The Sweet Spot(light) on Bay Area Bakers
germel boado
Wedding cakes have been a staple for many, many, many years. However, the tides have been shifting and alternative routes are taken to serve sweet treats in a new way.
We had the pleasure of interviewing two independently owned and operated bakers in the Bay Area. In this post they shared their delight for bridging both the artisan aspect and the palate appeal in the world of baked goods.
Read below and feel free to contact them with further inquiries! And please share and/or comment on this post!
What sparked your interest to get into baking as a business?
My sister Shirley and I wanted to make cute desserts for Shirley's daughter's 1st birthday. We got so many compliments on how cute our cake pops turned out. So, we decided to turn baking into a hobby.
How long have you been in the baking industry?
We have been baking for friends and family for about 4 years.
What are some of your favorite wedding desserts to create?
So far, we have made only cake pops for a few of our friends on their special day. So, I'd have to go with cake pops!
What is the current wedding dessert trend?
A lot of the trends that we see are candy or dessert tables filled with all sorts of sweets like cake pops, cupcakes, cookies, and macarons. I have been to some weddings where the couple chooses to replace the traditional wedding cake with a tier full of cake pops or cupcakes. Some couples still want the traditional wedding cake as their main centerpiece while adding a variety of other desserts. No matter the type of desserts, you'll see that they play a big part in the theme and decor of the wedding.
What makes your product or service different from others?
We strive to achieve two things: cute designs and tasty treats. Not only do we want our treats to look amazing, we want them to taste great too. We work closely with our friends to get the design they want. We're always looking to improve. So, we're always listening and learning to continuously expand our designs and provide the best flavors in our sweet treats.
Do you provide catering services or a display set up for your creations?
We provide a display setup for a weddings. We do not provide catering services.
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What sparked your interest to get into baking as a business?
Honestly at first, I didn't even think of making my craft my business. I've always been into baking and cooking even when I was younger, it was just something that I enjoyed doing. So initially, my intention wasn't always to make it a business. At first, I'd make my bake goods and treats as gifts for friends for different occasions and from there I'd get referred to someone and they wanted me to make something for their events and from then on, I thought to myself this would be a great business to get into since I love to create things for people to enjoy.
How long have you been in the baking industry?
I've only been baking for 4 - 5 years. I haven't been in the baking Industry for that long, since I am a self taught baker. I never went through culinary school or held a position in that profession.
What are some of your favorite wedding desserts to create?
Some of my favorite wedding desserts would be cake pops and French Macarons. Cake pops because they are the easiest to make and the detail and time that goes into decorating and customizing them to fit themes for customers challenges you and at the same time, you learn different techniques and how to improve on your skill. French Macarons are in my opinion one of the hardest desserts to make. Everything is a factor on how well these cookies come out. I've gone through so much trial and error to try to get them to come out the way that I like them to and they didn't always come out the way that I've wanted them to. There are days that I just want to give up on making them but after A LOT of egg whites and almond flour, I can say that I've pretty much mastered it. With the French Macarons, I have also been able to experiment with different flavors and textures. Baking has allowed me to go beyond my comfort zone in creating new and wonderful things to eat! :) who doesn't benefit from that?
What is the current wedding dessert trend?
Currently, I'd have to say dessert tables and candy bars are the what's in right now. I don't think I've ever been to a wedding that didn't have that set up. As far as desserts go, There are a whole multitude of desserts that are customized to fit the theme of the event and all of these types of desserts are so detailed that you almost don't want to eat them. Desserts range from cookies, cake pops, cupcakes, pretzel rods, tarts with an assortment of different candy to fill up the candy/dessert bar. Nowadays, buying an entire cake is not nearly as popular as having mini cupcakes or cake pops to hand out to your guests at your wedding.
What makes your product or service different from others?
I try to incorporate my whole craft into my product as well as my service. I make baked goods for all events as well as customize them to fit my customer's vision. My customers have the option of having my baked goods into something memorable for their guests. I turn all my baked goods into favors complete with customized tags, ribbon, and packaging. This is has been the most popular item so far and mainly used with Macarons. As far as my baked goods, I try to create something out of the ordinary, flavor wise. I wanted to make something different and step out of my box. I specialize in island-inspired flavors such as Haupia (coconut pudding) Li-Hing Mui Mango, Lilikoi (Passion Fruit) Guava, Kona Coffee Crunch to name a few.
Do you provide catering services or a display set up for your creations?
Yes, I do depending on availability. I usually have a customer consultation beforehand to see exactly what my customer has envisioned for their event and how they wanted to execute it.
Connect with Sweet Liko Tings : Email @ sweetlikotings@yahoo.com || Facebook
The post was done in collaboration with Rosey Gonzales
