We were lucky to catch up with Komeh Ottison recently and have shared our conversation below.
Komeh, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
As a cake artist, cake art is something we love and are passionate about, so being able to share this gift with other people gives pleasure seeing the excitement and smiles upon receiving their cake. One thing that is special to CakEffect, is the CakeAngel program. CakEffect CakeAngels was created to share our love and passion with families that are impacted by the critical illness of a child.
We understand that families dealing with critical illness, that the simple things, like a birthday cake, may be a luxury. Our goal is to create a cake that will create a temporary escape that creates a happy memory during a difficult time.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Komeh is a native of Detroit, Michigan and later migrated to Birmingham as a teen. She graduated from Alabama A&M university with a BA in Commercial and Advertising Art, and also became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She later accomplished a major goal receiving her Juris Doctorate in 2004. Komeh’s true passion has always been art, and she’s been featured in several art exhibits for her artistic imagination and unmatched creativity.
Baking has always been in her blood, and CakEffect is the perfect outlet for Komeh giving her the ability to artistically express herself through baking the most delectable treats you ever want to taste. Komeh credits her mother, Naomi Truman, for her baking skills as she is solely responsible for her learning to bake. We all know that a mom can be convincing, and Naomi encouraged Komeh to put her artistic design talents to work. Not only was Naomi Komeh’s biggest fan, she was also the biggest critic making sure treats tasted as good as they looked. With the guidance and encouragement of her mother, the first CakEffect storefront opened in 2011 in Homewood. In 2019 CakEffect relocated to The Village at Brock’s Gap in Hoover, AL.
CakEffect’s customers range from all over the country including Stephen A. Smith of ESPN, Marcel Dareus, free agent, Mac Jones of the New England Patriots, Quincy Williams and Quinen Williams of the New York Jets, Sir Charles Jones and Chante Moore. Additionally, Komeh has been featured locally on Absolutely Alabama, Good Morning Alabama and nationally on the Food Network’s hit show, Bakers vs. Fakers. CakEffect also won Alabama Retailer of the Year in 2017.
CakEffect is the little cake shop with a grand effect. Our bakery specializes in custom cakes for almost any event or occasion. Komeh Ottison is the CEO/master cake artist of CakEffect. With a background in visual arts, canvas art is transformed to cake. All cakes are baked to order and designed to our customer’s specifications.
CakEffect specializes in sculpted two-dimensional and three-dimensional cakes. CakEffect provides beautiful, delicious cakes to many satisfied customers each year. We have an association of artists and bakers who are capable of meeting personal and corporate needs.
Our deliciously moist, artistic, and elegantly designed cakes will be remembered by you, your family and friends as a wonderful touch to your event.
CakEffect is a great location to host your next party. We offer great packages that can be found on our website.
Looking for a great lunch spot. CakEffect offers great lunch selections, from sandwiches to salads and you can find our signature chicken salad. We also have cupcakes, cookies, donuts and other treats that can be purchased daily. And don’t forget to grab a cool slush and our flavored lemonades.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding thing as a cake artist is seeing the excitement, the joy and the happiness you see on the faces of many. Knowing that you have just created a lasting memory for their special day.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
As a small business, we sometimes struggle with keeping employees, having to compete with large corporations are sometimes difficult for a small business. But we maintain even when we have to work until 2 or 3 in the morning and back by 5 or 6 am. Having those few loyal employees and myself, we continue to push through and do what’s needed to be done. After my back injury, I wasn’t sure what would happen. But I continued to work with the help of those loyal employees and continued to create as much as I could. I’m grateful for those employees, who have remained loyal and dedicated to CakEffect and continued to help CakEffect grow and prosper. 
Contact Info:
- Website: cakeffect.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/cakeffect
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/cakeffect
- TikTok: Cakeffect
Image Credits
Photos by CakEffect