Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikki Edge.
Hi Nikki, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been baking and cooking as long as I can remember. Throughout middle and high school, I took advantage of any opportunity to show off my skills. For every science project, my project would be edible. I made a solar system out of donuts in the third grade. I always baked and cooked for my friends also.
I am almost positive that a large amount of my cooking ability is hereditary. Pretty much all of the older women on my dad’s side of the family are amazing in the kitchen. My mom is a great cook also. I watched my grandmother cook almost every day breakfast and dinner. My mom was a labor and delivery nurse and worked at night so I spent of a lot of time at my GooMama’s house when I was younger. She never made me cook or help out much, but just watching and enjoying the food was enough to ignite my fire and passion for food and desserts.
I decided that I wanted to take my talent seriously in 2015. I had my first apartment all by myself. I was working as a dental assistant, and I’d recently graduated with a degree in marketing with a concentration on entrepreneurship. I started posting on social media, making cakes for my friends and goddaughter on holidays, and things started going really well for me.
As time went on, my business grew, and my social media presence did slightly, but not as much as I know it could have because I am super shy especially in front of the camera. But I was always posting my food, and because I always posted what I cooked my family for dinner people started asking about buying plates of whatever I was cooking. And then later, customers started asking me to cater for them. One of my biggest opportunities was last year when I was locked in as the official caterer of The Queens Tea Party at Atlantic Station. I’m a baker but originally started my business as a catering company so this was truly a full-circle moment for me. I have an equal love for baking and cooking, but business-wise the cakes definitely keep me more busy these days.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have to say the road has been both smooth and rough. Of course, in any instance of life, things aren’t going to be easy. As a business owner, things like inflation are heavily affecting me right now. All of the ingredients I need to purchase are double and triple the price, and we are truly living in a time that luxuries are just not fitting into the budget. I sell luxury cakes that start at $150 so these current times I must say have been some of the hardest to keep a consistent workflow, but my repeat customers as well as new customers keep me going.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a cake artist, I love what I do. Being able to create something that’s not only delicious but beautiful is a gift that I cherish. I specialize in custom buttercream cakes. In this specialization, I bring together the blend of the classic buttercream iced cake, hand-crafted fondant details, fresh flowers, as well as curated dried flower bouquets to create custom buttercream masterpieces. I look at every cake, cupcake, or custom treat as my canvas and the results that I can create are endless.
I am probably most known for my gold spatter and watercolor buttercream designs. I’ve been making those for years, lol and they are still very popular and most requested. One my of my favorite cake designs to create is the geode look, and anything I’ve added flowers to is at the top of my list for my favorite cake designs. And I can’t forget about the kid’s cakes! Baking kid’s cakes make me happy on the inside.
I am most proud of literally every single cake I’ve ever made. I mean just being willing to take the risk of doing what I love over what I was trained and educated to do makes me proud. Standing as my own woman and making my own decisions for my life, my career, and my advancement as an entrepreneur I’m proud of that.
I think the thing that sets me apart from others is that I do my own thing. I make own rules. I also feel like my customers get me as an artist and a person and they relate to me in some way. So many of my customers have turned friends or business associates, our children play together. Being relatable sets me apart. Being kind, having great customer service, making my customers feel special, heard, and valued that’s what sets me apart.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Something surprising that people may not know about me is that I’m super shy. As I mentioned earlier putting myself on camera, it’s kinda hard for me. This year I really stepped out of my comfort zone and I put my face on a billboard on Peachtree Street to advertise The Bakery Studio ATL, and me as the face of my business. It really felt amazing because in my mind I’ve always been the face of my business but I’ve never really put myself out there as the face of my business in digital form. Of course, people see me when they pick up their cakes or when I do vendor events, but now I’m at the point of wanting to change my labeling and wanting to make videos and tutorials. So yea it might be a surprise for people to learn that I’m really shy, but I’m working on that, and I’m changing.
Pricing:
- Custom buttercream cakes start at $150 and go up deeding on detail, cake flavor, size, etc
- Custom cupcakes start at $125 per dozen and go up depending on cake flavor, amount of detail, etch
- Custom treat such as pretzel rods, caramel wrapped pretzel rods, rice krispy treats, cakesicles, and covered Oreos start at $75 and go up depending on the amount of detail
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thebakerystudioatl
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebakerystudioatl
