What began as a hobby has become a blossoming business for a Wodonga woman.
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Clare Doolan started Cakes by Clare four years ago on Facebook after dabbling in cake decorating while raising her young daughters, Eva, now 6, and Chloe, 3.
“I made a two-tiered, pink castle cake for Eva’s first birthday – it took me so long to make it even though it was very basic,” she said.
“But that was my starting point to build a hobby into a business.”
Clare undertook training in Sydney with Atlantis cake artist Karen Portaleo, of Planet Cake fame.
“She’s incredible at modelling chocolate and sculpting facial features,” she said.
“I always had an interest in pottery at school and modelling with clay; it built on that.”
Since then Clare has made stunning wedding cakes and fashioned themed cakes such as a life-like dinosaur; a dragon, which was 24 hours’ work; and a TARDIS.
Clare and her sister Lauren McRae opened at the Albury Wodonga Community College bakery part-time in March 2015 under the name Miss Naked Cakes and Foods, so-called because they supplied undecorated cakes to Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane and an organic and allergy-friendly line of wholefoods, respectively.
The business is on the lookout for a bigger bakery/cafe in Wodonga, having outgrown its space.
What's your favourite dish?
Paleo Pod (Lauren’s creation; a paleo-friendly caramel slice)
What's your secret vice?
Maxibon ice-cream
What is your recipe standby?
Home-made pizzas
What are the staples in your pantry?
Coconut oil, fruit, vegetables and meat at home and cream, butter, sugar and eggs at the bakery.
What's the biggest product discovery you have made in cooking?
Fondant and cake lace
What's your favourite cooking utensil?
Spatulas and scrapers
What's in your kitchen toolkit?
Rolling pins, spatulas, scrapers, ganache scrapers
What did you have for dinner last night?
My husband Matt cooked steak and vegetables but I worked at the bakery until late so I had a Paleo Pod!
What are you drinking?
Turmeric Latte with coconut milk. Turmeric is a super food.
Details:
Miss Naked Cakes and Foods,
Albury Wodonga Community College building, 63-67 High Street, Wodonga
Phone 0424 934 832
Open Monday, Thursday and Friday 8am until 5pm and Sunday 9am until 2pm.
