Featured Creator: Alexandra Benas-Owner of The Cake Boutique

Meet Alexandra Benas...

Today's featured creator of the week is Alexandra Benas, owner and creator of The Cake Boutique. The  Cake Boutique is Mullica Hill's first gourmet custom cake bakery and was the dream of Chef Alexandra. Alexandra started her training by obtaining her associates in Pastry Arts from the Restaurant School on Walnut Hill. With The Cake Boutique nearing its 2nd anniversary combined with her many years of baking and decorating experience, Chef Alexandra would like to share some of her favorites and tips with our blog readers. 

With thousands of cake flavor and filling options there are so many fabulous choices to choose from but if it was up to Alexandra it would be a toss up between chocolate chip cake with chocolate buttercream or chocolate cake with raspberry buttercream filling. Other than making cakes Alexandra really enjoys making cupcakes. I have a feeling that might be why the majority of her business is custom cakes and cupcakes!  Her tip on creating the best cupcake....."Don't put too much icing!" she says. 

Over the two years The Cake Boutique has been opened we have made thousands of cakes, but for Alexandra her favorite will always be her very first wedding cake. "My dream was coming full circle and I'll never forget the feeling of accomplishment and excitement of the future," she says. 

Creating fabulous, unique creations such as this wedding cake is no walk in the park. "One thing that is misleading about the baking/ decorating industry is the amount of time that is put into cakes. Most people don't realize the time it takes to complete a cake. Television shows, as well as sites such as pinterest, show the final product without really showing the cost and time that these cakes require. The more detailed, the more expensive. Period." 

"I want to leave this tip with our blog readers," she says. " Don't be afraid to let your cake decorator use their creativity to make you something fabulous. Always research the place you are using- you should trust their abilities. If you don't, you shouldn't be using them. Always remember all cakes are different, so by saying you want an exact cake, you are doing yourself a disservice- let the pastry chef/cake decorator use their creativity. My absolute best cakes are when I am given that freedom. "