Our featured cake maker, Heather from Napier, New Zealand, won our $50 Cake of the Month prize for her awesome “Chainsaw Forestry Birthday Cake”. You can see all of Heather’s cakes below.
Heather’s cake was selected thanks to her awesome execution and concept (of baking something and then “destroying” it), her great process photos, and especially Heather’s detailed story of how she created the cake, revealing even more “tiers” hidden behind the pictures. (We can’t stress enough how important the writeups are when judging our online cake contests. Our judges never really get to see the cake, but only look at pictures and read the cake-maker’s story.)
Heather, who proclaims that she’s “not a professional cake maker (at all!!)”, has shared with us quite a few of her impressive cake creations.
Cake-making is just one of her hobbies (along with all knitting, scrapbooking, drawing, sewing… neuro-science and astronomy). So if you happen to live anywhere near Napier, on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island, and you need a birthday cake (or advice on neuro-scientific approaches to quelling ones nerves when a cake flops ;-), reach out to Heather.
“People have said I should start a business but I have no training and am self taught (through books, Youtube and my Mum’s advice),” says Heather. “I would like to one day do a course and learn how to make the decorating quicker, however I wonder about how much money I could make for the stress involved in having to have a perfect result for people paying you for a cake. So I make cakes for family and friends for now. My daughter loves playing ‘Cake Shop’ and aspires to own a cake shop one day – so perhaps we’ll do that together at some point.”
The infatuation with cake making was passed on to Heather from her “Mum”, who one day suggested baking her a Christmas cake and decorating together. “I became addicted,” says Heather. “I started looking at professional cakes online and realised quickly how creative and amazing cake decorating could be.” Heather went on to make her daughter’s first cake, this caterpillar cake.
Heather’s husband thinks she’s nuts when she makes cakes, “I get quite dramatic (ie, stressed)!!,” she admits. “I’ve had a LOT of trials and tribulations with my cake decorating and most years after my daughter’s birthday, I swear I’ll never do another elaborate cake like that again! But I always do and I do find I’m becoming faster as I learn more and get more tools. I always think something will be quick and it takes twice as long, lots of swearing (oops) and sometimes even tears! But as time goes by I gain more experience. I really enjoy the results of cake decorating and especially how much people appreciate my cakes.”
Heather admits that she can’t wait for the next birthday, “and secretly I would like to try my hand at a wedding cake!”
Thanks again, Heather, for sharing your cakes and your cake-making stories with our community of enthusiastic cake makers.
Heather’s Cakes
- Cool Rockin’ Robin Christmas Cake
This Rockin’ Robin is my favorite Christmas Cake I’ve made. I think I’ve got better as each year goes by (you should’ve seen my first 2 attempts)! … Read more - Terrific Teddy Bears Picnic Cake
This terrific Teddy Bears Picnic cake was my daughter’s 2nd birthday cake. I’d not had much experience with cake decorating, so … Read more - Cute Worm Bug Party Cake
My daughter just turned 6. We can barely believe it, the years have gone so fast, yet they also seem … Read more - Beautiful Homemade Ballerina Cake
For my daughter’s 5th birthday, she asked for a ballerina cake. I’m not the best at envisaging a wonderful creation … Read more - Awesome Funky Dinosaur Tree Birthday Cake
My gorgeous niece wants to be a palaeontologist when she grows up, she’s seriously nearly one already, with all her … Read more - Easy Gardener’s Cake
My poor husband was away on business for 2 weeks over his birthday. I’m not sure who had it worse, … Read more - Shabby Chic Vintage Bunting Cake
I have wanted to try something like this for a long time, but getting edible ink rice paper in the … Read more - Coolest Funky Christmas Tree Cake
I made this cake for Xmas 2011. As is tradition in our family, my Mum makes a few cakes and … Read more - Pretty Pink and Blue 40th Birthday Cake
I made this last month for my best friend’s 40th birthday. This was inspired by The Sugarpaste Fairy (what amazing … Read more - Awesome Chainsaw Forestry Birthday Cake
My brother turned 40 recently. We’re pretty close and he’s recently separated from his wife of 13 years. So I … Read more - Cool Construction Cake
I got my inspiration for this construction cake from a friend who’d made a similar one. I just made a basic chocolate … Read more - Coolest Charlie and Lola Cake
This Charlie and Lola cake was SUPER simple and so well loved by my little Charlie and Lola fan! I had … Read more
Would you like to be featured on our site?!
We really appreciate cake makers who share their creations and inspiration on our site. If you’ve contributed at least three cakes to our site and would like us to feature your cakes or cake-business (for free, of course), please contact us. Obviously we can’t feature everyone, but we will do our very best!
I think your cake is fantastic, I used to live in Napier but am now in Tauranga, I have made cakes for my Grand children for the last 19yrs, and love doing it, just like you.
Thank you for your kind comment Jan.
I think your cake is fantastic, I used to live in Napier but am now in Tauranga, I have made cakes for my Grand children for the last 19yrs, and love doing it, just like you.
Thank you for your kind comment Jan.
Hi Heather. I have been looking for some Charlie and Lola cake ideas and your very cute cake came up. I also live in Napier and I was wondering if you could tell me where you ordered your Charlie and Lola image from. Thanks so much. Pam.
Hi Heather. I have been looking for some Charlie and Lola cake ideas and your very cute cake came up. I also live in Napier and I was wondering if you could tell me where you ordered your Charlie and Lola image from. Thanks so much. Pam.