-Words by Jane Mundy Photography by Don Denton

Walking through the door of ., you香蕉视频直播檙e immediately bathed in the sweet scents of butterscotch and buttercream and vanilla. That gives you a happy feeling and that香蕉视频直播檚 one reason baker/owner Deb Cater is so good at her job.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 satisfying to make nice things for people and be a part of their celebrations,香蕉视频直播� she says. 香蕉视频直播淚 can decorate cakes with notations like 香蕉视频直播榃ill You Marry Me香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播楬appy First Birthday,香蕉视频直播� and this past Christmas we made 90 Yule logs香蕉视频直播攊t香蕉视频直播檚 also rewarding to be a part of family traditions.香蕉视频直播�

And baking is definitely a Cater family tradition, Deb says: 香蕉视频直播淚 learned from my mom, and cake is part of my culture香蕉视频直播攅veryone in England eats more cake. Now my husband and I run the bakery, and I am so thankful to my two daughters who have helped make our family affair a success.香蕉视频直播�

She adds, 香蕉视频直播淚 grasped the basic principles of baking as a kid and it香蕉视频直播檚 now ingrained in me. I understand the science of baking soda and baking powder but I couldn香蕉视频直播檛 explain it香蕉视频直播擨 really admire teachers.香蕉视频直播�

Inspired by her teachers at art school, Deb learned how to create novelty cakes for cash; she was able to 香蕉视频直播渕ake something that looks and tastes good.香蕉视频直播� Next up, she moved to Vancouver as a nanny and made cakes for people in upscale Shaughnessy, which led to an apprenticeship with a French pastry chef.

香蕉视频直播淗e was old school,香蕉视频直播� Deb recalls. 香蕉视频直播淗e cracked the whip and threw the rolling pin, but I was determined to learn and I stayed a few years.香蕉视频直播�

Deb thought about enrolling in culinary school, but 香蕉视频直播渄idn香蕉视频直播檛 want to go by the book.香蕉视频直播� Instead, she landed a job at a German bakery. She was soon in charge and could make what she wanted香蕉视频直播攁s long as it sold.

Deb followed her other passion香蕉视频直播攚indsurfing香蕉视频直播攖o Victoria in 1989. At that time there wasn香蕉视频直播檛 a local bakery offering cakes to restaurants so she started knocking on doors.

香蕉视频直播淚 sold cakes from my home kitchen and nobody died so it was okay,香蕉视频直播� Deb says, laughing. 香蕉视频直播淚 met so many people who were supportive and encouraging香蕉视频直播攍ike Gilbert. He had a little deli where I worked at night and he charged rent based on what I sold. He made it possible for me to carry on. And it also helped that he knew all the chefs in town who bought my cakes.香蕉视频直播�

Now years later, Deb still makes what she wants because everything sells at Cakes Etc. But she spends lot of time on research and development, trial and error. For instance, creating dairy-free Black Forest cake was a challenge: it took two dozen tries until they got it right. Now it香蕉视频直播檚 popular even with dairy lovers; it香蕉视频直播檚 moist and delicious without that (somewhat vaguely vegan) chemical taste. And how do you come up with something dairy-free that resembles whipping cream? Answer: make a custard from oat milk, whip margarine to incorporate air and combine. The Black Forest cake is proof that it works.

Fifty per cent of Deb香蕉视频直播檚 business is wholesale and it results from quite a production. Pallets are packed five feet high with sacks of flour and oats. Twenty-six dozen vegan cookies (they are way beyond the proverbial baker香蕉视频直播檚 dozen) are spinning inside a floor-to-ceiling convection oven and another large (and expensive) piece of equipment is the sheeter, which looks like a giant ironing board and rolls dough to make every cookie uniform and speeds up the process. Lucille Ball wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 get a job here.

At 11 am, a steady stream of customers arrives to pick up their cake orders, and who can resist a whoopie cookie or a pumpkin scone resting on tasteful wood and pewter platters? And everyone香蕉视频直播攊ncluding Starbucks香蕉视频直播攏eeds a package of Cakes Etc.香蕉视频直播檚 signature oat bars. The Fruit Symphony cake, towering between coconut mango and Sicilian lemon cakes in the display case, looks too gorgeous to eat.

I choose the latter香蕉视频直播攖he luscious lemon curd and cream between five layers of the vanilla sponge is amazingly light, almost ethereal. With one bite, visions of sugar plums dance in my head.

Dave and Marion Freeman have been regular customers since 1993, when Cakes Etc. first opened on Esquimalt Road (it香蕉视频直播檚 now located at 2821 Quesnel Street).

香蕉视频直播淓very Friday afternoon we get two slices of cheesecake香蕉视频直播攊t香蕉视频直播檚 nice that you don香蕉视频直播檛 have to buy a whole cake and that Deb comes up with new recipes,香蕉视频直播� says Dave. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檝e tried everything, and our current fave is the chocolate torte. We also love coming here because all the staff are so pleasant香蕉视频直播擟akes Etc. is a class act.香蕉视频直播�

Deb offers up some advice for home bakers, saying, 香蕉视频直播淛ump in the deep end香蕉视频直播攚hat is the worst thing that could happen? You try again.香蕉视频直播�

She adds, 香蕉视频直播淢aybe start with muffins and not puff pastry. Find a recipe that you can make with a spoon rather than a mixer so that you don香蕉视频直播檛 over-mix. And follow the recipe well. Make sure your oven is calibrated and don香蕉视频直播檛 keep opening and slamming the oven door as my daughters do. And check your ingredients for 香蕉视频直播榖est before香蕉视频直播� dates: I made a mistake baking bread with old yeast a few weeks ago. Above all, have a lot of fun and make a mess!香蕉视频直播�

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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