VENDOR SHOWCASE: Ellie Bakes Cakes
[8 minute read]
I am so excited to be chatting with the lovely Ellie this week! It seemed like once I ran into Ellie once, I was seeing her almost every weekend. She is one of the loveliest people you could hope to meet and has so much talent and creativity!
Tell us a little about yourself...
Hi! My name is Eliana- but most people call me Ellie! I'm a busy mom of 2 (5&6), one dog (Peach), one cat (Radish) and 4 laying hens (Dusty, Mrs. Treehouse, Beehive & Fluffy the Fluffiest- what happens when you let your kids name the chickens). I grew up in Bolivia, South America and have lived in PEI for the last 10 years. Why PEI? How did I end up in Canada? Why is my English so good? The answers are actually quite simple! My dad is Bolivian and my mom is Canadian (she's from NB). I've been speaking both English and Spanish as long as I can remember (though technically, Spanish is my first language) and moving to Canada for university after high school was always sort of the plan. I'll answer the 'Why PEI" a bit later on...
What inspired you to begin baking?
Baking at a very high altitude, in a different country, with different ingredients than the country where your recipes were written is a challenge. Growing up, I watched my mom as she tried different baking temperatures, ingredients, leavening agents and moisture ratios to try and replicate that "taste of home" that she was looking for when she baked. The substitution of ingredients and that magic chemistry of things combining to make something else always fascinated me. Though, I wouldn't have known how to express that as a kid- I just wanted to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie. When I figured it out, I baked cookies and sold little baggies of cookies to my friends' moms and my mom's co-workers. Ironically, I had to figure it out all over again when I moved to Canada, and it took years of research and adjustments to find my perfect recipe again.
Like most people starting out at university, I wasn't 100% sure what I wanted to do with my life. I made life-long friends and met my husband there, but ultimately what I was studying was not what I was meant to do. I didn't realize it myself until one of my profs pulled me into her office after class one day and said to me: "You're doing fine in this class but I can tell that you aren't passionate about this and that you're doing all your work 10 minutes before class starts." (HOW do they ALWAYS know?!?) And then she asked me a question that changed the course of my life: "What do you ACTUALLY want to be doing?" I stared at her blankly for a bit and then blurted out: "I want to go to Culinary School!" It was the first time I had actually voiced this desire to anyone. My prof said: "So, what are you doing here?" I dropped out of university that week and worked the next few years towards that goal. When my husband was offered a teaching job on the Island, we jumped at the opportunity. I was finally able to attend the CIC (Culinary Institute of Canada), where I graduated from the Pastry Arts program.
Do you run your business full-time?
This is a tricky question, because I bake and I'm also a mother! My pastry kitchen is attached to the back of my house, so it is it's own space entirely, but under the same roof as my home. As much as I love baking, my family and the quality time I spend with my kids is extremely important to me. It's a delicate balance. I am thankful that when my kids were younger I was able to spend more time with them during the day at home and I did most of my baking at night. Now that they have started school though- it's a whole new world! I can actually bake during daylight hours, I'm not as exhausted and I am able to accommodate more orders!
What is your favourite part of a wedding?
As a baker? I get to be in the venue after it is all gorgeously decked out, sparkling and full of flowers and anticipation. Usually it's just me with a few other people or if I'm extremely lucky, just me. I honestly don't know how to explain the feeling in the air of an empty venue just before a wedding. There is just energy, beauty and joy vibrating in the air. It's a feeling like no other. To get to be a part of that is definitely super special.
As a guest? That moment when the bride is about to walk in, when everyone holds their breath waiting for her to appear and the gasp and quiet murmuring when she does. I like to steal a glance at the groom in this moment too. Usually everyone is so focused on the bride but seeing the groom's reaction to his bride is also such a precious moment!
What is the next step in your career?
I would like to renovate/build a new pastry kitchen. While my pastry kitchen now is super functional and works, it is a tiny, compact little space. I would like a larger space so I can accommodate maybe another oven and another mixer or two as well as more work surfaces so that I can bake more efficiently and just bake more! In my dream world, this new pastry kitchen also has an industrial dishwasher, because right now I wash all of my baking dishes by hand!
How large of events are you able to accommodate?
I have done weddings and events for 200+ people, or a couple of weddings in one day. I could probably do a bit larger events, but I am restricted somewhat by how small my pastry kitchen is and the fact that Ellie Bakes Cakes is just me, there is no one else. I do all the things, from baking to decorating to delivering and cleaning up. I am always happy to accept the jobs that I can or to recommend someone else if I am already too booked up. There are several talented bakers on the Island!
How can we order from you? How far in advance do you recommend we reach out to you?
You can order from me by messaging me through my facebook page: @elliebakescakes.pei or through email (elliebakescakes.pei@gmail.com). I also have an Instagram account (elliebakescakes.pei), but don't take orders through Instagram. I am hoping to have a website up in the next year so that will be an option eventually as well!
I am usually booked up a month or so in advance November- May. June & October usually book up a year to 6 months in advance. July, August & September are the first to book up and usually get booked a year to a year and a half in advance. I am sometimes able to take on last minute orders though, so it never hurts to ask!
What is your favourite part of living in PEI?
The ocean. I love the ocean. Bolivia is a landlocked country and the city I grew up in is a valley in the Andes mountains. And while I miss the mountains terribly, growing up- the idea of living within walking distance of the ocean was just a dream. Whenever we walk to the beach I always tell my kids how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful place, to take deep breaths and to enjoy the beauty around us. I hope that they never take how beautiful this Island is for granted.
What is the most challenging request you've faced from a client?
I don't recall a specific challenging request, but for me the most challenging aspect of doing wedding cakes is definitely delivery. Driving 2-3-4 tier cakes across the Island is pretty scary sometimes! I bought my vehicle with cake deliveries specifically in mind and I usually crank the AC and transport my cakes super cold so they are more stable. I got stuck in the round-about construction in Summerside last year for a very long time and it was such a hot, hot day that my AC could barely keep up! I was so thankful when I finally arrived at the venue and set that cake on the cake stand. Also, if you ever see a little white Kia Soul taking turns ridiculously slow, it's probably me!
What is one thing you wish your couples knew about when planning their weddings?
It's good to have a rough (or super detailed!) idea of what you would like when ordering a cake. The most important things are: cake size (or number of guests), cake flavours and decor. I send all my couples my full list of flavours when they reach out to me if they don't already have specific flavours in mind. For decor, a lot of my couples I never even meet, so I can't know what they like or don't like as far as style of cake unless they tell me. Pinterest or a simple Google image search are a great way to get started on looking for ideas of what kind of decor you like! It's easiest for me to create exactly what they want if they have an inspiration picture or a few of a similar style to what they would like!
