My Hot Cake

Bakers block?

Yes, I have that. Maybe it’s my personality or something, but I recently found out I don’t do well with criticism. Now my reaction was different from what you’d predict.

Let’s rewind the story just a little bit. One of my best friends called me and wanted me to bake her sister’s wedding cake. I was super excited. It meant she trusted me to do this and I felt extremely honored. I’ve upped my fondant game and was so ready to take the challenge. We discussed prices in August for a September wedding. This was my first error.

Because when I wanted to get the ingredients in late November prices had doubled, and I couldn’t go back on my word. Everything was quite expensive and I wanted to give my best. By the time I’d gotten all the ingredients, I knew there was no profit anymore.

Baking the fruit cake turned out beautifully well but I realize the fondant left me in shambles. Don’t know if it’s the weather but out of the 6kg I made. I got 2kg that was just cracking. Added crisco and cmc to make it pliable. I did the decoration overnight and it turned out pretty ok. The cake sharp edges were on point.

Then the horror……

I did the staking of the cake with pipes(ps: I wasn’t taught to use dowel rods) in the morning before the wedding. I do not know what happened exactly but it wasn’t looking good to me. Then I decided to make it look like those Instagram cakes and use a steamer on it (should have just let it be) because it turned out looking wet and sticky. My assistant and I carried it to the event then bad roads happened.

I heard a crack on the lowest tier. It was then I knew there was trouble. I loved my friend but I also knew she was a perfectionist who would note everything. I also didn’t want to be anyone’s source of pain that day.

Got to the place and stacked the cake well, did some patching with royal icing. Then they told us to change the table for decoration after stacking a 4-tired cake. something I carefully kept in one place. It bent a bit and I saw all my handwork disappear in the mud. The cake was already in front. the couple was dancing in, can’t change anything.

Days later my friend called me to rant about the cake. Truthfully, I wasn’t surprised, infact I was glad she did. Did I tell you she didn’t pay the 10k balance? I was too ashamed to ask her. She complimented me on the taste. What’s more, the bride tagged all her wedding vendors except me. I cried myself to sleep that day. Since then I’ve not been able to bake anything. it’s been 2 months now and I’m glad I let it all out. I’ve needed a platform to pour my feelings out and I’m glad I have you guys. Any advice for me,i’d appreciate.

4 Types of Cake Customers and how to handle them

The life is a baker is a busy one. Your creative ability tends to soar,especially when your customer tells you give me something beautiful. You like it,yes. The creative freedom. But the responsibilities argh. Especially when you want to ensure customer satisfaction,It’s harder if you’re a big thinker like me. It’s starts with does he or she like drips,or topper. Would my client want a cake Topper or a piped inscription?
Then you try to picture your clients reaction.Does she like it a lot or just a little bit?

Bearing in mind that there are different kinds of customers;The easy one,The picky one,The angry one…

Some clients call every minute to change the color of their cakes. They’re always changing one detail or the order. I once had a client who changed design about 6 times. I was so frustrated,i wanted to scream into the wall ‘argh’

So here a little list I complied and how to handle them below.

The new customer: This one needs a guidance. They’ve not had a taste of your cake before. They probably just saw your flier or got your contact from a friend or family member. They are not sure what to expect. Some are just window shopping but your customer service could make them decide to buy In this case i’d advise you give out a cake order formIt helps to save time and tailor your ideas towards your clients needs. Remember they are new,you want to wow them and keep them coming for more.

The slow customer: These ones take time to decide exactly what they want.they could change their minds before coming to a final decision. They are quite inquisitive and could ask several decisions especially the talkertive ones. Urgh. The cake order form could also help here. It could be frustrating but be patient.

The angry customer: This type needs to be handled calmly and spoken to clearly. There are some days you’d experience these customers. As an entrepreneur you have to read the room. Don’t go craking jokes to a customer who is giving you straightforward one word answers. You could smile though,who knows maybe you could help the person get over that mood. Be polite and confident.If the customers crosses the line,point it out respectfully. Assure the customer you would solve the problem and give your best.

The insistent customers:This type of customer has a large idea of what to expect already. They have checked out your catalog and what you have to offer.
They insist they that they know more than you do, but in fact, they may be misinformed. They are willing to buy but just need an extra push. These customers need to be listened to. They have specific instructions on what they expect and want nothing less. Anything outside this is “what I ordered vs what I got”.Write down every instructions. Don’t assume with them,call back if you’re not clear.

The Loyal/easy customer: They’ve being with you through thick and thin. They know what they want and go for it straight up. They love your goods and are ready to pay for it. Always treat them special. They love you,let them them love you more. An extra treat,a special topping isn’t too much too keep them coming back. A simple “Thanks for being a special customer “note would make their day. Remember they are your channel of getting new clients.

How do you handle your cake customers?
I’d be glad to hear your comments. Don’t forget to like,share and follow this blog. Any questions related to cake or snacks feel free to ask. Till next time I’m your Nigerian cake blogger ❤️

I’m leaving you a picture of a red velvet and vanilla cake I baked this week. Have a wonderful day.

4 Types of Cake Customers and how to handle them

The life is a baker is a busy one. Your creative ability tends to soar,especially when your customer tells you give me something beautiful. You like it,yes. The creative freedom. But the responsibilities argh. Especially when you want to ensure customer satisfaction,It’s harder if you’re a big thinker like me. It’s starts with does he or she like drips,or topper. Would my client want a cake Topper or a piped inscription?
Then you try to picture your clients reaction.Does she like it a lot or just a little bit?

Bearing in mind that there are different kinds of customers;The easy one,The picky one,The angry one…

Some clients call every minute to change the color of their cakes. They’re always changing one detail or the order. I once had a client who changed design about 6 times. I was so frustrated,i wanted to scream into the wall ‘argh’

So here a little list I complied and how to handle them below.

The new customer: This one needs a guidance. They’ve not had a taste of your cake before. They probably just saw your flier or got your contact from a friend or family member. They are not sure what to expect. Some are just window shopping but your customer service could make them decide to buy In this case id advise you give out a sheet. It helps to save time and tailor your ideas towards your clients needs. Remember they are new,you want to wow them and keep them coming for more.

The slow customer: These ones take time to decide exactly what they want.they could change their minds before coming to a final decision. They are quite inquisitive and could ask several decisions especially the talkertive ones. Urgh. The cake order form could also help here. It could be frustrating but be patient.

The angry customer: This type needs to be handled calmly and spoken to clearly. There are some days you’d experience these customers. As an entrepreneur you have to read the room. Don’t go craking jokes to a customer who is giving you straightforward one word answers. You could smile though,who knows maybe you could help the person get over that mood. Be polite and confident.If the customers crosses the line,point it out respectfully. Assure the customer you would solve the problem and give your best.

The insistent customers:This type of customer has a large idea of what to expect already. They have checked out your catalog and what you have to offer.
They insist they that they know more than you do, but in fact, they may be misinformed. They are willing to buy but just need an extra push. These customers need to be listened to. They have specific instructions on what they expect and want nothing less. Anything outside this is “what I ordered vs what I got”.Write down every instructions. Don’t assume with them,call back if you’re not clear.

The Loyal/easy customer: They’ve being with you through thick and thin. They know what they want and go for it straight up. They love your goods and are ready to pay for it. Always treat them special. They love you,let them them love you more. An extra treat,a special topping isn’t too much too keep them coming back. A simple “Thanks for being a special customer “note would make their day. Remember they are your channel of getting new clients.

How do you handle your cake customers?
I’d be glad to hear your comments. Don’t forget to like,share and follow this blog. Any questions related to cake or snacks feel free to ask. Till next time I’m your Nigerian cake blogger ❤️

I’m leaving you a picture of a red velvet and vanilla cake I baked this week. Have a wonderful day.

It’s a New Year: 6 things you never knew about me

Oh hi there, It’s a new year. I noticed new followers so I thought I’d introduce myself and get to know you all a little better.

I’m Justina and here are 3 things you can expect to see from me:
1)My cake posts
2)A little health content cos I’m a nurse
3)My baby girl lifestyle (Baking Nurse osheee)

3 fun facts about me:
-I don’t gain weight, trust me, I’ve eaten everything
-I’m a romantic to the core, maybe because of my name but I love ❤ (I think Korean movies caused this one)
-I’m currently obsessed with writing lists. I’ve written every kind of list. Helps to keep me organized cos I’m scatterbrained
Oh and I love baking, it gives me joy. Sometimes I get itchy palms when I don’t bake in a week.

I’d love to find out a little more about you! Let me know where you are from if you can OR let me know what kind of content you’d like to see from me!

If we’ve never connected via DM, hope you can send me a message and say “hi”

8 Easy steps to decorate your holiday Cake:for Christmas and New year(With pictures)

The colors of Christmas are red and green. A season of love and affection. Happy holidays, there’s Christmas and new year in the air. Decided to show you the easy steps to decorate a cake for your friends and family. I made this cake with a student of mine and I’d like to acknowledge her for the photo credit. Thanks, @peculiarcakes.

Step 1: Arrange your worktable.
So I’m using my pallet knife, turntable, cake board, buttercream frosting, cake color(I use acabado) naked caked(I have a previously baked vanilla cake 2 single layer 2and half inches), plain royal icing

Step 2:Place your board on the turntable apply some buttercream frosting on the board just a little. Use the pallet knife to spread the frosting on the board, then place the naked cake on the board. (the buttercream frosting is to ensure the cake doesn’t slide off the board, check my previous posts on other ways to achieve this)put a buttercream frosting for the middle layer and place the second cake on it.

Step 3:Crumb coat the cake. This is covering the cake with a thin layer of frosting. This is done to ensure there are no crumbs when coating the cake.

Step 4:Mix the cake color with frosting in separate bowls according to the proportions needed, so a smaller amount of color green buttercream frosting and a large amount of color red buttercream frosting

Step 5:Cover the whole cake with red buttercream. It’s like your plain canvas. You can decorate it any way you like

Step 6: Use the white royal icing to make drips on your cake. Add vinegar to royal icing till it’s runny. Test the consistency on a cake pan before making the drips on the cake. I prefer to use a spoon to make drips, you could use a drip bottle or piping bag(Check my previous posts on how to make drips)

Step 7:Make rosettes with a 1M Wilton nozzle on the edges of the cake. You could trace an imaginary “e” and follow its course to achieve a rose.

Step 8:add toppings to the cake as you like. You could put chocolate, candles, sprinkles you like.

How did you decorate your cakes this holiday? I’d be glad to hear your comments.
Don’t forget to share, like, follow this blog. If you know someone who needs it please share. Any questions related to cake and snacks, feel free to ask. Till next time I’m your Nigerian cake blogger. ❤️

The Secret of a Good review

It was finger-licking delicious……

“Ok ok, Ifeoluwa be calm, be calm, don’t explode, don’t…I can’t be calm,” This review made me jump for joy,it exactly what I needed at a time like this.

So it was post covid, you know, post covid, everyone was trying to make ends meet, no one was buying cakes anymore, there were bills to be paid, lots of em…I’m in nursing school in Nigeria, if you understand the amount of money we pay ehn, it’s a gist for another day.
I needed to do something fast to make money, I thought long and hard, what can I do, Then the idea came…oya meat pie.

I wrote out different recipes, tried them, and checked out the one I liked. With meat pie the sauce is key, you can’t just give Nigerians any meat pie, they know the difference, if they are paying for the service, they like to get the maximum from it. Most people have eaten Mr. Biggs meat pies and won’t settle for less. I don’t blame them, I can’t eat rubbish either. I also tried some recipes online, you’d be surprised what you can learn and unlearn on youtube.
Then I got to it…I sold out my first batch

This was my first meat pie review…I couldn’t forget it. I still can’t, that customer a fellow nurse, a senior colleague made my day, she’s still special to me to date. For all the customers that give good reviews, Thank you. For bringing laughter and smiles to our faces, thank you. You are all wonderful.

As a baker, never forget to ask for reviews from clients. Good reviews do this: boosts your morale as a baker, gives an aura of competency, ensures customers satisfaction.

What are your best review moments? I’d be glad to hear your comments.
Don’t forget to share, like, follow this blog. If you know someone who needs it please share. Any questions related to cake and snacks, feel free to ask. Till next time I’m your Nigerian cake blogger. ❤️

How to stop your cakes from sliding off during delivery

Have you had a delivery emergency before, the type that occurs few minutes to get to the clients’ place? Sometimes you have to turn back and repair it, other moments if its repairable you’d find a corner at the event to make the cake look better. It’s annoying considering all the work you’ve put in to make the cake look beautiful. A lot of times, I’ve seen scenarios of bad cake days, a lot of them with cakes sliding off their boards. Most times these mishaps occur during delivery.

Here are 7 proven ways to prevent them:

Make a stable icing: Whether you are working on whipped cream cakes or buttercream cakes, ensure your frosting is not too runny. For frostings, working with the right recipe is very important. Trust me you don’t want your whipped cream cakes melting before your eyes.

Always make a bridge: When layering always make a bridge before filling, some times we just pipe a cake straight up with poor layering. Also do not use too much cream between the layers. Always mind the amount of filling.

Use dowel rods for staking: The importance of dowel rods cannot be overemphasized. Especially with tall cakes, it’s a must. I once saw a 12-inch cake with two layers slid off and I was baffled why it wasn’t stacked.

Place it properly in the car: Preferably on the floor. An air-conditioned roomy car is your best bet for delivery.

Place frosting on a cool cake: I know sometimes as bakers we get impromptu jobs and try to meet up with the short time frame, nevertheless, the frosting should not be put on a cake that’s not cold.Put the cake in a freezer if in a hurry.

Stick your cake to the board: Nowadays the cake boards are decorated with the fancy sheets that could be sometimes slippery. Use royal icing to stick the cake to the board. with this, I can be sure the cake can travel on its own and my mind would be at rest.

Don’t make deliveries with bikes: As much as possible I like to deliver my cakes myself, however sometimes it can’t happen all the time. Still, I avoid despatch riders. most of them don’t understand the fragility of a cake.

I’d be glad to hear your comments.
Don’t forget to share, like, follow this blog. If you know someone who needs it please share. Any questions related to cake and snacks, feel free to ask. Till next time I’m your Nigerian cake blogger. ❤️

Mistake cake delivery day

Have you ever made a mistake, of course, I’m a baker I make mistakes, lots of them from forgetting to add baking soda or baking powder to the recipe, salt, to forgetting to add eggs to a cake.

I recently made a huge mistake, So I got one of the days mixed up. This was the first time it had happened to me… I mean ever. So this particular day, I thought the order was on the first Monday of June. I wanted to deliver it at exactly 5 pm on Sunday. The cake was to surprise a loved one from one of my clients. So I baked the cake overnight on Saturday and went to church. Immediately after church on Sunday, I rushed home to make the buttercream decorations. I finished up the cake by 3 pm. At exactly 4 pm, I decided to call the customer who ordered the cake.
“Babe, what’s up na?”
“I’m fine jare”
“So how do I get to your place?”
“My place?
“Yes, your cake is ready, You’d like it, so beautiful”
“Ready bawo?”
A big pause.
“The cake is for next week now… check your WhatsApp chat”

My heart was visibly pounding in my chest. You wouldn’t want to check my blood pressure…Probably 160/200. I felt my head rolling…Oh Lord, what is going on?
Quickly I scrolled through the WhatsApp chat.
Then I saw it, the 2nd Sunday in June. I got the days mixed up.
“Babe I’d call you back I’m in a meeting..”She sounded busy.
“Ok no problem”

What is no problem, big problem ti wa…Ahh Jesus what am I going to do, I can’t eat the cake by myself. My roommate wasn’t at home there was no one to show I was panicking. I told myself , Ifeoluwa you can’t afford to sit and cry, stand up and do something fast.

Remedy
So I went to a neighbor’s flat who had a better phone with a very dope camera.
Fago, please beg you, I need to take some shots of my cake
I’m human not a robot. I forget stuff
Funny he didn’t object He gave me his phone and I took some clean shots. God knows I needed photography lessons. So sent the pictures to my friends to post on their WhatsApp status. I had to beg, I was desperate. The mistake was on my part. I also put it on my WhatsApp status. Then I began to get some ridiculous offers. I wanted to cry. Some people said I should cut up the cake and sell it in bits as cake slices.
It was a good idea actually but it wouldn’t give me profit.

I started to pray. Oh, father lord, my work must not be in vain please do something for me. Then within that hour, someone offered to buy it for the original price. I was so happy. The person’s birthday fell on that exact Monday. Though I had to deliver it to another town I was still happy, my cake sold within an hour. I was just happy. Every mistake could be a blessing, let learn not to panic in cases like this. If it turns out badly shake your boots and move on. Worry solves nothing.
Oh, he loved the cake..even dropped a review.😁

Has this happened to you before?Share your baker mistakes,lets learn from it.

Don’t forget to share, like, follow this blog. If you know someone who needs it please share. Any questions related to cake and snacks, feel free to ask. Till next time I’m your Nigerian cake blogger. ❤️

How to make Nigerian Puff puff for your children:Easy steps, Any Mom can do it

Making puff puff is so easy and quick too. You can definitely do it by yourself if you follow this recipe. Puff puff are made from basically flour, sugar, salt and yeast. They are shaped into balls and deep-fried till they look golden brown. It has a doughnut-like texture but slightly more chewy.

There are also different ways to alter the recipe to suit your taste. Some like it sweet and some like it spicy.
It’s ingredients are quite inexpensive but don’t underestimate how delicious it is and craved by many in Nigerian childern buy this snack on their way to school everyday. It’s also used to entertain gests at Nigerian parties with other snacks called small chops.

Puff puff is one of the easiest Nigerian snacks ever, however I’m surprised when most people say they don’t know how to make it. I also know its frustrating when you want to achive a particular result and your snacks come out tasteless,shapeless and ugly.

Today is Children’s day. It’s high time your kids start saying “thanks mum ,this is the best snack ever. Could you be making it at home for us? We don’t want to buy from school anymore.”😀
My 7 year old cousin can make it,(I meant without the frying part because I would not let her go near hot oil on fire),You Can Do it.Let’s get started.

Ingredients
For 25 balls of puff puff you see above you’d need
2 cups(250g )of plain flour
2 tablespoon of yeast-i prefer instant yeast
1/2 tablespoon of ground nutmeg
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
Milk- 1 teaspoon
2 pinches of salt
Warm water-to mix
Vegetable oil to fry

Preparations
Prep Time: 10 minute
1)Get all dry in together in the same bowl Flour,sugar, salt,instant yeast,milk,nutmeg.
2)A bigger bowl for proving as the puff puff could rise to 3 times the original quantity.thats where you mix it all together.
3)Your warm water should be ready in another bowl.

Directions
-So I mix the dry and wet ingredients together and try to beat it against the bowl. Let the mixture rise till you see a spongy look on the surface.it should have risen to 3 times its size.Resting time: 1-2 hrs

Frying your puff puff
Cook Time: 20 minutes
🔥 In a large pan pour out vegetable oil till its about 5 cm high.If its too low it would come out flat.Place on low heat.
🔥Test to check if it’s good enough by putt a small batter in the oil.if it floats,its ready,if it sinks.its not ready.
🔥Start frying by making your hands to scoop it like a ball then relase it into the oil.Put as many as it can take,not too much though,turn frequently till its golden brown. Best served hot.

Variations
⚡You could add grated pepper and onions to get the sweet spicy taste.
⚡You could also blend banana or plantains into the mixture to get another taste.
⚡When the puff puff is ready,you could bore in doughnut holes and pipe chocolates or whipped cream,thats absolutely sweet,you could also roll it up in granulated sugar or icing sugar..
⚡Milk is not compulsory, especially if you’re lactose intolerant.
⚡You can reduce or increase the Sugar depending on your taste
⚡For me,i prefer to dip in mayonnaise…A mixture of sweet and sour.

Please make this snack,i’d be glad to hear your comments.I’m sure you’d definitely love it.
Don’t forget to share, like, follow this blog. If you know someone who needs it please share. Any questions related to cake and snacks, feel free to ask. Till next time I’m your nigerian cake blooger. ❤️

5 ways to show you care about your health as a baker.

Do you know caring for your health as a baker should be top on your To-do list. Here’s why?

A few years ago when I was still at school, i had semester exams. A week before the exams I got a lot of orders. About 3 cakes all at once. I was reading, doing assignments and I was also baking. The morning after delivery of the last cake I fainted in class. I couldn’t believe it. I had never fainted before in my life. I had to calm down. Now i know my body’s capacity and I do not joke with rest.

I know, I know jobs can be stressful and it could be quite cumbersome to deal with baking, decorations and deliveries but do we take time to rest? Maybe it’s because I am a nurse as well as a baker but I tell you your health is very important.

So here’s what i did:

Set a time table: This is like a schedule,it helps a lot.For any enterprenur having a schedule,a list,a plan should be a priority for us.it helps to keep one sane.I know a fellow baker who puts pastes her list for the day on the door to the cakeroom every morning,as she does it she ticks it one by one. That way, she doesn’t forget orders and she’s less stressed.Her mental health is intact.

Calm down: A lot of times you can feel overwhelmed, overworked and stressed,a common slang in Nigeria says calm down.it means take one thing at a time.you could use a journal to write your plans for the day or week. Take time to rest and actually sleep its important.

Check your diet: Replace sodas with smoothies. Eat well i.e a balanced diet.As good cake is important to your customers so also should a good meal be important to you.For someone like me that doesn’t eat till I finish work so as much as possible I try to eat first before starting no matter how little so I won’t be hypoglycemic. Jobs would come and go but you need to stay fit for yourself and your family.

Socialize: Find time to talk to people,move with people,associate well.It could be tasking as you want to do other things-A lot of things actually.However find time for your friends and family.They matter,money isn’t all you know?Go out.Exercise with them,play and laugh. Those are memories you get to keep forever.

When you are feeling down,go see a doctor: This and routine check-ups can not be over emphasized.Don’t wait till you crash.A little headache here,a little fever there, Please don’t wait till you crash. Feel free to ask for help.No man is an island.Health is wealth.

I know that with these tips youvr read definitely, I’d see changes in our health habits as bakers.

Don’t forget to share, like, follow this blog. If you know someone who needs it please share. Any questions related to cake, feel free to ask. Till next time I’m your nigerian cake blooger. ❤️