Candy Cakes & Treats – Finding balance in her sweet life

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“Make it look pretty! This is the direction that I received once when I made a cake, and I learned quickly that my idea of pretty, and another person’s idea of pretty can be two different things.”

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to sit down and speak with Candace Costley, the owner of Candy Cakes & Treats. This meeting was long overdue, and when you get a chance to check her out more on your own, you will see why.

Cake! The creative cornucopia of sugar, eggs, milk, butter and flavours. Can you think of any special occasion that does not have cake attached to it? The world of cakes, desserts, and sweets has evolved so much, that now; there are eggless cakes, and pure vegetarian cakes. That’s right. If you want something sweet, there is a baker out there that can make something that will satisfy your sweet tooth.

Cake baking actually dates back to Ancient Kemet (Egypt). The first cakes were different from what we eat today. The bread-like cake was sweetened with honey, and nuts and dried fruits were sometimes added. Food historians now claim that the ancient Egyptians were the first culture to show evidence of advanced baking skills.

(Food Time Line, http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodcakes.html)

Birthday’s, weddings, anniversaries; the one part of the night that draws everyone together is the cutting of the cake. Baking cakes with her mother and grandmother is how Candace first was introduced to the world of baking.

“I do have an artistic background. I had a creative eye as a child. My mom used to make rum cake, rock cake, and pudding. I was given butter and sugar to blend, and of course the job of licking the bowl. My grandmother, and dad are the more creative ones. My grandmother did a lot of baking for church. She is a dressmaker, and she made decorative cushions.  I remember her sewing with one of those old sewing machines that you rocked with your foot. Actually, it is my grandmother who gave me the name Candy. Her and I are very close, so it felt right naming the business Candy Cakes & Treats. She loves my cakes. She talks to her church friends about them and shows them all the pictures I send her.”

 Candace moved to Canada from Jamaica in 2008. Since then, she has done what she needed to do to adjust to living in a new country.

“I have tried a little bit of everything. At one point, I did an electrician course, and a construction course. I can wire outlets, put up pot lights. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you see things, that career path did not work out for me. No one was interested.”

“How did it shift to baking?” I queried?

“I went to a showcase; I think it was called Canada’s Baking Expo in 2015.  I saw how gorgeous they were. I decided I would give it a try. I started doing Christmas cakes in 2015 (rum cakes), and I got a lot of orders for that. The next thing I know is people started asking me to decorate them. I realized that I would have to take this baking thing a little more serious.

 In 2016, I went to George Brown, and did a course in cake decorating, and in the same year, I did a cupcake bouquet workshop. My first cake was a buttercream cake, with a cupcake outline on top. I couldn’t get the edges right. It was just for me to practice. I started decorating with cupcakes first. I was really good at butter cream flowers.

 I started creating for my family and friends. They were very supportive. They challenged me. They had a lot of faith in me, and pushed me, even when I did not have faith in myself.”

 Since then, word on Candy Cakes has gotten out, and now people all across Toronto can’t get enough of her artistic specialities. Exquisite piping and borders, blown sugar, beautifully delicate sugar art flowers, airbrushing, figures, logos, and even your favourite drinking spirit are all part of the creative elements that are put into every cake that Candace makes.

“Is this something that you do full-time Candace?” I asked.

“No! I work in the financial industry. Balancing work life, and personal life can be challenging. I am still getting the hang of it. I work full time and do this work part time. You have to have a passion. I will be up to all hours of the night, sometimes to daylight to make sure that my customers get their orders. My customers are celebrating a life event, so it’s not just a cake.  They are depending on me.

 Being an entrepreneur takes a lot of persistence and perseverance. You have to be very patient. You are going to be dealing with a lot of different people, and this is why clarity, and communication is important! It is tough when you spend time working on something, you drop it off, and their reaction is not what you want.”

The baking industry has evolved and is getting even more competitive. I asked Candace her thoughts on this evolution.

 “I have seen a lot of changes. Everyone is starting to get into cake decorating, and it is not for everyone. Custom artistic cakes are different then a Wal-Mart cake. I want to open a cake supply store, and possibly even start teaching baking and decorating. If you do this business right, it can be profitable. My cakes start at $70.00, and it goes up from there. The most expensive cake I sold was a wedding cake at $2,000.00.

Bring me your inspiration. It can be as specific as a cake photo you like. I know that I will put all my effort into giving you the cake of your dreams.”

The picture that is with this article is only a small sample of this young lady’s talents. You have to check her out on Instagram @candi.cakez and look out for her website coming soon.

Warning! Prepare your sensory glands for an out of this world experience.