From Dreams to Desserts: the Baking Magic Behind Cakes by Mandy - A Brooks Wedding Vendor Feature
As a wedding photographer, I get the awesome opportunity to work with some incredible vendors. Which means, I also have a gold mine of info about them to share with you, to make your wedding vendor search as stress-free as possible!!
I’m working on compiling a Vendor Recommendation list, and what better way to do that, then to feature my fave creatives on my blog and website?
This post is a Brooks Wedding Vendor Feature, about Cakes by Mandy, a super talented cake artist from Brooks, Alberta with her own home bakery, and the most delicious baked creations!!
Not only do Mandy’s array of sweets taste AMAZING, but this cake artist takes so much care in ensuring they meet all the food safe requirements. She keeps her sweet cat and pupper out of the bakery space so as to eliminate any chance of pet dander or fur from entering your desserts, and the bakery itself is used solely for baking your goodies.
Take a scroll through some questions I asked her about her business and what she does!! I promise you’ll be drooling over the images of her baked goods by the end of it 🤤
And also just dreaming about those lovely pressed flowers by Ah Bloom Fresh Cut Flowers!!
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I have always loved anything artsy. Painting, crafting, drawing, was always something I did in my free time. One day I came across a recipe for American Buttercream and that was the start of my love for cake decorating. At first, I was only baking and decorating for my family and close friends, but as time went on, they kept encouraging me to put myself out there and take on some clients. In 2020 I decided to give it a go and started Cakes by Mandy and it just took off.
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I am based in Brooks, AB. Most of my clientele is from Brooks and surrounding area and I have yet to travel outside of the city.
I am willing to travel up to 2 hours for wedding deliveries.
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have been baking for about 20 years. Professionally, 3.5 years. I have always had a love for baking, creating, and trying new recipes.
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Absolutely! Cake tastings are always offered when booking with me for a wedding order. Cake tastings come as sample boxes. These include five pieces of cake with up to five assorted flavors with filling & icing. Cake tasting boxes are always complimentary when booking with me for a wedding.
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Inspiration images are always welcomed. While I would never do an exact copy of another cake artist work, they are great at giving me a better picture of what the clients style is and helps aid me in the designing process.
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The process starts by either a phone, message, or meet in person. This is when I gather all the information from the client such as: date of the wedding, colors, venue, delivery or pick up, colors, wants and wishes, cake size, flavors, filling, and if there are any dietary restrictions to be aware of.
After I collect all that info, I start brainstorming ideas that I will then turn into sketches to run by the client. They are welcome to tweak these as they see fit. Once the final design and flavors have been chosen, I send of a quote to be okayed before I go any further.
After I get the go ahead for the order, I add the date into my planner and I reach out to the client 2 months before the date to go over all the information. At this point I will begin shopping and ordering any necessary items I need for this order. The actually baking and decorating starts 3 days before the cake needs to go out.
Once the cake has been decorated, I send off final pictures to the client for approval, once approved I collect payment in full and schedule either a delivery or pick up time.
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Creating wedding cakes is always done in steps. One day to bake and rest the cake so it has time to firm up and be easier to work with. Day 2 is assembling (filling, crumb coating, and if it is a tiered cake… stacking. This then goes back into the fridge to set up overnight. Day 3 is when all the finishing touches go onto the cake before getting boxed up and ready to go out.
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I try to accommodate any requests. If a cake stand, knife, or server is need then I will include these at the time of pickup/delivery.
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I always sent out mockups to my client to approve before starting on the order. This is a crucial step in the planning process. I want to be sure we are both on the same page when it comes to the client’s vision.
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If dietary needs need to be met, then I absolutely do my best to accommodate those.
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I love working with florists when it comes to real flowers being added to the cake. I appreciate their knowledge of what is cake safe, nontoxic, and will hold up the best for longer periods of time.
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It is up to the couple if they want their cake to be entirely edible for cutting and serving purposes. If the client chooses to have this cake for cutting & pictures only then I can offer to make the top tier edible and the remaining tiers dummy cakes. This allows the couple to have a cake to cut while reducing some of the waste. Not to mention it helps make the cake less expensive!
When cutting an entirely edible cake, the top tier is always the best tier to start with. Cutting into the middle or bottom tiers first would make the cake a lot less structurally sound and can end in a mess.
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With being a custom baker, the flavor choices are endless. I do provide a list of flavors, however, if there is something you want and don’t see on that list please ask and I can do my best to make it happen.
I definitely have a love for anything fruity. Strawberry cake is my all-time favorite, with coconut and classic vanilla a close second.
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If the client would like to have a mini cake for their first anniversary, I would be willing to add that in.
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Honestly. I prefer the classic cakes to trendier cakes. I love clean white cakes with real flowers.
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I have been truly fortunate to be highly in demand currently. With that, I suggest booking with me at least 8 months to 1 year in advance. The sooner the better when it comes to booking with me
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Shop around! Read reviews, look at their previous work, chat with the artist, and make sure to sample some of the goodies. Never hesitate to ask any and all the questions. You will know you found the perfect artist for you when you can feel comfortable when working with them.
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As of right now I can be found on Facebook @ Cakes By Mandy
As well as, Instagram @cakes_by_mandyd
A website will be coming in the near future.
I had such a blast hanging out with Mandy, and I promise that you’ll enjoy your time with this cake artist, too!! She’s fun and sweet, and just overall a great human being (and a Mom of two kiddos, plus two furbabies).
Not to mention, my daughter absolutely LOVED her cupcakes, which is a big deal because Lila usually only likes cupcakes without anything on them (and box baked 🤣).
