Today we’d like to introduce you to Sylvia Wilson.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Sylvia. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started decorating cakes, literally, by accident. A car accident left me with two broken wrists and a broken arm. I spent 6 months working with clay in physical therapy. One day I was flipping through the t.v. stations and saw someone working with fondant on a Food Network Cake Challenge. My clay sculptures were quickly replaced by edible ones and an extreme cake artist was born.
I entered my first competition in early 2008 and took multiple wins at That Takes the Cake Show in Austin, Texas. My Golden Dragon sculpted cake had the distinction of taking the Best in Show award. I was given the chance of a lifetime in 2011 to appear on Food Network Challenge, Star Wars episode. My team took home first place and had the unique opportunity to replicate the cake at the opening of the Star Tours ride at Disney World. Since then, I have won over 50 medals at competitions around the United States. My work has been on the cover of American Cake Decorating magazine and I am a frequent contributor to articles and blogs.
I think my passion for competing in cake competitions is matched only by my passion to learn more about the industry and pass on that knowledge to others. I hold a degree in Culinary Arts, am a Certified Culinarian, and I teach classes throughout the year. There is virtually no request that I will not try to reproduce in cake and I am always ready to take on new challenges.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I was self-taught so, in the beginning, everything was a learning curve. It was about 2 years into the business before I decided to go back to school and learn the science of baking and the ends and outs of running a successful business. I loved competing and being a part of that circuit and culture, but I found true happiness in making cakes for people who wanted more than just a cake with roses and pretty borders.
The hardest part was combining the two and making incredible works of art on a scale that fit the budget and smaller sizes that families were looking for. Once I found that sweet spot, word of mouth helped me build a quickly growing customer base and it continues to grow and thrive every month.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Batter Up Cake Shop story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a baker, an artist, a delivery driver, a receptionist- you name it! We work as a team, and that means that we do everything to make us a successful business.
We specialize in extreme cakes- 3D edible sculptures of a pet or a monster are right up our alley. There isn’t much that we won’t create and we are always looking to be pushed to the edge of our talents. If you send us a picture of a cake you are just dying to have as your own, we can do that! From edible images to even custom cookies and cake pops, we work with just about anything that is an edible medium. We try our best to work within a family’s budget and make that celebration the sweetest it can be.
I am most proud of our company for taking our talents and gratitude and putting it back in the community. We work with organizations like Mercy Chefs and Icing Smiles, volunteering our time, resources, and talents so that we can make a small impact on the world around us. We are always looking for opportunities to make positive changes and to be of service to our neighbors.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
That’s an easy one- if there was no car accident, I wouldn’t have started working with clay and then fondant. I did swimming pool repair and service before working with cakes. I never even baked anything that didn’t come from a box! I don’t know if I’d call that luck, but it’s certainly something!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.batterupcakeshop.com
- Phone: 214-769-7554
- Email: info@batterupcakeshop.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BatterUpCakeShop/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/batter-up-cake-shop-plano
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