Blog

August 10 2020

Women Supporting Women?

Blog, Motivation Monday female empowerment, Strong women, women 0

Fix each other's crown — Photo credit: https://www.nyxiesnook.com/

Motivation Monday Edition

Women Supporting Women?

I have always been a strong advocate for women supporting women, especially when it comes to women in male-dominated industries. In broad terms, that might categorize me as a feminist However, if I am a feminist, then I am one with a twist. You see, I do not support many of these so-called female empowerment events. My observation is that many of the influencers hosting these events are Narcissists.

Narcissists and Feminism

Narcissists act confident and superior, but in reality, they are fragile and lack self-esteem. They have the ability to put out a false persona to get what they want, such as followers, attention, and gifts, but they truly do not care about you or your wellbeing. Overall, their goal is to be seen and take away as much focus from the women needing support so they can use that as a vehicle to further their careers. They pride themselves on finding business weaknesses and use it to garner opportunities for themselves, packaged as an aid for struggling female business owners.

My Firsthand Experience

I was assisting an influencer with her event not that long ago, but due to COVID-19, it was canceled. She pivoted her event, and it wasn’t until it was close to the date that I observed she started engaging on my social media accounts, most likely in an effort to re-enroll me into promoting her event. At this point, I made the conscious decision to engage in the necessary tasks to build my own business and did not help further her promotions. I’ve had my fair share of interactions with women who pretend that they care about the collective, but really just care about what they will wear for their next posting.

What Women Supporting Women Should Look Like

I am going to share with you what it looks like when women truly, sincerely, and authentically empower one another. During my tenure at a Residential Treatment Facility, I pitched the idea to my boss for us to host an event for the impressionable teenage girls on the campus. RTC was an educational facility for kids and teens in foster care needing a higher level of treatment in regards to mental health. Some were also referred by the PINS petition from Juvenile/Family Court, and others via CSE through the Department of Education.

I listened attentively as my colleagues shared their frustrations about the teenage girls’ sexual experiences, home life, and boredom on the weekends, which would result in criminal-like activities leading to a trip to downtown Brooklyn for central booking. For me, my role was to work with the campus male population. At the time, I was connected to an organization called the Teen Queen Experience (TQE), whose mission is to encourage and empower every young lady to live their very best life by providing the tools and foundation necessary for them to build a secure and positive future. We are committed to changing our community by working in the youth and expanding outward to parents, adults, and neighbors.

I reached out to my contact, shared my concerns, and the founder of TQE agreed to bring the event to the campus. I worked with the TQE for about four months, along with the solicited help of other staff. When the day arrived, staff found excuses not to be a part of the event, placing more strain on me. I informed TQE, and they told me that they recruited additional volunteers for the day.

On the day of the event, 6 students out of 24 registered students showed up. The leading cottage manager wasn’t allowing one of the cottages to attend unless they cleaned up the entire space. I walked into the cottage and assertively informed the cottage manager that they complained that there isn’t enough support for these kids on the weekend, and now that there is something, they are trying to keep the girls away. This is one of the reasons why the kids do not receive the services they need, staff limitations.

Eventually, the girls attended and experienced a wonderful day of engaging with female business owners, free giveaways, swag bags, and engaging in various topics. A few months later, I applied for an internal position in the same company and transferred from their Westchester county location to a Brooklyn site. Here I was able to, again, advocate for TQE to another cohort of girls, giving the organization access to a broader community. I had a connection to Hey There Beautiful Incorporated (HTB), a non-profit whose mission is to empower women and young girls to foster confidence and achieve success. Their vision is to provide support, connection, trust, inspiration, and cultivate leadership skills.

Though I am ardent in what I do, I was concerned about the youth we served in the summer, as this is the season when there is a spike in teens going AWOL. From running away, sex trafficking, rampant psychiatric hospitalizations, and criminal like activities, it feared me. I expressed my concern to the founder of HTB, who responded by offering to create a summer program for our youth. The following summer, HTB set up a summer camp program geared to kids ages 8-12, and a summer internship program for our teens. The program I worked in had a feature where foster parents could meet once a month for trainings and support over an agency-sponsored dinner that I organized.

After my tenure with that company, I was offered a Supervisor position for a well-known Domestic Violence program in New York City. During my time there, I was able to utilize my community resources and connect with Meredith Mallory of 500backpacks. Meredith Mallory donated 30 backpacks for the 2019 school year to kids in our shelter and a few other programs within the agency. In addition, an artist came to our Survivor Support Group and engaged our clients in beginners drawing as a means to a therapeutic end.

This is what women supporting women and their community looks like without looking for a kickback.

Final Thoughts

I am challenging each and every woman reading this to do something for another female business owner, someone you don’t know, and not look for anything in return. No damn social media shout outs and no “remember me” double-sided comments. Why am I asking this of you? Because “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” Proverbs 11:25.

Notice that I did not command or direct you to do something for someone else. I am challenging you, meaning you do not have to participate if you do not want to.

And, for God’s sake, if anyone is telling you that you must help certain people because you are blessed and should do so because you have a lot to offer, don’t be fooled. That is manipulation. When you listen to this and continue giving from an empty cup, you are going to burn yourself out. Helping others is great, but make sure your own cup is filled first. So, no, there are no obligations here. I am offering you to follow your heart to support someone that you are DRAWN to. Not because you have to.

Before you book a ticket to your next female empowerment event, look at the number of followers the host(s) have versus how many people they are following back. Look at their engagement too. Are they always dressed up in their posted photos? Are they publishing more selfies and content centered around them than the actual cause?

As a final note, seek authenticity, goal-driven, open-hearted influencers. Don’t be blinded by their perfect profile, smiles, and outfits. Dig deeper than that to see what their core values are, and if it is anything other than helping and supporting women like they proclaim, then leave them behind. You and women across the globe deserve much better than that.

You have to be the CHANGE you want to SEE!

Confectionately Yours,

Kayisha

July 2 2020

Cake Designer teaches Sugar Artistry to Harlem youth

Blog baking, Harlem 0

I am SUPER excited to share that I will be serving up a Sugar Artistry curriculum to a cohort of middle school youth in Harlem, NY. The students are in for a BIG sugary treat! They are getting a full cup of yours truly! And just like bubblegum buttercream, I’m colorful, fancy, and full of flavor. Pop! We are going to have a great time on our journey.The purpose of my curriculum is to offer economically disadvantaged youth the opportunity to grow, thrive, and learn at no cost to them. Every week I will be volunteering to teach 15 students different aspects of sugar artistry for a year.My Facebook fundraiser has earned $670.00 and are still seeking an additional $330.00 to reach our goal of $1000 to support and serve our youth. Will you help support our youth by making a donation?

DELORCAKERYKITCHEN. The donations will be used towards purchasing piping bags, fondant, notebooks, aprons, spatulas, cake boards, cake drums, gel paste, paint brushes, extracts, confectioners’ sugar, butter, handheld mixers, mixing bowls, molds, small wilt on rolling pins, large rolling pins, edible paint, boxes, swag bags, and more.You are supporting our mission of building a more connected and confident community by cultivating young minds in the field of sugar artistry. In addition, your donation will powerfully provide our youth a supportive and loving environment where they will be accepted and appreciated, learn to embrace who they are, and tap into their talents. Thank you to our many sponsors for the outpouring of love and support. I had no idea how many people were inspired by my dream of giving back to the community through my passion for Sugar Artistry. This is going to be an amazing school year!

Sweetly yours,

Kayisha Thompson

Cake Executive Officer

July 2 2020

Beyond Good Persian Caramel Brownie

Blog, FOOD BeyondGood, brownie, caramel, Caramel brownie 0

Persian Caramel Brownie..it’s Beyond Good!

A few months ago I assisted another chef with her sugar masterpiece for the Salon Du Chocolat Fashion Show at the New York City Jacob Javits Convention Center. It smelled so good walking into the convention hall. There were chocolate cookies, chocolates, bonbons, candy melts, hot cocoa, and more everywhere. My favorite vendors were Beyond Chocolate & Mozart Chocolate Liqueur. This was a chocoholics dream come true. I was so happy to see my new found friend Ashton Pina on-site showcasing chocolate for Madecasse aka Beyond Good Chocolate. Ashton connected with me offering an opportunity to infuse our brands. I was so excited about this collaboration.

I’ve been setting you all up for the win! You will need the Dark Chocolate Ganache Recipe and the Persian Caramel recipe to bring this entire recipe together. It’s the ultimate sweet payoff!

Iran is formerly known as Persia, and the major language is known as Farsi. “Persian poetry is some of the most beautiful poetry in the world and the Persians cultivated four unique types of poetry; the “epic”, the “ghasideh” a purpose poem, the “masnavi” a narrative poem, and the “ghazal” a lyrical poem”.

Persian Desserts. The first thing that comes to my mind is a myriad of bold & alluring colors, nuts, the aromatics of saffron and rose water, honey, and pistachios. I decided to release my favorite rich dark brownie recipe infusing it with the taste of Persia. It’s so rich and nutty that it’s Beyond Good! I hope you enjoy it.

Materials

Tabletop or handheld mixer
Spatula
Mixing bowls
Beyond Good Vanilla
Beyond Good Vanilla Bean

Dark Chocolate Brownie Ingredients

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 ½ cups Dark Cocoa Powder
6 eggs
1 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon Beyond Good Vanilla
1 Beyond Good Vanilla Bean Pod
2 cups Beyond Good Chocolate Melts
½ tablespoon salt

Directions:

In a mixing bowl or using a handheld mixer, combine salt, sugar, and eggs beat on high. You want to beat this mixture for 2-3 minutes until its light and fluffy with peaks. Add the vanilla. Using a knife cut open the vanilla bean pod and scrape with a teaspoon. You can save your pod to make your own vanilla later on.

Slowly combine the cocoa powder and all purpose flower.

Add the melted butter

Garnish (optional):

Dark Chocolate ganache drizzled with my Persian Caramel Sauce

Dark Chocolate Ganache

Persian Caramel Sauce

June 9 2020

Vegetarian Coconut Cake

Blog, FOOD Cocnut Cake, Coconut 0

Vegetarian Coconut cake

2 2/3 cups organic all-purpose flour
2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 sticks unsalted plant-based butter room temperature (not too soft)
2 cups organic granulated sugar
3 large vegetarian fed eggs brought to room temperature (Wilcox eggs)
3 large egg yolks brought to room temperature
¾ cup Thai coconut milk
1 ½ cup of sweetened shredded coconut
1 tablespoon coconut flavored vanilla

Materials:

3-9-inch cake pans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and position a rack in the center of the oven. I like to use Pam flour baking spray to coat my baking pans. Line each baking pan with round paper parchment to protect the bottom of your baked cake.

In a mixer, combine the butter, sugar and vanilla mixing on high slowly adding in each egg at a time and then all of the egg yolks. Mix on high until its light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, mix the baking powder, salt, and all-purpose flour to aerate evenly. This step will allow the baking powder to evenly distribute throughout your mixture which contributes to an evenly baked cake.

Gently add in the dry mixture to the wet ingredients mixing with a paddle attachment and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Slowly add in the coconut milk and scrap down the sides of the bowl. Also, bring the mixer to a halt and scrap the bottom of the bowl. If you have mixture at the bottom of the bowl that did not incorporate you need to adjust your mixer settings.

Gently fold the shredded coconut into your mixture using a spatula. Do not use the mixture attachment. If you over mix you don’t want all of your shredded coconut at the bottom of your cake. Pour your mixture evenly into the three pans and bake.

February 17 2020

Persian Caramel Sauce

Blog, FOOD Beyond Good, caramel, chocolate, Persian 0

Persian Caramel Sauce

I have an entire line of cookbooks and magazines. I’m a huge fan of Food & Wine. I thought to myself I bet a lot of people are seeking recipes not realizing that they have everything they need on their bookshelf and in their kitchen pantry to create tantalizing joy. If you don’t have an at-home library, that’s great this blog is your new library. Welcome!

I received the idea to explore Persian culture from a dream. I saw a beautiful floral rose background with my brownie on top with the perfect amount of caramel sauce, nuts, and dates. I have brand new Cardamon pods in my kitchen cabinet sitting there inquiring when am I going to use them. I decided that the day has to come to explore this spice.

Cardamon is a tricky spice. With the right infusion, it can be citrusy, minty, spicy, and/or highly fragrant. It pairs well with cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger. In terms of health, Cardamom is good for digestive challenges.

Persian desserts are often topped with delicious dates, nuts, dried fruit, etc. This recipe has all of the sweet Persia in it! Have fun and enjoy the videos!

This recipe has been adapted from The Best of Food & Wine Vol. 14 with a few modifications.

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon hibiscus rose tea
1 cardamom pod
¾ cup of granulated sugar
1/ cup light brown sugar
½ Beyond Good aka Madecasse vanilla bean pod split
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons honey
¼ rose water (health food store)

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over moderately guilty. Remove from heat and add the tea and cardamom. Let steep for 30 minutes. Strain the cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan. Keep warm over very low heat.

Wipe out the medium saucepan and add the sugar, corn syrup, the vanilla bean and seeds and 3 tablespoons of water. Insert a candy thermometer and simmer the mixture over moderately high heat until it reaches 292 degrees Fahrenheit, about 7 minutes. Reduce the heat and stir in the warm cream, the butter, and honey and cook over moderately low heat until the caramel reaches 220 degrees Fahrenheit, 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove the vanilla bean from the caramel and stir in the Rosewater. Transfer to a heat proof container and let cool slightly. I used a glass mason jar to cool and store the caramel sauce. Serve the caramel sauce over ice cream or a warm brownie.

February 12 2020

Keto Berry Muffin

FOOD, Uncategorized Keto Mixed Berry Muffin, keto muffins 0

Keto Mixed Berry Muffin

A few years ago I tried out the Keto lifestyle with delicious results. The problem is that’s all I had delicious results no seriously I didn’t lose a pound. As a matter of fact, I gained weight and couldn’t figure it out. See, Keto is not just about no carbs there is a thing called personal macro calculator which I completely overlooked. You’re probably wondering how such a smart woman didn’t know about Macros. If you are wondering such, that’s like expecting that people with degrees have the answer to everything in life and I am here to politely educate you that we do not. Now, back to my story. I was so excited about the results that I did not pay attention to the details of the journey. Got it? So, I ended up overdoing it on soft cheeses, not counting macros and calories. I had purchased a keto recipe book and went wild on the recipes with the high cheese and cream content. It was delicious though. Some Keto recipes will have you going over your personal macros in one meal. This is not beneficial to you. The cheese is very high in fat and contributes to high cholesterol challenges. So, let’s break down some aspects of this recipe that makes it Keto and why.

A word to the wise, you should always consult with your physician and/or a Nutritionist prior to starting any health loss regimen.

Almond flour

It is crushed almonds with the skin removed through a process known as blanching. For example, A serving (1/4 cup or 28 grams) of almond flour has around 160 calories, 6 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fiber. Making this (measurement) only 6 total carbs or 3 net carbs per serving.

Stevia

When you’re on Keto sweeteners with a low glycemic index is important to keep your blood sugar down. Stevia has a glycemic index of zero and will not interrupt ketosis.

Heavy Cream

Regular whole milk has 12 grams of carbs per cup whereas heavy cream has 4 grams of carbs per cup.

Eggs

6 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of carbs

Finally, here it is the delicious Keto Berry Muffin recipe.

Keto Berry Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour
¼ cup erythritol or stevia
¼ cup heavy cream
1 egg
1 teaspoon Beyond Good vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
¼ warm/hot water
¼ cup blueberries
¼ cup chopped strawberries (optional)

Materials

6 count muffin pan
Mixing bowls
Ice cream scoop (optional) or ¼ measuring cup
Hand-held or tabletop mixer

Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl combine heavy cream, egg and vanilla extract and whip on high. I used my handheld mixer to keep it simple.

2. Mix and stir in the almond flour, erythritol or stevia and baking powder with salt and instant coffee powder. I added ¼ cup of warm or hot water to activate the instant coffee versus biting into coffee minerals.

3. With the help of an ice cream scoop, scoop out from the batter and bake the muffins in a preheated oven at 350 F or 180 C degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

4. Serve and enjoy. I like my muffins hot out of the oven!

February 10 2020

Thai Villa Food Review

Blog, FOOD Thai, Thai Villa, Thaifood 0

Thank you to my good friend Yunmi for our friend’s date night out and thank you to your cool husband for recommending this beautiful restaurant. Thai Villa brings the culture of Thailand to you in an opulent style. When we walked into the dining area, for a moment I thought I was inside of a 24carat gold statement necklace. I love gold! Thai food is one of my favorite cuisines right next to Italian. I love it more when cultures infuse their dishes. The interior has this immensely large & beautiful gold ornament attached to the ceiling hanging above the wooden dining tables and chairs. Thai Villa creatively combined rustic and opulent, where I felt as if it wasn’t for our winter coats that I was in a restaurant dining in Thailand.

The staff is very professional, friendly, classy, and attentive. The servers were dressed in chut Thai which simply means Thai clothes. Chut Thai for women usually consists of a pha nung or a chong kraben, a blouse, and a sabai. Historically, both Thai males and females dressed in a loincloth wrap called chong kraben. Men wore their chong kraben to cover the waist to halfway down the thigh, whilst women wear their chong kraben down the waist to well below the knee.

The first dish brought out was a plate of steaming vegetable dumplings garnished with sesame seeds known as Pak Mor Puk. The dumplings were purple…fun! The aesthetics were very pleasing to my eyes and mind you I am blessed with 20/20 Vision. You want this review! Vegetable crepe dumplings. Chives, cabbage, jicama, black mushrooms, and bamboo shoots and served with roasted bell pepper-peanut vinaigrette dipping sauce.

Inside beautiful Thai Villa

Our entrees were eggplant basil with chicken and beef noodles with chopped asparagus referenced to as Pad See-Ew served with fragrant Jasmine rice. Jasmine rice is one of my favorite rice flavors. As a matter of fact, it’s the only type of rice that I buy. The Eggplant Basil is Thai chili, eggplant, onion, bell pepper, and basil leaves. This dish is very spicy. The Pad Se-Ew is broad noodles, Chinese broccoli, and egg with thick soy sauce and beef.

Overall, we had a wonderful experience at Thai Villa. Thai Villa is an underrated gem in the heart of E19 street in New York City.

Until next time, napkin off and forks down!

February 6 2020

Staypineapple was sweet!

Blog, FOOD boston, cake, food review 2

Where has the Cake Executive Officer been? I acknowledge that I have not been consistent for the past two months. My goal is to improve the experiences of my readers as I want you to be able to see a recipe, be inspired, and jump in. Also, I want to see photos of any recipes that you have attempted so I can share it. You might just inspire someone else to jump in and try to experience cooking or baking in the kitchen possibly for the first time. I know people who are afraid of decorating cakes. They are open to baking cakes but fear holds them back from attempting to work with fondant. If you have used play-doh or made dumplings your already in the game.

What you can expect from me in 2020 are more restaurant and kitchen utensil reviews as well as healthy dessert recipe options. I want my blog to be transparent where bakers who are vegan, vegetarian, diabetic, or maybe just exploring healthier options can be inspired by what I am offering.

I’ve been up to a few great things one of those being visiting another state. Our visit to Boston started with the Staypineapple Hotel. A good friend and I decided to visit Boston, MA for the first weekend in 2020. Our intention was to start the new year off by traveling to let the universe know that we intend on traveling more throughout 2020. I’ve been to Salem, MA for a day but never got to travel throughout Massachusettes. Staypineapple Hotel made it very easy to fall in love with Boston. On Friday night we arrived at the hotel to meet a very friendly, courteous, and professional staff. They offered us pineapple sugar cookies and water infused with sliced pineapples. We went up to our room and upon entry, everything was yellow and white just like their website. Staypineapple has branding down to a science. I love it and appreciate it even more as a fellow entrepreneur. The room is equipped with a Keurig coffee pot, a large screen television mounted on the wall, fresh clean robes, and bathroom tissue shaped like a pineapple. Our room even smelled like fresh pineapples.

Staypineapple Hotel Boston, MA

On Saturday morning, we went down to the main area to venture out for the day and it was raining. The front desk staff heard us and gave us each a very large Staypineapple Hotel. Marketing Geniuses! The staff told us in the summertime they give you Staypineapple bikes to ride around in the city during your stay. We were on our way to The Friendly Toast however the lines were super duper long. We decided to have breakfast at Flour Bakery. We both tried the French Toast. So, if you don’t have a hearty appetite I offer that you share the French Toast. The French Toast is sold as one toast which is really a very large slice of bread sliced into two. We realized that we could’ve shared.

We went into the hub of Boston to catch the train to visit Witching Heights in Salem, Massachusetts. The train station was bubbling with excitement as a game was about to begin in less than two hours. Boston knows how to represent their teams! We arrived in Salem where we spent the day visiting shops and museums and mini-malls.

When we arrived back at the hotel we decided to have dinner in the hotel’s restaurant, The Trophy Room. By that time, I was grumpy I needed nourishment. I ordered a bunless burger with fries and blue cheese dipping sauce on the side. God Bless Bleu Cheese! Joy was a crispy plate of fries and that sauce. I completely ignored the delicious burger, until two hours later. My friend had the fish and chips. In terms of the taste, let’s just say we’re from Brooklyn, NY and we season differently in New York. However, the fish had the perfect amount of crispy batter over it.

On Sunday morning, we sadly checked out… not before my friend ushered right back over to Flour Bakery to nab some desserts to go.

January 20 2020

The Original Flavored Cone

Blog, FOOD boston, ice cream, Massachusette 0

Chocolate Dipped Everything!

My friend and I decided to gift ourselves a weekend getaway. We officially rang in the New Year in Boston, Massachusettes. We explored the city, indulged, and then traveled to Salem, MA to get new broomsticks. This is a child’s dream come true! I have seen ice cream sugar cones, but not like these. It’s truly adorable cones dipped in an array of flavored rice Krispy treats. Grab a cone before the next Red Sox Game! This shop is located in Bay Back Train Station.

October 5 2019

I am known for my Wicked Dark Chocolate Cupcakes and Oreo Cakepops

Blog, FOOD, Uncategorized chocolate cake 0

Recently, Eventplanner interviewed me about my entrepreneurial journey. It’s really important that people in this industry and for any industry in that manner are aware of the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur. Of course, I’ve had successful opportunities but I’ve also experienced hardships and challenges behind what appears to be a successful opportunity. I work very hard and sometimes a little too hard and that’s because I know of the positive outcomes that I am capable of achieving.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve ever faced while planning for an event and how did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge I had to overcome was having a planned event on February 16, 2019, after having surgery on January 31, 2019. My surgery date came as a surprise as I had expected it to be earlier in January however a call from the physician office changed that. I was hosting my first Valentine’s Day Sip & Decorate. This was a couples-only cake decorating workshop. Couples were invited to participate in learning the art of cake decorating while sipping on Champagne and enjoy chocolate-dipped strawberries. The attendees learned how to stack and decorate a Unicorn theme Valentine’s Day Cake. I did not want to cancel this event which would then disappoint my attendees. Additionally, I did not want this to affect my brand. I reached out to another baker and expressed to her that I wanted to collaborate with her. I offered that she can retain the profit of the tickets sold however she would just have to purchase supplies and prep her space for me. I would completely instruct the class. She agreed and the class was a success. I received support from her, her daughters, and a friend with re-organizing her space after the class.

What are 2 trends in the catering industry that you’re excited about?

I’ve always focused on using premium ingredients when it comes to my products and I am happy to learn that more consumers are willing to pay more if they can understand and see the quality in baked goods. I am also attempting to personally transition to a plant-based lifestyle. Recently, I revamped some of my recipes to include plant-based ingredients. I tried Country Crocks’ plant-based butter in my buttercream recipe and the response rate was very high. I feel that the growing awareness of food justice is going to lead us as a community into a more sustainable environment.

What is a go-to meal for a tight budget, that also leaves the attendees feeling like they’ve just eaten a gourmet meal?

This past summer, I had a bride reach out to me in need of a cake for her wedding in less than 30 days. When it comes to a wedding cake or large-scale events you want to book in a timely fashion. She was on a tight budget. I offered her a three-tier cake and three sheet cakes to serve her guests. I shared with her that she would have her beautiful cake on display to cut with her groom and that the hall can cut up the sheet cakes in the back kitchen. Her three-tier cake consisted of pineapple coconut rum and her sheet cakes were wicked Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Caramel. Tiered cakes are labor-intensive and require more stacking, more supporting, baking, and decorating which increases costs substantially.

If you had unlimited resources, what would your dream client and event look like?

I would love to host a Sweet Saturday Fundraising Gala to fund and support De L’or Cakery Kitchen. This program is a subsidiary apprenticeship program of De L’or Cakery supporting teenage youth in foster care and from under-resourced communities to learn Sugar Artistry.

The goal is to influence youth interested in the Food Industry to seek out post-secondary education. There is over 25,000 youth in the New York City foster care system:

• 6% will earn a 2- or 4-year degree by the age of 24

• 59% of kids enter due to neglect
• 22% of kids will age out of foster care ages 12 and older
• 15% of aged out youth become homeless with little to no educational pursuits

The participants of the apprenticeship program would study under me at no cost to them. The goal is to partner with foster care programs and under-resourced schools to refer youth to our program. I envision a host of Food Network, Cooking Channel, and PBS cooking beneficiaries and attendees enjoying my desserts and supporting this fundraiser. My dream clients Melissa Viviane Jefferson and Kim Zolciak would definitely be in the house co-hosting with me.

How important are your relationships with vendors and what are some ways that you successfully cultivate and ensure good rapport?

I treat my vendors as a member of my team. In essence, we are connected and we need each other. They know my work acumen and what I stand for. Recently, one of my vendors whom I’ve supported donated products to my apprenticeship program. I’ve known the owner for over five years and I consider her a friend. I have a vendor whom I utilize for custom cake toppers. We know each other for years and took advanced cake courses together. When we are collaborating, we make sure to share as much information as possible down to every detail and maintain communication so the end results are a very happy client.

How do you handle the diverse dietary needs and requests of your clients and what is one of the most challenging requests you’ve been presented with?

Last year, I had a client reach out to me wanting a custom diabetic cake for her mother. So, I shared with my client that I’ve never done it before but that I can execute it. So, I used a whole foods diabetic cake box mix for my foundation. I used a sugar-free cool whip as a filling and vegan buttercream to hold the filling. I placed the cake in the freezer for 20 minutes and then covered the cake in fondant. The client was aware that the cake would be covered in fondant as she requested but that fondant is not sugar-free. She understood that her mother should skip eating the exterior of the cake. It was beautifully decorated and she phoned and texted me at how happy her mother was. She ordered again for mothers’ day with matching cupcakes.

What’s the most exciting thing on the horizon for you personally or professionally?

One of the most exciting things on the horizon for me is starting next week, Monday, I will be instructing my pilot apprenticeship program at Citizens School in Harlem, New York. I kickstarted a Facebook fundraiser where I was able to raise $1,000.00 to offset tools. The support was overwhelmingly positive. For a year, I will be offering this program to school for free.

On Sunday, October 27, 2019, I am hosting a New York City Sugar Artistry Meetup. This is a networking event for Cake Designers, Bakers, Sugar Artists, and food entrepreneurs to meet up, connect, eat, drink, mix, and mingle. The goal is to build connections, have fun, catch up, and learn/share techniques. I’m very excited about the two very talented Sugar Artists offering demos.

What inspired you to launch your own company in catering? How long did it take from initially having the idea of setting up and starting to attract a client base?

I started baking at the age of 10. It was in 2008/2009 I walked into a local Joann’s and saw that they were offering cake decorating classes. I said what the heck I know how to bake let’s learn how to decorate. I took all of their courses and excelled. My instructor offered me a role in teaching cake decorating for their kids’ cohorts and I agreed. It didn’t pay a lot but I loved doing it. The discounts were fabulous and I received new Wilton products for free to demo. I started posting on Facebook and an entrepreneur reached out to me and said let me show you how to make money. She put me in touch with a graphic designer and here I am after a few rebranding processes. I consider my early experiences as my learning stage. My rebranding phase has resulted in my professional era.

What’s the first event you can remember catering and how did it go?

My first fondant order was for a local elementary school in Atlanta, GA. It was another baker that reached out to me sharing that she was ill and she inquired if I could execute the order. I agreed to take the order and she said to me it does not have to be perfect it’s for kids. I recall being so nervous. I made a yellow cake with vanilla buttercream in between each layer. I covered the cake in black fondant with a red tassel hanging out of the side of the cake. I hand made the name of the school lettering incorporating the words “5th-grade class” along with a handmade apple and a pencil out of fondant. When the parent coordinators arrived at my home to pick up the cake, they looked at each other and were speechless. My initial thought was that they did not like the cake until she responded, “oh my God this is way better than I had expected. Honey, you have talent!”. Her positive response allowed me to tap into my internal power and I started testing out new recipes after that.

What are some things you wished you knew before starting your business?

Some of the things I wish I knew about was PayPal’s electronic services to invoice clients and receive payment prior to picking up. I’ve experienced hardships where clients would pay me with a personal check and have no available funds. This was lost time, labor, and materials. Recently, I decided to utilize HelloSign services to upload my contracts where clients can electronically sign for the delivery of their goods as well as pay upfront. The contracts were provided by a law firm that details what the clients are responsible for and how to go about arbitration in the event of a disagreement.

What is the most unique location that you’ve had to plan around?

In the summer of 2014, I recall catering to a client’s baby shower in Queens, NY. It was 99 degrees outside and the event was in the client’s beautiful backyard. I strongly urged the client to keep the cake inside the home until they are ready to cut it. The client and her family insisted that the cake is on display under the tent.

What sets you apart from other caterers?

My family is from Jamaica West Indies and Cuba which is reflective in my cooking and baking. I specialize in exotic flavored cupcakes such as my White Chocolate Strawberry Hibiscus cupcakes and Sea Salt Caramel Bourbon cake pops.

What kind of food are you known for and what is your favorite food?

I am known for my Wicked Dark Chocolate Cupcakes, Wicked Dark Oreo Cake Pops, and Sea Salt Bourbon Caramel Cupcakes. These are my high selling products. I love chocolate. I am a verified and diagnosed chocoholic. In terms of savory dishes, I am known for my five-cheese macaroni and cheese. I did not realize how good my recipe was until family, friends, and church patrons would often request this dish along with my caramel cheesecake. I’ve been told that my caramel cheesecake tastes like ice cream.

What types of events do you service?

De L’or Cakery services weddings, birthdays, baby showers, galas, corporate gatherings, and times where you just want to shower yourself with exotic desserts pampering your palette.

Anything else you’d like to comment on while we, have you?

For those of you that desire to become a professional Sugar Artist, you have to invest in yourself. This means investing in designers that will teach you what they know as well as taking marketing and/or business courses. Make sure that when you decide to venture in this or any other field that you do so because you love it not because of what you could possibly earn. Lastly, know your worth and work on your numbers.