Q & A with Nellie-Ann from Baked In The Tropics

What inspired you to start your business?

Whether it was painting, making jewellery or DIY crafts from junk, from a young age I’ve always gravitated towards creative activities.
Growing up, my mother baked and created cakes (and other goodies), so watching her definitely sparked an interest in turning cakes into my type of art. I have a sweet tooth so naturally having the two things I love most – creativity and sweet things – merge into one, I was inspired to start Baked In The Tropics as a way to express my creativity and eat it at the same time 😀

What are the key services you offer?
We offer unique custom-made cakes, whereby we give you full control in selecting what you would love for your cake to taste and look like

Do you have a signature wedding cake?
All our cakes are custom made based on the event and your requirements so no two cakes are ever the same!

When do you need a finalized cake choice by?
We want to make sure that everything – from baking, decorating to final setup of your cake goes off without a hitch so we would need a finalised choice ideally 8 weeks prior to the actual wedding date.

Can you supply your cakes outside of the Nadi area? What is involved?
Yes absolutely! We deliver to wherever you are! A separate delivery and set up cost is applied according to location, all we need is a date, time and place to quote!

What is the most creative wedding cake that you have done?
It’s hard to choose just one, so here are two. For the first, it was a white on white 3 tier cake with a gold monogram of the couples initials and handmade edible frangipani flowers which the bride had requested.
And the second was another 3 tier cake with hand painted tropical palm leaves, wrapping around each tier. I was given a few guidelines for both however the brides gave me full creative control to do whatever I wanted. I’m always keen on testing out new techniques and trying new things so these definitely tested my creativity

Top tip for brides who wish to make the best of your service?
Ideas, colours/themes, good communication and a Y.O.G.M.O Spirit (You Only Get Married Once)
I can give you advice on what will work and what will not. As long as you have a slight idea of what you’re going for then we can go back on fourth throughout the design process as much as you want; it’s your special day, so it’s worth it!

What is inspires your creations?
A lot of my creations are inspired by other cakeists that I follow online, new techniques and trends and merging modern and tropical aspects into what I do.

What do you enjoy the most about what you do?
The creativity and client reactions. I do many types of cakes but I have a soft spot for wedding cakes.
Knowing that I was able to create something that will be a part of a person’s history and on a day that they will remember for the rest of their lives is such a satisfying feeling. And the fact the client loved it? Well that feeling multiplies by infinity. So much goes into finding the idea then actually bringing it to life in cake form, I love the whole process. I love what I do so I always strive to pour that into whatever I create. Plus cake never makes anyone sad so it’s a win-win situation every time!