Today we’d like to introduce you to Mandy Hart.
Mandy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve been baking as long as I can remember. My mom bought me my first cookbook when I was 12 and I recall flipping straight to the dessert section! Making sweet treats for friends and family has always been something that I’ve enjoyed over the years.
In the summer of 2015, my youngest daughter wanted a VERY SPECIFIC cake for her birthday. I didn’t know where to go to meet all of her “requirements”, so my cake journey began. I made my first 2 tier cake for her birthday and loved every single minute of it. I started making cakes for my kids classroom parties, relatives birthdays, churches, etc. With lots of love and support, my family and friends encouraged me to open Cake Haven, and it’s been more exciting than I ever thought possible. I take great pride in my cake artistry and it pays off when I get to see the reaction on my clients’ faces when they see their cake dreams come true.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
So far, this has been an incredible journey! However, at my busiest time we found out that our youngest daughter, Charlee – 4 years old, would require her 4th open heart surgery. Everything was put on hold. I left my full-time job (in sales) as we decided that it was best if I stayed at home with her and our other beautiful children. She bounced back very quickly and now I can comfortably concentrate more on my cake business.
The Cake Haven – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I’m probably best known for the cake toppers I sculpt. I put as much detail into each cake as I possibly can. Nothing is rushed, nothing is just thrown together. For example, if someone asks me for a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cake, I’ll watch a few of the episodes so that I can familiarize myself as much as possible with the characters. I want to insure that no details are forgotten. This is what makes my cakes stand out and what sets them apart from others. The genuine desire to make the cake magical and tell a story are qualities that I am very proud of in my work. My cakes also taste fantastic! They are absolutely as delicious as they are beautiful.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment of my career so far just happened this past weekend. I created a cake for a baby shower this weekend at a very elite venue. When the servers came out to cut the cake, they told me that out of all of the cakes they had ever cut, this one was the most beautiful. It completely took me by surprise!
Pricing:
- Standard cakes start at $65 and go up from there.
- Standard cupcakes start at $36 per dozen
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cakehaven.org
- Email: charmharts@hotmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_cakehaven
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/The-Cake-Haven-1430530013689981
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