We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Joel Basco. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Joel below.

Joel, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

Growing up as a young boy in the Philippines, I was always amazed watching my aunt make elaborate wedding cakes. She would pipe hundreds of roses, blossoms, and leaves out of royal icing. I was mystified on how they would become rock solid the next day. She would give us the broken ones, which was a treat since I loved sweets when I was a kid!

It was not until I was in my 30’s that I discovered my passion for cake decorating. I received a catalog in the mail from the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City for culinary continuing education classes. I wanted to do something after work (I was an IT professional in New York City back then), so I took a few baking classes. I liked it so much that I signed up for the Pastry and Baking Techniques Program. In the process of taking those classes, I wanted my cakes to also look nice, so I took cake decorating classes at the Wilton School of Cake Decorating and The New School Culinary Arts.

When it comes to the art of cake decorating, there is no way to speed up the learning process. Like the saying goes, “Practice makes perfect!” You need to keep on doing it to get good at it. Once you learn the proper technique, creativity will follow because you will be freer from making mistakes. It will take time, but it will be worth it.

The main obstacle in learning more is finding the time to do it. As a business owner, I have to do other tasks aside from making cakes. The problem is there is only 24 hours in a day. Sometimes I wish there was a 25th hour so that I can learn new techniques.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Not many know that I used to live in New York City. My first career was in accounting and then transitioned to become an IT professional. It was not until later in life that I realized I have the talent in cake decorating. I would make cakes for family and friends which eventually became a part time gig. I would make my cake orders after work and on the weekends.

After living in New York City for 25 years, I relocated to Fort Lauderdale in 2014. In December 2015 I partnered with Daniela Borquez to form J&D Cakes in Boca Raton, Florida. Three months into our partnership, I was called by the Food Network to compete in Season 3 of Cake Wars (Paddington Bear Challenge Episode) that aired on Aug 22, 2016, and I won! It was truly a dream come true for me. We were called back to compete in Food Network’s Cake Wars Champs Season 5 in 2017 (Shrek Challenge Episode). We were also featured on the Cooking Channel’s Cake Hunters Season 2 (Twice as Nice Episode). Our latest competition was on Food Network Canada’s The Big Bake Halloween Season 3 (Monsters on the Move Episode) which aired October 10, 2022.

I specialize in creating edible works of art made out of cake. I’m well known for my cake sculptures and multi-tiered wedding cakes. Throughout the years I have made numerous cake sculptures. From stadiums such as Fenway Park and the Yankee Stadium, things such as musical instruments, cameras, sneakers, designer handbags, etc., to animals such as dogs, elephants and horses to name a few. My favorite cake sculpture to make are cars. I’ve done sports cars such as Corvettes and Ferraris and classic cars such as the 1939 Packard and 1955 Ford Thunderbird. Although I am not a car enthusiast, I love making them because of the details. This is what sets me apart from other cake designers as I am able to create realistic looking cakes.

I am most proud of my win on Food Network’s Cake Wars. I was able to show my skills and talent in making cakes on national TV. It was a form of validation that I can compete among the best in the U.S and win!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Sadly, on October 31, 2022, I had to give up ownership of J&D Cakes to become a full-time caregiver for my elderly mom who accidentally fell and had hip replacement surgery. In order to continue my passion for making cakes, I created JPBaked Art (www.jpbakedart.com, @jpbakedart on Facebook and Instagram). I also got into creating digital content of cake demos and tutorials. I also started a Filipino cooking blog called Cooking for Pinoy Mom (www.cookingforpinoymom.com, @cookingforpinoymom on Facebook and Instagram) which chronicles my adventures in cooking since taking care of my mom.

I recently published my very first cake decorating book titled “Celebrating Pinoy Culture in Cakes” available on Amazon.com (https://a.co/d/24GoiSO). It’s a celebration of my Filipino culture where I also share some of my personal stories related to these edible creations. Writing a book has always been in my bucket list. It took me a little over a year to complete this book as I was doing this during the downtimes of taking care of my mom. I did everything from the book cover design and page layout to the manuscript, proofreading and photography so you can say it’s a one-man publishing team that created this book. Some cake projects include a Jeepney cake, Nipa Hut cake and a Filipino theme wedding cake. I also share some of my favorite cake recipes as well as cake decorating tips and techniques.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a cake artist is that I am able to create the cake of your dreams. It makes me happy when I see a kid’s excitement when he sees how his favorite cartoon character comes to life in his birthday cake. It makes me proud when a bride sends me a photo of their wedding cake cutting ceremony to show that it was a highlight of their celebration. I’m just glad that I was able to make all my customers’ celebrations more special and memorable.

Contact Info:

• Website: www,jpbakedart.com
• Instagram: @jpbakedart
• Facebook: @jpbakedart
• Other: TikTok: @jpbakedart