When I was a little girl, I fondly remember watching my foster father baking fresh zuccini breads, banana breads, and homemade cheesecakes. I just loved the smell of the freshly baked out-of-the-oven cakes. I couldn’t wait to gobble them up! He would always ask me to assist him with collecting and matching the ingredients. That’s where I became mesmerized with the wonderful world of baking. Even then, I knew this was something I really enjoyed and would someday be my calling.

As I grew into my teens, I experimented with homemade cookies and other baked goods. Homemade treats were always my gift to everyone at Christmas time. Ever since my first daughter was born and every one of my children’s birthdays thereafter, I always searched for the fanciest, most scrumptious tasting cakes out there to purchase! The cake had to be the “Pièce de résistance” for every birthday party celebration, and it always was! And then I thought to myself, why do I have to go looking for one when I can do it myself!