Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Belton.
Hi Karen, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Everything started with being too broke to buy my daughter Kiara a nice birthday
cake. When I was 25 years old, my daughter was turning 3, and I wanted to get
her a beautiful Minnie Mouse cake for her birthday party. At the time, I was a
stay-at-home mom, and my husband and I were on a tight budget, trying to save
enough money to purchase a house. I reached out to a few bakeries to get
quotes for a cake, and they were all way beyond what I was able to afford. So, I
decided that I had watched enough TV shows and videos to make my own. Then
I went to the store and purchased everything I thought I needed to make a cake
(purchasing the most inexpensive items), baked for hours, and finally made my
first fondant cake. I proudly walked my cake into a Chuck E Cheese restaurant,
and to my surprise, I was being stopped by strangers asking me where I had
purchased my cake and if I had business cards. This made me think that I might
just have a talent for baking. I made the decision start making cakes for family
and friends and eventually started selling them on Craigslist. After a while, I was
contacted by a bakery in Orange County offering me a position as a cake
decorator, I got a lot of experience there and eventually applied for a position as
a pastry cook at a hotel in Riverside. I got the job, and over the years, I moved
my way up to Pastry Sous Chef. Once I realized any further advancement was
being stifled I decided to start my own home bakery, and everything has been a
whirlwind since.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been an easy road, from day one money was always an
obstacle. When I started selling cakes on Craigslist, I heavily relied on getting a
50% deposit to be able to pay for ingredients to complete orders. I also had little
to no equipment and constantly burned-out multiple hand mixers motors. And
because of my lack of experience, I would undercharge and practically work for
free. But quickly realized I was just being a hamster spinning on a wheel until I
started charging to make a profit. Once I began working professionally, I quickly
learned how your work/life balance goes out the window. I think this was the
hardest thing for me to accept.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a self-taught. I specialize in custom cakes and gingerbread houses; I make
gingerbread villages and life-size gingerbread houses. This is what I am most
known for. The thing I am most proud of is that I have been able to build a career
out of making a Minnie Mouse cake for my daughter. I think what sets me apart
from others is that I am able to connect with people, and help to create their vision for a memorable dessert display, whether it’s an extravagant gingerbread
house to a simple birthday cake.
What makes you happy?
What makes me happy is people enjoying my creations, and their reactions is
what makes it all worth it. Knowing that I’m able to bring joy to someone with
something I made is so fulfilling.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Iris Preciado-Perez
