Cake Therapy
Cake Therapy is a heartwarming and uplifting podcast that celebrates the transformative power of baking therapy. Hosted by Dr. Altreisha Foster, the passionate baker, entrepreneur and advocate behind Cake Therapy, this podcast is a delightful blend of inspiring stories, expert insights and practical baking tips. Each episode takes listeners on a journey of self-discovery, emotional healing and connection through the therapeutic art of baking.
Cake Therapy
Exploring the Sweet Journey from Architecture to Cake Artistry with Enrique Rojas
Enrique Rojas, an acclaimed wedding cake artist from Venezuela, joins us to share his extraordinary journey from architecture to cake artistry in the UK. Balancing the beauty of his vibrant cultural heritage with the muted tones of his new home, Enrique's artistic process is as captivating as the cakes he creates. His story unfolds like his intricate designs, revealing the influences of his Venezuelan roots and the personal stories that have shaped his career, including a heartwarming nod to his beloved 14-and-a-half-year-old dog.
We explore the courage it takes to pursue creative careers against societal norms, especially in regions where traditional professions are favored. Enrique's path illustrates the fulfillment found in embracing one's true passion, regardless of external pressures. Inspired by family and the culinary arts, he transitioned from architecture to baking, finding a new avenue for creative expression that blends technical skill with artistic flair. His insights shed light on the evolving acceptance of diverse career paths and the importance of staying true to one's unique vision.
Baking is more than a profession for Enrique—it's a therapeutic art form that connects with life's significant moments. As we delve into the stress and joy of the craft, Enrique draws intriguing parallels between baking and architecture, both of which involve creating something meaningful and beautiful. This episode promises to inspire not only seasoned bakers but anyone looking to pursue their passion and create art that leaves a lasting impression. Join us as we celebrate the healing power of baking and the role of bakers in crafting memorable moments.
Mindful Moment: Baking reminds us that even the simplest ingredients, when combined, create something extraordinary.
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Welcome to the Cake Therapy Podcast a slice of joy and healing, with your host, Dr Altricia Foster. This is a heartwarming and uplifting space that celebrates the transformative power of baking therapy. The conversations will be a delightful blend of inspirational stories, expert insights and practical baking tips. Each episode will take listeners on a journey of self-discovery, emotional healing and connection through the therapeutic art of baking. There's something here for everyone, so lock in and let's get into it.
Speaker 2:Hello everyone, welcome back to the Cake Therapy Podcast. Your slice of joy and healing and as we've been doing in the past weeks, is we've been bringing you, you know, guests from all over the world who've had their hands in flour and they've been baking, who've had their hands in flour and they've been baking, and we are introducing you to people who are at the head and the top of their craft and people who are using this format to be able to bake through things. So today's guest comes from the UK. He's an award-winning cake artist I would say wedding cake artist. He's internationally known. He's a judge. He's an award-winning cake artist I would say wedding cake artist. He's internationally known. He's a judge. He's a speaker. He is from Venezuela, but he currently lives in the UK. So, for all our cake, you know people who are like avid cake watchers, bakers on Instagram. When I mentioned Venezuela and the UK, you should know who I'm talking about, but I'm going to introduce you to none other than Mr Enrique Rojas. He is the owner of have Some Cake, uk. Welcome, enrique.
Speaker 3:Hello Patricia, I'm happy to be here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thank you for coming. I'm a fan of your work. You know this. Yeah, I am a big fan. So, as my producer, you know, know, I always talk about enrique um, the architect, but I need it shows in your cakes. So my my producer sent over your bio and I was reading through it and I'm like I followed enrique for years. But it's like all these things and I'm gonna share with our listeners these accolades. Okay, so Mr Rojas here. He's the winner of Cake Masters Wedding Cake Award in 2018. He's a top 10 UK cake artist in 2018. He is the. He's a judge for from 2020 of the Wedding Industry Awards. He speaks of the Wedding Industry Awards. He speaks. He's a trendsetter. He was a speaker at trend events in Italy in 2019. And the list goes on and on and on. Congratulations, enrique. I'm really proud of you. I'm a fan and I'm proud of your work.
Speaker 3:It sounds different when someone else is reading it. It's just like oh my God.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you are all that, so welcome again. So let's do. I know that the last time we were supposed to connect there was something wrong with the dog. Can we talk about how the dog is doing now?
Speaker 3:He is doing fine. He is right now sleeping on the bed, yeah, but he is fine. He is an old dog. But you know, he gave me, uh, right, that day and I thought, because it was on, yeah, we're having it that day, didn't we? Yeah, I emailed you and say I can't do it today, right, um, yeah, because we didn't know what was going to be then, what we had to do.
Speaker 3:I know, okay, I don't know, yeah, and I was like, oh, I don't think I can sit and talk to anyone right now. I end up crying.
Speaker 2:Oh well, I'm glad he's doing okay.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he's fine Day by day. You know most things. How old is the dog? He's 14 and a half Okay, so you know anything over 12 for a dog is just you know, fantastic.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a gift.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so he's fine, he's fine.
Speaker 2:Okay, good, Good, Good stuff. So I noticed on your Instagram. Right now you have a poll going on One, two, three or four. Which is it for you?
Speaker 3:At post. Yeah, yeah, I was just trying. You know, instagram has that new you can do polls now in post, right? You know, when you post, usually the polls are for stories.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And now they introduced that. I was just trying to see if they work or not. I mean, it's not, you know, it's not that, but it's nice. It's nice that you have that tool as well. You can ask people in a post instead of stories that they disappear in 24 hours.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and engage people you know, yeah, it's all about the engagement, right.
Speaker 3:It's all about engagement. Yeah, it's like having a second job.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I do it so poorly, so you know, kudos to you, um, for having the stamina be able to keep up and keep it going?
Speaker 3:yeah, no, I think it comes and goes, patricia, I think it's. It's so tiring and and it's so you know, and this to everyone, because I know I get a lot of people asking and, you know, worry about social media, and my take is it's not what it used to be. If we go back, I don't know, 2014, 2015, it was very organic. It was very much social media. Yeah, we'll engage more and without too much effort and natural. Yeah, but now I think, and and you can see that in the amount of people that they take a break because it's mentally tiring to be there all the time. And I think I come and go I'm not always there. Okay, sometimes I just schedule some stuff and forget about it.
Speaker 2:Actually, yeah, okay, great, so you set it and forget about it. Yeah, yeah, so I mentioned at the top of you know in the intro that you're from Venezuela. Yeah, what was growing up in South America like? Tell me some of the ways that that kind of differs from your life now in the UK.
Speaker 3:The language, the culture. Apart from that, I think, obviously, when I came, when I left Venezuela, I was still working in architecture and I work in architecture here in the UK. I think there is, um, when you are a creative person, you don't want to be I don't want to say change, but you know that's the word that comes to my mind right now to to work now someone else. You strive to work for yourself and try to create something. Yes, I think in that sense, there wasn't much change, apart from the language and you know, having to face another kind of culture when you come, which was too difficult. I mean, I adapted very well. If you ask some people, they have a hard time adapting to a new place and but I think, maybe in another life I was some traveler from, you know, because I I quickly adapted and my family always joke that I left and it's like, you know, no problem, yeah, we're and I was fine, but you know it's like, yeah, and I was fine, but you know, it's like everything, problems come in different shapes and forms and you replace some for others and that kind of stuff.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'd say probably, because when I left Venezuela, the country wasn't too good politically Okay, and I think you know, the safety of the people wasn't very good was a major change for me, because I felt safe here and that's probably why that, that is, yeah, this could use that, because I think that's, that's, that's a massive thing, that I always, you know, kind of forget about it, but the moment I landed here I felt safer. But I didn't realize that I was that safe. And you know, you bring some stuff like looking back over you in case that someone is following you and all this stuff. But yeah, I think I mean it's not now, it's changed, but it's still safe. But you know, it's not like. I think that probably was.
Speaker 2:Yeah, kind of yeah, what did that safety? Can you describe what that safety felt like? Like what is that feeling that you get when you actually feel safe in a space? It's not?
Speaker 3:it's not so much, it's not so well, it's now, and the only way I can explain it is like when I was recently arrived in the uk, I used to walk at night if I was alone. Even though I'm a big man, you know two and like 200, 200 kilos, 200 pounds, but you know it's, it's. It's not about the size. I think everyone fears what people do in the dark anyway, because it was dangerous. Back in venezuela, I think it took me a long time not to avoid dark streets or not to actually stop and look who was coming behind me and, and you know a few things, recently arrived here, like one day I missed the train and I was living with this lady. I didn't miss the train, the train was fine, but we missed the bus and it was me alone at 12 o'clock at night, which is not even that late, but I realised how safe the country was at night, that there were like four people waiting for the bus, yeah, so I think we didn't talk. That's very British, you know. You don't talk to strangers. It's quite rare.
Speaker 3:We actually, kind of everyone started to walk and I'm telling you this this lady used to live really far from the train station and there was like a, there was like a natural reserve, like a park in the middle, so you had to walk through roads, in with vegetation either side, and there were four people and you you would think, well, four people, you kind of say hello and walk together. No, we were walking like 50 meters apart from each other in a line, not talking to each other, and and I always remember that and I'm like how crazy is that? Yeah, you know. And then, because it was a big stretch of nothing, and then you realize that people started to disappear because they weren't arriving where they were going and I was like this is so crazy, I wouldn't have. I mean, we wouldn't have done this in Venezuela, because probably someone jumped from the vegetation, it's true, but it is that kind of thing. I think it's funny. We're always, I say, I say wow, that's incredible, but yeah, I know.
Speaker 2:Tell me a little bit more about your upbringing. You know in Venezuela. What was that life like?
Speaker 3:I, I had a lovely childhood. I can't, I can't say I didn't, we didn't. We grew up on an island of the mainland, venezuela. It's a Venezuelan island, but it's separated, and I think, yeah, we have a very happy childhood. Actually, it was another time and I think it was a nice time to be a child. Yeah, yeah, yeah, because we were separated from the mainland. You know the mentality of an island Iceland is different than people that live in the mainland, and so there wasn't that much crime or anything like that back then. So my parents were, you know, very lovely, strict, but lovely. Yeah, yeah, I don't think I have many regrets or no, I didn't have any bad experiences growing up.
Speaker 2:Actually, yeah, so I read somewhere that your father was a physician and your mother was a nurse my father was a doctor yeah, okay, he was a doctor a gynecologist okay, he was a gynecologist and my mom was a nurse yeah.
Speaker 2:So were you raised because I'm gonna come to to speak to the architectural side of enrique were you raised to kind of pursue, you know, a similar or a traditional career path? Because, like in the Caribbean, you know, it appears that there were only 10 jobs that actually existed. Right, you have to be a lawyer, a doctor, whomever. You have to be something, some traditional profession. You have to enter into some traditional professional arena profession. You have to enter into some traditional professional arena. Um, my question to you because of who your parents were, did you have to enter some traditional form of career?
Speaker 3:no, we didn't. Actually we didn't. Um, I have to. I have an older sister and a younger sister. Younger one is a lawyer, okay, and the other the other one followed my dad's footsteps and she became a doctor.
Speaker 3:Okay, I was always very creative and in reality I didn't.
Speaker 3:I mean, I studied architecture, which is quite you know, it's up there with probably medicine, and you know law as well, yes, but I, because of how the economy works, my, I think I would have liked to be more of an artist, like, I don't know, painting or making sculptures or doing something like that.
Speaker 3:But because and it happens the same the caribbean island, because of how the economy works in those countries, if you do that, unless you're very successful and you have a really rich client list, you're condemned to be no one. Basically, you're condemned to not have a proper work. So I think there is, and it still is, there is, I wouldn't say, a culture, but there is that kind of underlying thing that you are kind of influenced, that you have to have a career, a longer thing, like a more fleshed out kind of thing, because the environment is harsh and you have to make it Right. You know, if you become an artist, it's quite difficult to do that and I think it's still the same to be fair with you. I think still people refrain from doing more shorter careers or degrees or that kind of stuff because obviously if you're a lawyer you get paid more than if you're I don't know someone that assists a lawyer.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm the paralegal. That is true, but I've been going home a lot and what I've been seeing is that there are more people who are doing these non-traditional forms, at least in my island. They're doing a lot of influencing, doing a lot of YouTube and TikToks and a lot of stuff, and I think people's horizon and their world was kind of broadened in the sense that there are other things out there that you can actually do. So talk to me through going into architecture for you. What made you decide architecture?
Speaker 3:I think it was the creative part. I like to build stuff as well. I remember I had that. I still have it. I love architecture stuff as well. I remember I had that. I still have it. I love architecture I really do. The way I learned it is that I studied in Venezuela. Most of it and it's very creative orientated. But you also learn about everything that goes in building a building or a house or whatever. But the emphasis is always in being creative. And then you go into the working environment and there's still that spirit of you want to be creative, right, do nice things. And and I think the difference here, why I got quite disengaged with it, is because in here it's more technical. Even though I knew the technical part, I didn't want to be just drawing and building all the houses. The same way, I enjoy the creative part.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And in here it's all very, you know, the same way, everything. But I think I never had another option. Like you know, I never thought, oh, it might be psychology or architecture or engineering. I wanted to be an architect and the other thing I wanted to be was an artist, and that was like that's not going to pan out too well in a few years.
Speaker 2:Right, right, so I went for architecture, yeah. So when did your interest for the sweet industry come about, like when did you start baking and that kind of stuff?
Speaker 3:Probably from early life. I didn't bake. When I was young, I did a little bit, but it wasn't, you know, 15 years old. It was more let's make a bake with my sister than you know, and then Ron, when my mother comes in the kitchen.
Speaker 3:In my family, I mean, my mother is a terrific baker actually and I have aunts as well. They're very. But in my family, I mean, my mother is a terrific baker actually and I have aunts as well. They're very good in the kitchen. And growing up, I have a lot of cousins that they're into chocolatiers. They're chocolatiers, I see. They make cakes, they do quite a few things, different areas of you know, they've um, chef and all this stuff. So it comes. There is quite a few of us in the family, okay, okay, it came from there.
Speaker 3:And then when I came here, obviously working in architecture, I didn't have the time, to be fair, uh, but I did enjoy watching all this stuff and, and you know, chef, pastry, chef work amazing. And then, when I had the time, I started to do it more and then people started to say, well, why don't you make it into a business? And I was like no one is going to pay for this. Um, but they did and yeah, that's, that's pretty much how. But it's always been there. I think it's always. It's always been there. I think it's always been there and it provides me with that creative outlet as well, because I can, you know, be creative in certain ways. Obviously it's probably a different, creative because obviously sexual backgrounds of my kids are more I like to call them a little bit more masculine than others. Yeah, it'll.
Speaker 2:It depends what you're looking for and you know so you're an architect, you're trained, you have a master's in architecture. You didn't like that. You had to design the homes all the same. Have you completely abandoned? You know, working as an architect right now, or do you still work?
Speaker 2:as an architect, it's a careful time okay, yeah, because I didn't see that in your, in your current description. You know, I know that I've always known that you were an architect and it was referenced in your past, but I didn't know how you know if you were still actively involved, because cake does do that right. I'm maybe a half a foot left in my vaccine science background and my public health world because I have slowly crept over to the cake and baking industry as a full-time for me as well. So I can get it. I can get how it goes.
Speaker 3:It's full-time, cakes and training, basically. So I always like training or educating, or teaching, whatever you want to call it. Even I remember when I was at uni I used to be assistant to teach to tutors in certain subjects and I enjoyed that. I enjoyed. You know very much that part. So I think, yeah, no, I left, I'm not going to lie to you and I miss the social side of working in architecture, because I think Cape Maker is a very lonely place. I mean and I mean lonely, not about your family, because obviously you might have family and live with you and stuff like that, but you don't have that social life outside your family. And that's what I refer to, you know, like going out with your friends or whatever. I miss that part. I miss, you know, going to work and saying hello to several people, and here it's mainly saying hello to my dog or to the postman when he comes, and you know it can be in that sense. I think it's. I miss that bit and I love architecture. I'm not going to lie to you.
Speaker 1:I still love it.
Speaker 3:I see buildings, and right now obviously the buildings. I see I say, oh, that can be done in a cake somehow.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:But yeah, yeah, I still love it. I just wouldn't work in architecture here again.
Speaker 2:Yeah, how important is it for you to teach, though. How important is teaching to you?
Speaker 3:From a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say 8 or 9. I do enjoy it. I do really enjoy it. I like the interaction and the change of ideas. I think it's beneficial for me too. A lot of people don't see that and they think it's only a one-way traffic, but it's actually two ways and it's only for all the people to find it, to find what you can take from all these people. But I really love people in a classroom and all their feedback and not feedback, but you know, exchange of ideas, and I think I think it's very underrated that bit. People think a lot of people teach because of the money, obviously, and the money is okay, it's good, so much. It's better than all this, but I think you have to have a kind of vocation for it. Only about you know money. You either go all in or you don't go if you're not around it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. I absolutely get what you mean. I know you've said that. You know you no longer do architecture in the UK, but every bit of your cake to me shows elements of your past Right To me, to me. Yeah, I can. I see your profession in your your past profession, in your present profession, in your cakes To me. Like you, you describe it as being a little bit more masculine. I think it's like ultra modern cake that you make, right? How would you describe your cake style?
Speaker 3:I would say they're minimalistic. I wouldn't I mean I wouldn't say masculine, even though I mentioned that because I know some have mentioned that also. I've mentioned that, um, yeah, but I think it's more, yeah, minimalistic, more, like you say, very modern and they can be very eclectic as well, but I don't and I'm very structural. Some of them they're like kind of I like my angles quite a lot and, and I think I like that, so I use it when I can, yeah, but also sometimes I combine that with, you know, the romantic side, because obviously we're in the wedding business, sometimes it has to have that, and that comes from the flower side. Yeah, I love doing flowers as well, even though sometimes, okay, some neat flowers.
Speaker 2:But you know, know, sometimes it's a good way to soften something and add something modern and something traditional into it do you think like your cake style now is kind of influenced by any of any of like your, your south american roots, your, your artistry, your approach to flavors?
Speaker 3:No, I think the colors are, yeah, okay, colors. But you know, I think Latin America is quite colorful beyond the Caribbean, and Asia is very colorful as well, and Africa, I mean nearly all the South is quite colourful and I love that. And you know I don't like I use quite a lot of grey as well, but because I think it looks very much like buildings in terms of colour, it's quite mute and concrete like. But I think from that side I say I do like to use color quite a lot. I don't. I don't think too much about the flavor, because the flavor profile here in the UK is quite simple and you know it's a vanilla sponge with some jam and that's the preferred one. So it's quite basic, if I'm honest with you. And I do like experimenting with flavors and I love, you know, making different flavors and stuff, and the times I had to do something quite different is very few times in here. I see.
Speaker 2:So what's your favorite cake to make if you're just stuck with just doing vanilla sponge with some jam?
Speaker 3:it's not vanilla sponge with jam. What's the other one? Yeah, I do like cakes with alcohol quite a lot. Yes, I think cakes with alcohols have a different profile to normal cakes. But I also I don't know I'll say maybe pistachio. Okay, that's fine too, I do that. I do like a lemon cake combined with something else, not just a lemon cake, okay, maybe with some limoncello, liquor or, you know, raspberries to make it more tarty rather than, you know, sweet, so all that kind of thing. But I like passion fruit okay a lot. I'm not a fan of chocolate, so, yes, I'd say probably coffee. I like coffee cakes okay.
Speaker 2:So one thing I I noticed about your cakes is that one they're very in terms of your style and your signature. It's pretty consistent. I would say that right how I would describe your cakes. They're like, they're very bespoke. But talk to me about the consideration that goes into your cake design. So, for example, someone calls you and say, enrique, I would like you to make my wedding cake. What are some of the considerations that goes into that? From the moment the client calls you and say, enrique, I would like you to make my wedding cake, what are some of the considerations that goes into that?
Speaker 3:from the moment the client calls you to here, here's your cake well, ideally they call me because I've seen my work and they actually send me some, some of my cakes back like which is happening now more than at the beginning, to be fair. Yeah, I always ask when they approach me. I always, we always talk about numbers so I can actually basically say you know how much it's going to cost you and all this stuff. And once we pass that, I always ask for ideas that they might have, they want, and and then it comes. There's obviously the, the, you know, the explanation, that or the small letter that I'm not going to copy that and that's only for inspiration. Not for inspiration either, it's just for an idea for me to have about what they actually like.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because I mean, at the end of the day, this is a safekeeping, safeguarding kind of thing as well, to be honest with you, because if they send me something that is not my style, that's the point when I say I can't do this because it's not my style.
Speaker 3:But if they send something that is my style, I can say you know, there's no, because there's no point For me, there's no point to make a cake that I'm not going to like, even though it's not for me or my client, and that's first. But I also have to be, or to have, certain pride in producing that and to like what I'm doing, to give them the best that they can have. So and I know it's very difficult to do it at the beginning and you probably know that, but once you have some time you are actually freer to say no, I can't, and instead of just doing it because you need the money. So yeah, and after that, I mean I usually make two, a couple of sketches and I send them to them and usually they combine things from one and the other one and then then another sketch, a final sketch is produced, which is not my sketches are quite.
Speaker 3:you know, an actual sketch. Yeah, some colors in it, you know watercolors and stuff, but I leave quite a few details out because if it doesn't work you have some room to. Actually they wouldn't know. And if you change something small I mean the overall look it looks like the sketch. Yeah, details you need to leave, I live out in case that it doesn't come or I don't like it, basically so I can change it in when I'm doing it. But yeah, that's basically the process, working with someone.
Speaker 2:That's cool. Do you keep your? Do you actually have like a book of sketches? Do you keep your sketches around?
Speaker 3:I do have some. But, to be fair, they always love the sketches and they always ask for them if they can have them. And you know I'm happy to have like, because I know that they actually see it. And some of them I know because they send me pictures and they're hanging it's a keepsake, yeah, and they know that. So they actually say, oh, can I keep it? And I say yes, I'll send it to you if I haven't given it to them in physical form or I leave the wedding at a venue. I believe in the cake, but yeah, I have more sketches of ideas rather than the actual wedding cakes.
Speaker 2:So yeah, you know, what I actually enjoyed hearing you say is that the power of saying no when something does not actually feed your soul or feed your style. And this is the part of cake that really, you know, really this is the thing that actually drew me to cakes. Like, I am doing this for me, I'm not doing this for you. You know you have to like, and I love that you mentioned that you were actually doing this for you and I actually myself, um, I I discovered cake in a in a weird way, right In a weird time, and I actually really needed to kind of start facing the demons in my life. I'd say so. You know, I put it all in a in a book recently called cake therapy, but I was also reading for you that.
Speaker 2:Um, in a previous interview you also mentioned that you were big on the baking side. You mentioned that. I know it's not the favorite of many, but I love it. It does relax me. It's the calm before the storm. Tell us about the cathartic nature of baking for you the calm before the storm. Share that.
Speaker 3:I just think I know, and it's what I said that time, I know people hate baking and I always go like wow, but that's, it's what I was saying before. I mean is, is that part of combining flavors, of you know weight in flavor ingredients and you know it's? It's? It's probably more relaxing when I'm creating something. That is completely different because obviously, when you create, when you're baking for a cake, you, you know what you have to do, so it's more, even though it's more, yeah, you have to do this, but it's, I feel quite safe doing it, yeah, relaxed doing it. That's why I say it's quite cathartic, because it just, you know, goes into me naturally. That's what I think and it's a calm because I like ganache and I do it very well. But it always stresses me a little bit. You know it goes like phew and just baking and just here and I enjoy myself, which is what you should do if you do this, if you're not enjoying any part of it, people shouldn't do this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because it does get stressful if you're not enjoying it.
Speaker 3:It is a stressful sport it is very stressful and and people you know, like if you tell someone, oh, I make cakes, they might, you know, kind of laugh and you know like, oh, but it is a responsibility. I mean it's like delivering a baby, it is delivering a baby and it's all the expectation of it. So overall it's very stressful. I think the baking part I enjoy it because I really love pastering, I really love pasturing, making, seeing all I think it's a high, you know, kind of expression of art. Actually, you know pastry chef doing this complicated. You know, and obviously I'm not a chef, like a trained pastry chef, but I like to experiment, I like to try to be my own and I find it quite relaxing to bake, even when it's a cake for a client. It's just that it needs to be more structured when I do that. But yeah, it's that part of when I'm just experimenting with flavors. It's quite free and I think that can help.
Speaker 2:That can help you actually prepare you for the best so you, you talk about, um baking, you know being this somewhat of a stress, um relief for you Talk to me about decorating, decorating well, yeah, I like decorating More, so when I'm just again experimenting.
Speaker 3:But it can be, because it's a creative process, it's a mixture of stressful and, you know, relaxing as well. Some tasks can be quite relaxing because you're just kind of building with your hands and you know kind of going along. But sometimes, if it's more like more, you know, a traditional kind of cake, I worry a lot about detailing and I think probably I always say to people I mean, even though I can't, you know, we are our own worst critics. We see all the flaws in our cakes everywhere because we don't eat. And I've learned to just step back and close my studio, go to sleep and then the next morning I see what I'm doing and I say, actually it looks quite nice, you know, but then the day before, because you don't eat all the time, this doesn't look like I want.
Speaker 3:I want it to look like, and I think that can make it very stressful and I'm guilty of that. I think everyone is. Actually, what do you mean? I think that's just those two Gnachin. Gnachin is a mess and I can't, you know, if I get messy hands or my worktop or anything, I just start to panic and I have to clean. I have to stop and clean and then keep going. So it takes a little bit more time than before, than other stuff.
Speaker 3:But yeah, the decorating is fine, it's just sometimes I want it to be. You know, I can't walk away from if I'm doing a square cake, even though I'm decorating the cake, I have to have it perfect before, which is sometimes it's crazy, I know.
Speaker 2:Oh, our minds work yeah, yeah, absolutely tell me how important is it. You know how much enjoyment do you get from actually doing being a part of people's love stories? You do a lot of wedding cakes.
Speaker 3:I actually love it. I really really is. It is a big part and I think it's. You know, when people say it's so beautiful, I don't want to cut it. And I always say you and this is me and I always said to them you have to cut it, because that's the final compliment for me, that you cut, you eat it and that you like it. And obviously they know they will like it because they test, you know, samples before.
Speaker 3:But that part of I don't know it's quite, making cakes is quite, it's hard, but it's also, you know, the fact that you can actually run a knife through it and eat it make it very ephemeral. Yeah, you know, like it's there for a short period of time to impress you and to create memories, but and then you eat it and then you remember that as well. Yeah, they say that I always say no, no, no, you have to eat it, you have to cut it. Well, but it's beautiful, can I keep it for like two weeks and say, no, you can keep it for a day, you can't. Yeah, I love that part. I love that part because I'm missing the social side of architecture, I see, and I think they both kind of connect, because that communication with the couple is not similar, but in the same way that if I was working in architecture, in an office and you have people and you can talk to them about things, but I had to do something so important. Yeah, I think it's fantastic actually with you.
Speaker 2:So we have listeners at every phase of their baking journey. We also have individuals who we are just introducing to baking. Right tell to the, the beginner baker who is hearing you and who looks at your instagram page and say, wow, I want to be like enrique. What's the advice that you can give to that beginner?
Speaker 3:To the very beginners, I'll say walk before running. We all start in a way I mean, not everyone started at this point or at whatever point and I think there's a lot of and again I'm going to say this, but thanks to social media, there's a lot of comparing, competition, and you feel stressed and pressured to do it or to make it, and I think your journey is your journey and you shouldn't be looking to where the other people is at that point, because they might have gone through different things as well, you know, but there's that thing. I think that's the thing that I tell everyone in every stage. But I think practicing is a lot. I know a lot of people think that there's not a lot of practice in baking, and I'm a firm believer that everyone can bake a good cake, okay, but making it quite good is, you know, a lot of work in between, yeah, so don't be discouraged by what other people is doing and you know, keep focusing on what they like and it will come, I think everyone, I mean if, if you stay, and you know, obviously, the the other bit, um, just invest in yourself, you know.
Speaker 3:Uh, because that's quite important actually, and you know a lot of people say oh, I'm self-taught, um, you know baking and whatever, and in I think it's not quite because not quite that, because you learn from someone to bake and you see YouTube videos or TikTok, or you know Instagram reels, and so that's tough. You know, like you want to make a belief, you but and this is something that someone that is in business had a one-to-one with me and at the end she said something and I was like, yeah, that's right, because she said something like you know, even though you see reels and you see youtube videos and all this stuff, there's nothing like a one, like a person telling you and talking to you, and I mean there's more to learn out of that than watching a video, that's yeah, and it makes you realize, and I was like yeah, that's actually right.
Speaker 3:actually, that's that's. And a lot of people don't some, because they are afraid that they're not at a certain level. You don't have to be at a certain level, you just have to jump into it. But I think investing in themselves is also quite important when you start actually, that's good, investing in yourself.
Speaker 2:So let's take a quick stroll over to the other side of what cake and you know, and baking is for you. So for me, like I believe that cake and baking and the art of it has really, like, impacted my life somehow. It's done a lot for me, for my career, it's done a lot for my, my wellbeing, my mental health, and that's the the, the mission and the vision of Cake Therapy, cake Therapy Foundation for Girls. We're teaching girls to bake, we're teaching them entrepreneurial skills, et cetera. I would like to talk to you a little bit more about your baby. It's called Sugar Art for Autism. Can we talk a little bit more about your involvement there, the work you're doing, and what is this about?
Speaker 3:Well, I'm one of the soldiers, not the generals, in there. Yeah, I got involved quite well, probably six years ago or so. It's a worldwide collaboration that celebrates or enhances autism or people on the spectrum, and I just am a big fan of the issue and I love I mean. I know people look at autism like a disability or something like that, but I think, I truly think that they are probably more intelligent and more. You know we're here, they're here, it's just you know the way they express it.
Speaker 3:But I feel very good involved in it, in bringing awareness to the whole, you know issue of people on the spectrum, and it evolves into working with people artists that are on the spectrum, and it evolved into working with people artists that are on in this on the spectrum. So you get to work with people that actually are autistic, different levels, and you, you get to see the arts and and and we've done some really amazing stuff over the years because, like you know you, you get inspired by the work of someone yeah and then I think it was a couple of years, no, um, I think it was pre-pandemic.
Speaker 3:I think we we had these artists he gave us, we, we had the inspiration from him, so we create pieces. And then he actually went and created another piece of art based on our pieces, created on his art. So it was very, for me, anyway, it was a very interesting exercise because I was getting inspired by his work, he was getting inspired by mine, and then he created something and then I said you know what I want to do, something based on this. So it's actually, and it's a good course. I don't do I don't know if you know these collaborations that they spring, they spring everywhere, for whatever reason, but I think this is a fabulous course actually.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I really think so too. This is like 21 different countries involved in this thing and they're just shattering misconceptions around autism. You know where the team is actually bringing awareness to autism. I'm like kudos to you guys for stepping into the light with this type of work. Where can people support this venture? Where can people find you or support this cause?
Speaker 3:There is a group on Facebook, the two organizers. They have Every year when we do the works. They have Every year when we do the works. It's in April, april the 2nd, I think it's Autism Awareness Day and it's released on that day why people can support this by sharing. You know, like social media works I mean liking it and sharing it. It because more people get involved with it. And, yeah, I think, while at the beginning it was just working, a piece to bring, to bring awareness to it as evolving, this thing that we have children, autistic children, doing as a doodle or whatever, and and we take it from there. So, you know, and obviously they're in the spectrum, but they're different levels as well. Right, some of them know that we, they're functioning, so they know that we're doing this and they engage with you and I don't think that's fascinating and not like. I think it's. I always like that kind of stuff Engaging with that it brings me a lot of happiness.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there is, there is, yeah, and there's so much joy and and purpose that comes from using your art form to celebrate others or using your art form to uplift each other. So I, I can get that, I can, I, you know I. I have a similar mission and vision as you do, enrique, and I've enjoyed our conversation. I am happy to have finally met you and I'm happy that you've said yes to joining us on the Cake Therapy Podcast and to our listeners. Thanks for the invitation, yeah, and to our listeners. I hope you've enjoyed this conversation with enrique. You can find him at have some cake uk on instagram and he shares a similar um his website. Share with us, enrique, how they can find you well, have some cake uk on on instagram.
Speaker 3:I'm not very active on facebook so I wouldn't bother because I really miss everything on Facebook. My website is have some K dot co dot UK. So those are the two main ones. Basically, yeah, good TikTok, but I haven't actually used it for a long time.
Speaker 2:I haven't been on TikTok myself, but I want to thank you all for listening. You can read more about the Cake Therapy Foundation at wwwcake-therapyorg, or you can buy us a coffee. When you buy us a coffee, it goes towards this mission and our vision to help change the worldview and the trajectory for women and girls who've been impacted by the justice system or been in and out of foster care. So thank you again, enrique, for joining us, and we look forward to seeing you again in the future.
Speaker 3:Yes, we will Bye.
Speaker 1:Today's mindful moment is that baking reminds us that even the simplest ingredients today's episode in the comment section. Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcast and if you found the conversation helpful, please share it with a friend. Also, follow Sugar Spoon Desserts on all social media platforms. We invite you to support Cake Therapy and the work we do with our foundation by clicking on the Buy Me a Coffee link in the description or by visiting the Cake Therapy website and making Thank you.