Writing this book is something of a dream come true for me. Ever since I was little I’ve been creative – and I’ve always loved cake – so what better project to sink my teeth into? If you’ll pardon the pun. . .
People always ask if I made cakes with my mum while I was growing up, but as a child I remember spending my days baking with my Italian grandmother. We’d make pizza, bread, Christmas cake – there was always a Christmas cake! And she’d let me help out with making the little models on top, too. Looking back, I think that’s where it all began for me – Nonna ignited in me a real passion for baking at a young age.
I really didn’t think anything would come of it when I started baking from home, making wacky birthday cakes for friends, but it kind of snowballed and word spread and here I am today, with my own little baking empire!
I started Dixie’s Cupcakery in St Albans three years ago. My aim was to provide people with luxury cakes and cupcakes with innovative flavours that they wouldn’t normally make or buy. I closed the shop and relocated to bigger premises to focus solely on orders because the main focus of Dixie’s was creating cakes and cupcakes for bespoke orders. Dixie loves baking with me and helping create wonderful treats. She may be young, but she actually makes a really good shortbread. I think it’s because she’s got such little fingers and it all crumbles so well – she could definitely be my secret weapon!
As you’ll see when you work your way through the book, I love the decorative side of baking, but I’m also quite experimental – I think of really out-there ideas and then just see if it works. If it doesn’t work for you, don’t be disheartened – just try again!
When it came to deciding which recipes to put in the book, I selected things that are popular in the shop and a little bit different. I’m not a very measured baker and that’s reflected in the book, too – it’s very much do this, add a bit of that, stick that in. People might think I’m crazy but, after a few trials and errors, it usually comes out well. We create fun flavours – my Pimm’s cake with cucumber icing is a real summer hit – and I think baking should be fun. I don’t want to be traditional, so roll up those sleeves and get stuck in!
People always ask about my idols and who I look up to in the industry and that’s where the inspiration for this cookbook came from – I really don’t think there’s anyone young and fun who the under-40s can look up to in the baking world, so I guess I’d like that person to be me. I want to tap into a different generation of bakers and introduce you to a fun new way of baking, vamping it up, making baking sexy and a bit different. There are so many baking books out there and I wanted something that was going to stand out. It’s a very pink, very sparkly, very girlie take on baking, with loads of crazy stuff as well as an introduction to basic sugarcraft and decorations, with lots of different recipes, and I really hope you all enjoy it.
I’ve been credited with making baking sexy and, while that really wasn’t a deliberate move of mine, there’s nothing wrong with sexing-up baking – I’m young, I look the way I do, I dress a certain way and I go out with my friends. Baking is fashionable and fun and I want to set an example to a new generation of bakers, girls like me.
People keep asking what’s next after the book and whether I’m going to have my own baking show. Obviously The Apprentice and Celebrity Big Brother opened a lot of doors for me and were life-changing, career-boosting experiences.
Before The Apprentice, I owned Dixie’s and The Baker Shop – my online business which sells brands such as Wilton and PME. I’m thinking of new ideas, new flavours, new wacky schemes all the time. The Baker Shop, for example, came out of Dixie’s – we used to buy packaging to put our cupcakes in, but we’re very American in our style at Dixie’s, very over the top, and I couldn’t find a box tall enough to put the cakes in. So I designed my own, had them manufactured, and eventually started selling them. That’s how Bakers Toolkit came about – I was dealing with different suppliers and realized that the industry really isn’t that forward-thinking, so I started my own brand tailored to the consumer. No one out there does it exactly how I want it done, so I just think, oh, I’ll do my own thing. And that’s something I want to encourage you to do when it comes to your own baking.
With this book, I hope you’ll learn some new tips and tricks – and of course make some delicious teatime treats. But, more than that, I hope I inspire you to try new recipes, experiment with ideas of your own and really have fun with your baking. After all, if it doesn’t turn out quite right, you can just lick the bowl and start again!
Luisa x