I recently asked Mica Izzard, cake decorator and owner of Cake Creations, if I could interview her for my blog. Â Mica attends our church and is also a Mary Kay representative. Â You can read my skin care and makeup tips here!
There have been several times when I’ve needed over 100 cupcakes and she has graciously supplied them. Â One morning she asked if she could bring cake pops for our “Coffee & Convo” hour before the Sunday morning church service. Â I gladly accepted her offer and she showed up with dozens upon dozens of cake pops in three different flavors!
Mica is a kind, giving person and I’m proud to feature her today on my blog! Â You can find Mica on Facebook by clicking here!
Interview with Mica Izzard from Cake Creations
When did you begin baking and decorating cakes and cupcakes?
I started baking when I was a kid. I always loved to help my grandma make cakes. I made my first decorated cake for my oldest daughter’s 1st birthday. She just turned 15. It was a 3-D lamb cake and egg shaped cupcakes. Her Birthday was on Easter that year.
How did you learn how to decorate? Â Self taught? Â Classes?
In high school I wanted to go to culinary school and be a pastry chef on a cruise ship. That didn’t work out but my passion didn’t die. A couple of months before Meredeth’s birthday, I purchased a Wilton decorating book and decorating set. The set came with a really neat how-to video. I think it may have been about 30 minutes long lol. I watched that video and read that book a lot! I still have it and it is worn out. Â I watch a lot of videos and read a lot of blogs and books on baking and decorating.
When did you launch Cake Creations?
I launched Cake Creations in October of  2013. I tried to launch a couple of years earlier under another name. It just wasn’t the right time. The launch of Cake Creations came after a job lay off. I needed to make some immediate income to help out with the bills. I was struggling with the idea of leaving the financial burden on my husband.
A really good friend of mine suggested I participate in Kershaw’s little barbecue festival called the Hog Jam. She even sponsored me so I could get going. It turned out to be a huge success. I sold about 500 cupcakes in 2 days. I didn’t even have business cards. I attached a piece of paper with my name and phone number to each individually wrapped cupcake.
What has been your most bizarre cake request?
The most bizarre cake/cupcake request…hmmm…let me think, I guess it would be the duck hunting wedding cake. It was hideous. I never even posted pictures of it. It was green and white with cattail reeds on it. I feel like the couple didn’t like it, but I decorated it exactly like the picture she sent me of another cake. I’ll see if I can scrounge up a picture 😉
What is your favorite cake/cupcake?
It might sound odd, but I don’t eat much cake. If I had to pick a favorite, I guess it would be my vanilla cake with my special recipe buttercream. I love chocolate but there’s just something about vanilla birthday cake with potato chips and ice cream. yummy!
Do you only bake locally or can you ship your baked goods?
I have not started shipping items yet. I did ship some decorated apples over the Christmas holidays this past year. I do deliver. That’s a service people love and it makes my business unique.
I asked Mica to share her 10 layer chocolate cake recipe with my readers. Â I really didn’t know if it was a secret recipe or not, but you have not because you ask not and I asked! Â Thanks, Mica, for the interview and the recipe!
Cake Creation's 10 Layer Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1-1/3 cups sugar
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Frosting Ingredients
- 3 cups sugar
- 8 Tablespoons cocoa
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
Instructions
- Directions for cake: Combine flour, sugar and baking soda. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Preheat oven to 325.
- Spray 9-inch cake pans with non-vegetable spray (such as PAM). Spread 1/2 cups batter in each pan and bake at 325 for about 10 minutes.
- Use a spatula to loosen layers as soon as you remove from the oven. Do not cool in the pans.
- Repeat this step until all 10 layers have been cooked.
- Frosting Directions:
- Combine sugar and cocoa.
- Add milk and butter and let come to a boil.
- Boil about 5 minutes (soft ball stage when dropped in water).
- Frost cake while frosting is hot, frosting sides before frosting the top layer.
