-Words by Jane Mundy Photography by Don Denton

Walking through the door of ., you害羞草研究所檙e immediately bathed in the sweet scents of butterscotch and buttercream and vanilla. That gives you a happy feeling and that害羞草研究所檚 one reason baker/owner Deb Cater is so good at her job.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 satisfying to make nice things for people and be a part of their celebrations,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淚 can decorate cakes with notations like 害羞草研究所榃ill You Marry Me害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所楬appy First Birthday,害羞草研究所� and this past Christmas we made 90 Yule logs害羞草研究所攊t害羞草研究所檚 also rewarding to be a part of family traditions.害羞草研究所�

And baking is definitely a Cater family tradition, Deb says: 害羞草研究所淚 learned from my mom, and cake is part of my culture害羞草研究所攅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.害羞草研究所�

She adds, 害羞草研究所淚 grasped the basic principles of baking as a kid and it害羞草研究所檚 now ingrained in me. I understand the science of baking soda and baking powder but I couldn害羞草研究所檛 explain it害羞草研究所擨 really admire teachers.害羞草研究所�

Inspired by her teachers at art school, Deb learned how to create novelty cakes for cash; she was able to 害羞草研究所渕ake something that looks and tastes good.害羞草研究所� 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.

害羞草研究所淗e was old school,害羞草研究所� Deb recalls. 害羞草研究所淗e cracked the whip and threw the rolling pin, but I was determined to learn and I stayed a few years.害羞草研究所�

Deb thought about enrolling in culinary school, but 害羞草研究所渄idn害羞草研究所檛 want to go by the book.害羞草研究所� Instead, she landed a job at a German bakery. She was soon in charge and could make what she wanted害羞草研究所攁s long as it sold.

Deb followed her other passion害羞草研究所攚indsurfing害羞草研究所攖o Victoria in 1989. At that time there wasn害羞草研究所檛 a local bakery offering cakes to restaurants so she started knocking on doors.

害羞草研究所淚 sold cakes from my home kitchen and nobody died so it was okay,害羞草研究所� Deb says, laughing. 害羞草研究所淚 met so many people who were supportive and encouraging害羞草研究所攍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.害羞草研究所�

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害羞草研究所檚 popular even with dairy lovers; it害羞草研究所檚 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害羞草研究所檚 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害羞草研究所檚 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害羞草研究所檛 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害羞草研究所攊ncluding Starbucks害羞草研究所攏eeds a package of Cakes Etc.害羞草研究所檚 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害羞草研究所攖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害羞草研究所檚 now located at 2821 Quesnel Street).

害羞草研究所淓very Friday afternoon we get two slices of cheesecake害羞草研究所攊t害羞草研究所檚 nice that you don害羞草研究所檛 have to buy a whole cake and that Deb comes up with new recipes,害羞草研究所� says Dave. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e tried everything, and our current fave is the chocolate torte. We also love coming here because all the staff are so pleasant害羞草研究所擟akes Etc. is a class act.害羞草研究所�

Deb offers up some advice for home bakers, saying, 害羞草研究所淛ump in the deep end害羞草研究所攚hat is the worst thing that could happen? You try again.害羞草研究所�

She adds, 害羞草研究所淢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害羞草研究所檛 over-mix. And follow the recipe well. Make sure your oven is calibrated and don害羞草研究所檛 keep opening and slamming the oven door as my daughters do. And check your ingredients for 害羞草研究所榖est before害羞草研究所� 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!害羞草研究所�

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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