Meet Yorkshire wedding cake designer Katrina's Bespoke Cakes

Credit: Charlotte Elizabeth Photography

How did you start your business? 
I started Katrina's Bespoke Cakes around five years ago as a hobby. After making a few wedding cakes for family and friends, I decided that cake designing, and specifically wedding cake designing, was definitely something that I wanted to pursue as a career.  Fast-forward to 2019 and I'm in a job I'm really not happy in and I decide it's time to make a change. So, I hand in my notice and set about registering my company and making cakes full time. 

Cake making is definitely something that I have always loved but never something I thought I would be making in to a career. I trained as forensic scientist at university and then worked in a food testing lab, testing for allergens and DNA testing. So, cake was completely different!

Tell us about your style and your favourite cake designs...
At Katrina's Bespoke Cakes, I create simple, elegant and tall modern cakes. Focusing mainly on fondant cakes with lots of sugar flowers, though over lockdown I have found a new love for buttercream cakes too. All my cakes are tall with sharp edges, something that has taken me a while to perfect but a style that now defines my designs. I absolutely love drawing, so a big part of the cake design process for me is drawing the couple's dream cake so they can see exactly what their cake will look like on the day. 

It's really hard for me to pick one type of cake design that I love the most, but I'm definitely more drawn to tall, white or pale-coloured cakes with pops of colour incorporated in sugar flower work. At the moment I am absolutely loving dried flowers! They are so versatile and look amazing with any colour scheme and wedding type, from elegant to rustic. However, I think that edible flowers are going to explode over the next few wedding seasons. 

What question do couples ask you the most?
The main question I get asked by couples is "What if I don't have any design ideas?". Don't worry! As a cake designer, it is my job to work with the couple to find aspects of the wedding and the couple themselves to incorporate in to the cake. For example, the colour scheme, details of the invitation, patterns on the dress, the bouquet, style of the venue.

I usually ask the couple to send me around 10 to 20 pictures of those details and any aspects of other cakes they have seen that they like. At that point, we can sit together and bring all of the parts together to make a cake that perfectly represents the couple and will be an amazing addition to their special day. Most importantly, a cake that is unique to them.

What's your top tip for wedding couples looking for their cake designer?
My top tip for couples booking a cake designer is to make sure that the designer is the right fit for you and the cake you want. By that I mean if you want a cake that is elegant and simple, then work with a cake designer that specialises in that style of cake. If you want a novelty wedding cake, work with a cake designer that specialises in novelty cakes. In the end, the final cake will better and the process will be so much simpler. 

Katrina | Katrina's Bespoke Cakes 
https://www.katrinasbespokecakes.com 
@katrinasbespokecakes