2 Marin Home Bakeries for Fancy Cookies and Cakes – Marin Independent Journal
Intricately lined, extraordinarily realistic buttercream floral arrangements adorn the sophisticated single- and multi-tier cakes made by Trang (pronounced Chang) Wiegel of Blooming Cakes, a bakery she established in her Mill Valley home in 2019 .
Beneath the edible artistry is one of six scratch-made layer cakes, a few of which are dairy-free, gluten-free and/or vegan, that Wiegel meticulously prepares for weddings, birthdays, showers and more celebrations. Sizing starts at 6 inches in diameter and everything can be customized with requested color palettes and other design elements.
White velvet cake is filled with brown sugar caramel, enhanced with Vietnamese espresso and frosted with Swiss meringue buttercream; the Citrus Lemon Butter Sponge Cake has fresh raspberry compote and lemon curd inside and raspberry buttercream on top; and the coconut sponge cake filled with pandan and coconut curd is a vegan option inspired by Wiegel’s Asian heritage.
Originally from Vietnam, the pastry chef began a new chapter in her life in 2016 when she moved to the United States, leaving behind her management position in a gaming startup.
Her transition from administrative office jobs in the United States to baking at home happened by chance. It all started with baking cheesecakes as a creative outlet, using recipes she found online.
“I burned so badly the first one,” she said.
But refusing to give in to failure, she “took revenge” on it, not only by controlling it but by manipulating her calorie load into a healthier version.
Wiegel moved on to special occasion cakes and became hooked not only on baking but also on embellishing. Her choice for precision decoration is Swiss meringue buttercream, which she says is silkier and less aggressively sweet than the American version.
Honing her skills working part-time in the baking department at Whole Foods Market in Mill Valley, Wiegel was named Northern California’s Best Cake Decorator in 2019 for her Chocolate Devil’s Food Cake with Pistachio Chocolate Topping toasted savory and cream cheese frosting.
“I still stand by it today,” she writes on her website. “It was a combination that spoke to me when I asked myself, with only 30 minutes of preparation, ‘If California were a breeze, what would it taste like and look like?’ My answer was earthy and nutty because (it’s) an agricultural powerhouse; salty because it is surrounded by the ocean; and wooded, due to its famous redwood forests. The pistachio and cream cheese frosting brings the nutty and salty flavors, and by decorating the cake with dark chocolate bark, (it) takes on the appearance of a redwood tree.
Intensive training with renowned pastry chefs from Vietnam and Korea followed, including one-on-one sessions with a judge from the Korean Buttercream Association.
“Asia is the land of very beautiful, realistic flower decorations for cakes,” she says. “It’s a huge deal in Korea where there are academies, organizations and competitions.”
At Spruce in San Francisco, she delved deeper into the art of baking and credits the award-winning restaurant for providing a solid foundation for making each item from scratch.
Submit your requests, book a consultation, and discover the artistry at bloomingcakesus.com, where you can also find information about Wiegel’s monthly baking workshops for adults. For cupcake classes for kids through Mill Valley Recreation, go to millvalleyrecreation.org.
Alfie and Belle
Strawberries, Alfie & Belle resident Alfiya Rezepova’s home baking business began as a fun mother-daughter summer activity that put her arts education to good use and appealed to her 6-year-old’s penchant for baking. ‘craftsmanship.
It has become a job that offers flexibility to the single mother while providing the opportunity to teach her daughter Annabelle the administrative aspects of running a business and the spirit of entrepreneurship.
Made-to-order frosted sugar cookie bouquets and holiday-themed soft drinks, boxes and trays; French macaron gift boxes and party favors; and special cupcakes in attractive packages are ready for a celebration. Rezepova also makes jam-filled Linzer cookies, carrot cake cookies, crinkle cookies (double chocolate matcha or red velvet) and for vegans, Oreo muffins and cupcakes.
Rezepova regularly refines her repertoire, finding inspiration on YouTube and Pinterest, where she favors Asian and Eastern European bakery chains for inventive design ideas and recipes with less sugar.
After leaving Russia twenty years ago and studying art and architecture in Spain and South Korea, Rezepova most recently worked for Shef in San Francisco, an online marketplace where certified cooks can connect and sell their homemade dishes to customers in their community.
Place your orders for delivery at least two days in advance (more for larger orders) at alfieandbelle.com or by direct message on Instagram @alfieandbelle.
Leanne Battelle is a freelance food writer and food columnist. Email him at ij.lbattelle@gmail.com with news and recommendations and follow on Instagram @therealdealmarin for more local cuisine and updates on the launch of The Restaurant Finder Guide Real Deal Sailor.
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