pastry artist feature: coco cake cupcake

i'm so happy to have coco cake as my first pastry artist feature interview!  i found this gem while i was searching the images section of google for where the wild things are, and  in one of the websites i was looking at (i don't remember which one, because it was a while ago), i saw this cake:

... of course, i immediately had to find out who made it!  it was a cake baked, designed, and decorated by lyndsay sung from coco cake.  i've been following her work since and i love every single one of her creations. 

isn't she cute?  i love her hair!

i hope you enjoy the interview with this amazing baker and artist:

CD (me):  could you tell us a little bit about your background?


LS (lyndsay sung):  i have a degree in women's studies from the university of victoria, as well as a degree in integrated media from emily carr university.  my background is in art/conceptual, art/music.  i'm a self-taught baker, and cake decorator.  currently, i run a small cake business, called coco cake!

CD:  when did you first start baking?  who taught you to bake and where do you get your recipes from?

LS:  i've dabbled in baking over the years, but nothing major.  like brownies from a box-style baking, or decorating sugar cookies in a heinous manner,  ha ha!  i only really got into baking maybe 4 years ago.  my interest in baking really catapulted once i received my pink kitchen aid stand mixer as a wedding present from my grandma.  my recipes are all modified versions of ones i've come across!  there isn't one recipe i use that i haven't modified to my liking.

CD:  how did you come up with the name "coco cake"?

LS:  i was naming everything coco for a while.  my beloved cat's name was coco.  my earrings business was named coco.  i even bought the domain name for coco land tv, for a future children's dvd project!:)  no real reason, i love the name coco and i also love alliteration.... :)

CD:  can you share some of the challenges you faced earlier on when starting your business?

LS:  i would say figuring out what to charge based on how much time and labour i was putting into my work.

CD:  where do you get your ideas from?  you are obviously inspired by vintage, what are your influences and/or inspirations to create cupcakes around a certain theme?

LS:  i have always drawn pictures.  when i was a kid, i drew everyday.  i was encouraged to be creative for sure.  working in art mediums allows you to develop creative problem solving skills, and i feel i am constantly creative problem-solving in my cakes!  (how can  i get this to look like that, which tool can i use to make such and such?)

with regards to the vintage esthetic, i am a nostalgic type of person (i inherited this from my dad) so i have always love old pictures, or thinking about times past, and being enthralled with how people used to live.  old advertisements, vintage clothing, vintage furniture...!  naturally, this interest is reflected in my work.

i guess, i tend to cute-ify most things in my cakes as well -- my sisters and i grew up loving hello kitty and all the sanrio characters!

CD:  are you the sole baker and decorator for coco cakes or do you hire others to help you?

LS:  yep. just me.  i shop for ingredients, mix, bake, frost, decorate, box them up, and deliver them if need be.

CD:  of the many cupcakes you've made, which are your favorites?

LS:  i do very much love my take on the very hungry caterpillar, and my totoro cupcakes, and where the wild things are cake and cupcakes.  and all of the work i've ever made for my family or close friends.  i get attached to my cakes a LOT. :)  any animal type cake or cupcake i make i always hate to let go of!

CD:  what make coco cake unique and what separates it from other cupcake/cake bakeries?

LS:  probably the one-woman-operation thing, and possibly my background, which i more based in art practice than technical baking skills.  i am always learning new tips and techniques from books, online, or from fellow cakers.  i still constantly watch tutorials and try to figure things out.

CD:  do you have any advice for readers looking to make creative cupcakes?

LS:  practice!  have fun.  don't give up if you make crappy looking cupcakes.  utilize resources such as cook books, online tutorials.  back in the day,  i would experiment with all sorts of ingredients.  ask my husband about the "water" muffins i made, gross.

CD:  what do you have coming up next?  what are your plans for the future?

LS:  my plan is to continue what i've been doing for the past two years:  baking and making the kind of things i like to make for people who appreciate the work, and expanding my repertoire by continuing to learn and grow as a person and a baker/cake designer.  i'm interested in learning to make more tiered cakes, and more 3d sculptural cakes, particularly animals...!

if you would like to follow lyndsay's work,  click on one of the links below:

website:
http://www.cococake.com/

facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Coco-Cake/155276199920


flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cococake/


twitter:
http://twitter.com/cococakecupcake


ice cream, and food oddities and delights (yes, she makes her own ice cream flavors too!  she even has recipies to share.  lyndsay, defintiely, has a passion for food and all things delectable!):
http://cococakeicecream.blogspot.com/
http://trompechomp.blogspot.com/

 macaron ice cream sandwich and green tea frozen yogurt

i hope you enjoyed getting to know coco cake!  have a great monday! 

xo,
carla

all images used on this post is the property of coco cake.  please contact lyndsay, if you want to use the images for your blog or any other photo sharing websites.