Vendor Feature Q&A: Sara Victoria Cakes
Sara Victoria Cake Design was born from a genuine love of baking and art; stemming from childhood. After graduating from the Institute of Culinary Education, Sara has worked with both classically trained artists and some of the best sugar artists in the industry which has helped build her signature style. Sara’s work isn't just a cake but a piece of edible art, elegant and unexpected. No two cakes are ever the same, each client receives something that is unique to them.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR COMPANY!
“My company is Sara Victoria Cake Design, and I specialize in custom and elaborate cakes for every occasion under the sun! I use edible mediums to create works of art, I also do custom dessert bars, cupcakes, cookies and anything sweet!”
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THIS BUSINESS?
“I was always baking as a kid, making desserts for family parties, whatever I could. I ended up working at a bakery that made mostly grab and go items breads, muffins, cookies, cupcakes etc… I learned so much working there, they let me make a few custom cakes there and it made me realize that the cakes were what I really wanted to do so I decided to go to the institute of culinary education, which in my mind is the start of my professional career.”
WHAT DIFFERENTIATES YOU FROM OTHER DESSERT BUSINESSES?
“I think what sets me apart is my desire to make a piece of art that happens to be edible. I work hard to make everything on each piece edible as well. I take a lot of time to watch trends, not in desserts but in colors of the year, florals, I watch the runway shows, fashion is such a great indicator of the times. I think that keeps me fresh and modern. I also never remake a cake, I want to sit with each client and design something thats unique to them and fits their event perfectly. I also love to be creative with my flavors, I love to come up with something that is out of the box but tastes amazing, adding a little hibiscus, a hint of spice, i’m constantly playing with recipes and coming up with new things. Sky is the limit with flavor in my opinion!”
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT WORKING WITH WEDDINGS?
“Working with people on the biggest day of their lives is exciting, they want everything to be perfect and have a dream of what the day will be. Coming up with designs for each wedding is like solving a puzzle, fitting all the colors, flowers and venue in mind, what can I make thats going to blow them away, not just in look but in flavor. You’re making someones special day even more special, the look on the couples faces when they see it for the first time is such a rush.”
WHAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT WEDDING SITUATION YOU HAVE FACED WITH A WEDDING CLIENT AND HOW DID YOU RESOLVE IT?
“I’ve been pretty lucky client wise, I think because I always want to design something to fit them and their event there isn’t a lot of issue there. But theres always logistical issues if you have to move a 4ft cake that weighs 200 pounds. I arrived at one wedding with that exact situation, it was so big that it had to be assembled on site, there was no planner and they were running behind and no one knew where I was supposed to set up the dessert table. In that instance I just kind of did it myself, found the table, set it up, did the linens and did my set up. Not finishing isn’t really an option, in those situations you just get stuff done!”
FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT IS THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU CAN OFFER ENGAGED COUPLES?
“Hire a wedding planner! It’ll make your life so much easier, even if its just for a day. On delivery day you don’t want me bothering you asking where to set up, it should be time spent with friends and family. Leave those details to the experts and enjoy your day!”
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION AND/OR MOTIVATION?
“I’m the most inspired by art and runway fashion, rarely other cakes or desserts. Ive been so lucky in my career that I’ve been surrounded by amazing artists, they have pushed me to look beyond what you think is possible. I also find nature so inspiring, I love that it’s naturally imperfect.”
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WEDDING CAKE/DESSERT TREND AT THE MOMENT?
“Texture! Theres so many great ways to play with texture and so many edible mediums to work from, texture really has no ceiling so creatively its a lot of fun to find new ways to add it. Another great one is shapes, stepping away from the typical round tiered cake and doing something unexpected. Im loving clean lines and straight edges at the moment, especially mixed with some unexpected florals or pattern.”
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO WHEN YOU’RE AWAY FROM WORK?
“I have a few hobbies, I’ve been riding and showing reining horses for the last ten years. I also starting doing aerial silks (and a little Lyra) and yoga. I keep building on those circus things, it’s a lot of fun!”
WHAT WOULD WE BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU?
“This one is tough! Maybe that I’ve never taken an art class? I wish I had but in high school I never really saw it as something I could go far in. In hindsight I wish I had and followed up with some fine arts classes in college. I’ve learned a lot but the background in arts is so helpful!”
