I’m starting a new blog series featuring some of my favorite vendors who I want to recommend to brides, grooms and everyone else out there who reads my blog. Meet Jen, Pastry Chef and Owner of Sweet Element. I LOVE desserts so this was a fun one for me!
Jen creates one of a kind cakes and has been featured in New York Weddings, The Knot, Brides and a few other wedding publications. We met up last week where Jen gave me a tour of her kitchen and afterwards we went out for some lunch. I was able to take some images of her in action and take home some cupcakes to taste! All I can say is YUM! On a side note while talking during lunch we realized that we lived in the same exact apartment in Weehawken – small world! I asked Jen a few questions about herself and business and you can read her answers below.
1- How long have you been in business?
Sweet Element has been in business since 2004. While I initially worked the company as a side business, I finally left the corporate world in the summer of 2009 to build out my studio and work at Sweet Element full time.
2- What made you decide to design cakes for a living?I always knew I was cut out to do something more creative, and I found myself baking when I was working in the corporate world as a stress reliever. So, I set off for culinary school at nights while I was still working my corporate desk job, and after learning the ins and out of French pastry, I found myself drawn to cakes, as they provided the most opportunity to be artistically creative.
3- Do you design exclusively for wedding clients?
While the majority of my business does focus on wedding & groom’s cakes, I design cakes for *all* occasions – birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, special events, any event that needs a custom cake!
4- When you meet with clients what do you discuss to figure out what type of cake is best for them?
I offer complimentary tasting & design consultations for most of my clients (any order of $300 or more). I typically provide up to three cake/filling/frosting combinations for clients to taste and talk them through the design process. After the tasting, I’ll usually email my clients 3-4 design concepts to kick things off. However, there have been numerous times where I’ve consulted with clients solely through email sending design concepts back and forth and never met them in person!
5- What should brides/grooms/clients expect when working with you?
As a one woman cake shop, I usually take no more than 2 cakes a week, so clients who would like to book with me should definitely plan ahead! Also, I don’t replicate any one else’s cake designs, and don’t even like to replicate my own work, as I believe that all clients should receive a completely unique and custom cake tailored to them. While it’s sometimes challenging to work as a solopreneur, I always emphasize the fact that I will be the one baking, decorating and delivering the cakes for my clients. In many other shops there are countless hands that touch the final product, and many bakers use delivery services to set up the cake at the venues. I’ve heard of countless horror stories with delivery services and always ensure my clients that since I’m personally delivering the cake, if there are any “bumps in the road” along the way, they’ll never be the wiser as I always bring a cake emergency kit with me to repair any damage in transit!
6- How do you come up with inspiration for your cake designs?
I find inspiration in countless places! Fashion, architecture, nature and graphic design have been predominant inspirations for me for a long time, but I find myself constantly walking around thinking about how things can be made into cake. I find myself taking lots of pictures on walks through NYC and other cities of architectural elements, signs, flowers, storefronts and many other random things that eventually find their way into my cake designs!
When working with clients, I usually ask them to bring the invitation to their event, any photos of the event’s venue, and any other items that may relate to the overall theme or feel of the event in order to create a cake that fits in seamlessly (or stands out if that’s the goal!).
7- What is your favorite cake flavor?Believe it or not, I’m not much of a sweets person – I’m more of a salt addict (hardcore potato chip & popcorn addict for sure)! But if I had to pick, I would say that the more untraditional nut flavored cakes – almond, pistachio are some of my favorites.
8- What is the most fun, off-beat or unique cake you’ve designed?My first custom cake, a 5′ long chocolate encased coffin cake for the 30th birthday of a friend of mine who is obsessed with all things zombie will always be close to my heart as it was definitely a challenge, as it was the largest cake I had made at the time.
While I really love the sequin wedding cakes that I’ve created, my favorite wedding cake for my clients has to be a very untraditional mountain themed wedding cake that told the bride & groom’s engagement story. The groom proposed from the top of a mountain and had his bride look down at a pumpkin patch below where he had spelled out her name and will you marry me in pumpkins. So, their wedding cake had the two of them in their wedding garb, sitting on a mountain and looking down at a field below with pumpkins that spelled “I Do!”. I was so touched when I received a holiday card from these clients the following Christmas and saw that they used the figurines I had made of them as the photo on their 1st couple’s holiday card!
9- Tell us something else about you that has nothing to do with cake designing:
Hrm … I’m a lover of books, documentaries, knitting & travel. I also collect antique typewriters (many still functional!) and hope to turn my lifelong passion for writing into some published work some day soon!
*Be sure to visit the Sweet Element website and blog to see more of Jen’s designs and to contact her to make your custom cake!
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by Meridith
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