Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashlee Bump.
Hi Ashlee, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been baking and cake decorating since 2010. I started baking again, here in Macon, Ga, after spending 6 years in Shanghai, China. After working in the city as a pastry chef for many restaurants, I started Berserk Desserts in my high-rise apartment, baking out of an oversized toaster oven (seriously).
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not exactly a smooth road, but definitely an interesting one. Having started Berserk Desserts while living overseas in Shanghai, learning to source ingredients, convert recipes, and build a customer base in a completely different country was both challenging and rewarding. Then, when COVID hit, I had to return home and essentially start from scratch, new kitchen, new market, new audience, and a completely different way of running a small business. It was a huge adjustment, but it also gave me the chance to rethink everything and build Berserk Desserts into what it is today.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Berserk Desserts is where art and sweets collide. I specialize in custom wedding cakes and 3D hyper-realistic cakes that make people do a double take. I also love creating seasonal treats like cookies and macarons, Halloween and Christmas are my favorite holidays to go all out with festive designs.
I’m most proud of how Berserk Desserts has grown through passion and word of mouth. Every order is personal to me, and I think that care and creativity are what truly set my work apart.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I think every creative field comes with a fair amount of risk, especially when you’re saying yes to something you’ve never done before. One of my biggest risks so far was taking on a 3D hyper-realistic cake of a Labrador hunting dog. It was by far the most technically challenging project I’ve ever done, and honestly, I wasn’t sure I could pull it off. There were so many details, from the lifelike fur texture to getting the proportions just right, that pushed me completely out of my comfort zone.
But it turned out beautifully, and seeing everyone’s reaction made every bit of stress worth it. That experience taught me that risk often shows up as fear, and that the best things I’ve created have come from leaning into that uncertainty instead of running from it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.berserkdesserts.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/berserk.desserts
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/berserk.cakes
Image Credits
Sierra Williams Photography, Leigh Wolfe Photography
