Did someone say cake? There are so many things we look forward to when shooting wedding days...one of them happens to be wedding CAKE! A little while back, Steve and I hit the sweet streets to taste the best cake on the island & and find out a little more about the master bakers behind Coastal Cake Company! Somebody had to do it, after all, how would you know where to find the tastiest treats if we didn't take a hit for the team?
If you're planning your wedding, or big event, or even just want to gorge on delicious cupcakes & other treats, then we've got someone fabulous to meet!
May we introduce Marieke (pronounced "Mah-Ree-Kah") & her fantastic fiancé/business partner Adam! These two own and operate "Coastal Cake Company", if you haven't had the chance to stop in there for a moist, tasty cupcake and latte...you'd best hit the road now! We stopped by to chat with these two and find out a little more about their delicious cakes & confections...and there were no alterior cupcake motives what so ever!
We asked Marieke & Adam all about what drives their passion for cakes, weddings & what advice they'd give to brides looking to have a most delicious cake to WOW their guests with! Here's what they had to say:
Q: "When did you first know you had a LOVE for baking sweet confections?"
Marieke: "When I was little I knew I loved it! I was baking all the time! We had a "Good Housekeeping" cookbook with a lot of photos...when I would look through I though: "I want to bake that one...and that one....and that one!!". In university, I started out in computer science....I switched to geography after the first class and finished my degree. Immediately after that I went to Pasty school. University made me realized that pastry was my passion!"
Q: Who are your Cake-spirations?
Marieke: Peggy Porschen, Ron Ben-Israel & Sylvia Wienstock.
Q: We love meeting other husband and wife teams but not everyone can work with their other half How is it working as a team?
Adam "Any success we have is because we are equal partners in our business. Where one of of has a weakness, the other has a strength and we both have an equal passion for beautiful things as well as a pursuit of perfection. I have worked with a lot of people before, being with Marieke is the first time I have truly felt like I was on a team. If you can call this a job...it is the best one I have ever had."
Q: "Why did you choose to specialize in Wedding Cakes?
Marieke: "Wedding cakes were the last section in trade school. Up until then I though my future was bread, then I realized that baking can be beautiful, modern, and spectacular all at the same time. It wasn't until I met Adam and we started this adventure on the Island that I truly specialized in Cakes & Wedding Cakes. I love the colours, the textures, the flowers, and not to mention the taste and experience of consuming something so beautiful - its a rare privilege."
Q: What happens from the time a couple comes in looking for the perfect cake?
Marieke: I ask them all kinds of questions! What their colours are, where is the venue, the size of the room - if its really big, its important to get a cake that reflects the size of the room! Is the wedding outside or inside, if they like buttercream or fondant...and then they get to taste CAKE! I think its important to go see your florist or decorator before us as well, a lot of the time flowers and decor go together with cake.
Q: Buttercream vs. Fondant...what to choose?
Adam: "We don't see them as being independent of each other. Fondant is usually to give you a certain style or a look or a colour, if you go with colours in buttercream it can leave your guests with a [colourful grin]...you just don't get the same finish with buttercream that you do with fondant. [At the end of the day] its all up to our brides and what they'd like, and what their vision is for their wedding.
Marieke: "I like both...if a bride shows me lots of inspiration photos with all fondant finishes, but [would like] buttercream, I have to let them know that buttercream won't have the same look as fondant, and maybe lead them more towards fondant finish, and sometimes its the other way around.
Q: Congrats on being engaged !!!! The burning question on everyones mind...What will yours and Adam's cake look like?
Marieke: 3 crates, 9 tiers all together, sugar flowers...CHOCOLATE and raspberry, chocolate ganash! Its my favourite. Chocolate. Chocolate. Chocolate. {side note: this is a woman after my own heart!!} Fondant finish for sure. Highly decorated, super labor intensive...I'll probably plan it almost a year in advance!
Q: What else should we know about Coastal Cake Company?
Marieke: "The cake table is something that shouldn't be forgotten. Even adding a vase of flowers to the table is really nice, or a table cloth. Cake stands add extra height to the cake! Bring in colour swatches, even from Home Depot helps to get the perfect colour! We also do wedding favours, cookies, macaroons etc.!
Adam: "We are excited to bring a lot of new and novel areas to our business in the near future, including new ways for our clients, customers and fans to interact with us! This fall we also want to explore the cake and paper craft in our store with classes and new products!".
If you're ready to bake your wedding cake...click this link and it will take you right to the cake inquiry page!