Viki Kane is the owner of SugarKane Cakes & Confections in Encinitas, CA. Since opening in 2012, she has proven herself to be not only a talented baker, but a skilled decorator as well. Along with running her business, Viki has appeared in numerous wedding blogs and cake publications, as well as television appearances on several Food Network shows. She was the first 2x Cake Wars winner and most recently, winner of Wedding Cake Championship. She has also been featured on the series, Ridiculous Cakes.
Television craziness aside, Viki enjoys sharing her talents through teaching and involvement in community programs like Icing Smiles and Depressed Cake Shop. Inspiring others to embrace their own creativity and try something new is something she finds immensely gratifying.
Today Viki is going to talk to us about the giving nature of bakers and the importance of good planning in executing the magic of a perfect cake.
As a baker and decorator, it’s always nice to be able to give in such a unique way to family and friends on special occasions. It’s a lovely reminder as to why I do what I do and always brings me back to why I originally began baking so many years ago. Bakers are, by nature, givers and nothing makes us happier than seeing the joy in the faces of the recipients of our creations.
When Michael and Paul asked me to be a part of their 4th of July wedding celebration, there wasn’t much deciding to do. The wedding would be held on Camano Island, about an hour north of Seattle, and is absolutely gorgeous during the summer. I’ll be at the wedding anyway- of course I’ll make the cake! Oh, and while I’m at it, why not make some custom shortbread cookies for all the guests too! Oh Lord….what have I gotten myself into!?!
Since I live in southern California, I had to figure out the logistics of how to make all of this happen. Baking away from the comfort of your own kitchen always presents challenges, often ones you don’t realize until you are in the middle of it all. Proper planning is crucial, especially when working in unfamiliar territory. You need to make sure you have all the proper tools, ingredients, baking equipment, adequate work space, adequate storage space, and know how to transport the finished product safely and effectively.
Fortunately, we bakers are a close-knit community and always willing to help each other out when duty calls. A good friend of mine who lives in Seattle was planning to be out of town the same week we were planning to visit. How’s that for luck? She, of course, kindly offered up her home, kitchen, and any tools and supplies I may need to complete my cake. I knew she would have all the same quality supplies I’m used to in my own kitchen, so that meant less I had to pack. Woohooo!
I arrived 3 days early to allow plenty of time to shop for ingredients, bake all the cakes, make the fillings and buttercream, decorate, and allow for any hiccups along the way. Baking day had arrived, and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. I opened up the windows, turned on some tunes, and set to work. In between bakes, I had time to check out the stunning view from the back deck. Not a bad day in the kitchen, not bad at all.
Cakes baked, buttercream made, lemon curd set…..time to start assembling! Having an Innovative Sugarworks Artists' Turntable handy was such a huge help. I absolutely love mine at home, but wasn’t looking forward to traveling with it. Even though it’s pretty lightweight, the less I had to bring, the better. This thing is a workhorse! It’s sturdy, level, has a non-slip base, and has a clever locking mechanism on the side for those times when you just need your cake to stay put.
It’s the morning of the wedding; the cake is all put together, perfectly chilled, and ready for transport! I was thrilled to have access to yet another handy Innovative Sugarworks product, the Cake Porter! My cake fit perfectly inside the medium sized model. All I needed was a little non-slip mat on the bottom, just for extra assurance, and we were good to go. And with the clever insulated cover, the cake stayed nice and cool during the long ride to the wedding. The cake and cookies all arrived safe and sound!
I just needed to place a few fresh flowers on the cake and wait for show time. To make things a little easier on myself, I baked, decorated, and packaged the cookies ahead of time and brought them onto the flight as carry on….one less thing to worry about.
The ceremony was incredibly lovely and touching, with absolutely gorgeous weather and scenery to top it off. Can’t think of anything that could have made it better….oh wait! A surprise polka band coming through the forest to get the dancing started! And if that wasn’t perfect enough, the beautiful firework display over the water after the sun set was stunning. What an incredible day and night! Congratulations to a truly amazing couple that I am so proud to call friends…..may you have many love and laughter filled years together!
We hope you've enjoyed this uplifting journey along with Viki as she used her incredible talents to give her friends a breathtaking cake for their special day! Truly a memorable piece for their memorable day!
If you want to keep up with Viki, follow Sugar Kane Cakes and Confections on social media:
Facebook: Sugar Kane Cake and Confections
Instagram: @sugar_kane