Today we’d like to introduce you to Kemi Sanni.
Hi Kemi, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My cake making journey started as a child growing up in Northern Nigeria, watching my mom bake cakes. I remember being so fascinated with the process and offering to help mix (and lick) the cake batter! Something about the process of being part of putting all the ingredients together and bringing it to life through edible art has always been a joy for me.
Seeing my interest in cake making, my mom went out to purchase a whole box of cake decorating supplies and also got me my first set of paying clients. I made a few cakes but my 16 year old self caved under the self-imposed pressure of being a cake business owner and not wanting to disappoint my paying clients-so I quit cake making all together! Plus, there was a tiny bit of that teenage rebellious spirit where I didn’t want to do something just because my mom wanted me to.
It took about two decades later for me to pick up cake making again as an ode and therapeutic outlet in grieving the loss of my mom. I found comfort, peace and a connection to my mom in decorating cakes because I knew she’d be proud to watch me do it. This is how Tessa’s Cakes was born. A cake business named after my mom.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When I started, my biggest challenge was combining cake making with having a full time job along with raising young kids. In the earlier years, I had to wait until both of my sons were in bed before I even started to work on cakes. As my boys grew older and as working a full time job for the Federal government became less flexible, the biggest struggle I’ve experienced is balancing owning a cake business and being available to take orders while also working full time as a government attorney.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in textured fondant cakes. I LIVE using fondant as a medium to decorate cakes. I’ve also specialized in adding some form of texture to my fondant cake designs. This has set my designs apart.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tessascakes.net/
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/tessas.cakes
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/TessascakesDMV
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tessascakes
