if not what brand do you like the best?
Lorelie I noticed you have an Etsy store where people can buy your handmade gum paste flowers. Do you have a staff of gum paste flower makers?
Lisa-At this point, I’m a one-woman show, but plan to hire staff in the near future as I’m having trouble keeping up with all the orders. The gum paste flowers are definitely a labor of love, since I don’t get compensated sufficiently for all the work involved. But I think they are a key skill to have to make high-end cakes for my clients.
Lorelie I LOVE your Winter Wonderland Cake. The candle at the top with the drippings is very clever and the embroidered snowflakes are very beautiful. You mentioned in your blog post that you were entering the winter wedding cake in New York City Wedding Cake Competition . How did you do? Do you get a lot of orders for winter weddings?
Lorelie -Do you have a favorite cake that you made for someone and why was it special?
Lisa-All my cakes feel special since I’m helping my clients celebrate a special event in their lives. Seeing the looks on their faces as their cake design comes to life is a pleasure. But my favorite cakes are those I make for my children. They make increasingly elaborate requests for their birthday cakes.
Lorelie -Any cake blooper stories that you would like to reveal here?
Lisa-I’m a real planner so any bloopers I make, I have time to fix. I insist that my clients only get the cake of their dreams so have been known to stay up for two nights consecutively (with maybe an hour nap) to ensure their cakes are perfect. I constantly push the bounds of my abilities to grow and stay current of trends, so trial and error ensues. Doing the same thing week after week is easy, but I want more for my clients and for my business.
Lorelie -What was the most challenging cake you ever made and why?
Lisa-Every cake comes with its own challenges. Something may seem simple at first but then difficulties arise. I welcome challenges and expect to have them week-after-week as I never come up with the “easy” design based on my client’s specifications. I always “reach for the stars.”
Lorelie -How early does a bride need to place an order to get a cake from you? How do you preserve the gum paste flowers for keepsakes or is that a trade secret?
Lisa-Brides typically book their cake out three to six months and sometimes longer. I can squeeze in a smaller wedding cake occasionally, but to ensure a date a six month lead-time is preferable.
Lorelie -Do you plan on having gum paste flower making workshops any time in the future?
Lisa-I have always loved teaching and have a knack for explaining things in a simplified, understandable way. I expect to begin offering classes in the coming year. I’m working on my own techniques for making each flower based on my experience. Maybe publishing a book on gum paste flower instructions is the way to share my techniques.
Lorelie -Is there a piece of advice that you can give to aspiring cake decorators and or bakers before launching into a business similar to yours? I get a lot of people asking for advice on this topic. If you could let my readers in on any kind of tip that would be great!
Lisa-Starting a business in cake design require artistic skill as well as financial acumen. One without the other will result in a lackluster business. Most aspirants have the artistic ability but lack the business savvy. I suggest reading books on being an entrepreneur and speak to other successful vendors. Marketing is vital to have a successful business and many of the Internet marketing techniques are not intuitive. Even with my degrees and many years in the financial industry, I’ve taken classes in Internet marketing and read everything I can get my hands on.
For updates on all Lisa’s new cakes and sugar flowers, subscribe to the Sweet Grace, Cake Designs Blog.
From Gum Paste Flowers To Wedding Cakes For You Home
|
