Happy Monday to everyone. We are meeting Danielle Emeny from Sweet Cheeks Cookies and Cakes today. So much gorgeous food to look at and the way she describes her favourite flavours is making me hungry!
How long ago did you find your passion for creating beautiful cakes?
Well, I’m actually a third generation cake decorator – my Mum and my Grandmother both were cake decorators and Mum actually learnt from and worked with the amazing late Bunny Vercoe (a goddess in the cake decorating world). I’ve been baking cakes since I was in Primary school, and then later on – have always been known to friends as “The Dessert Queen”, but it wasn’t until 2008, that I decided to try my hand at decorating cakes with fondant. I’d used butter-cream when I was a kid to (help Mum) create cakes from the Women’s Weekly Birthday Cakes book, but fondant was very new to me. Starting out, I just found it very natural, and wanted to do more, and more, and realised, I’d discovered a hidden talent, and passion.
How long have you had your business?
Sweetcheeks Cookies and Cakes started on March 5th 2009 when I registered the business name, which was the first step, ( in a lot of steps! ) to creating a successful custom cake decorating business which continues to grow year after year. I feel so incredibly lucky – although the business of cakes and cookies isn’t all ‘playing with sugar’ – it’s an incredible amount of work, but at the end of each project when I’m photographing it – it’s a truly fabulous feeling.
What is the most popular flavour cake from your customers?
There are actually a few that people all comment are ‘to die for’ my Choc Hazelnut Mud cake, my Vanilla cake, and the top one – that people have had absolute mouth orgasms over (am I allowed say that?!) is my White Choc Raspberry mud cake. All my cakes are made from scratch with real, and fresh ingredients – that’s also something I’m really passionate about, and that’s why I get the reaction I do and the repeat customers. In the beginning people were amazed by the look of the cake, but surprised by how fresh, moist and flavoursome the cake actually tasted – well they’re not surprised anymore! My customers have come to expect it, and new customers come to me now after hearing from their friends and family. When you’ve got a quality product – people tell others about it!
