We recently connected with Monica Ingles and have shared our conversation below.

Monica, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?

In the world of cake making and decorating, the common misconception is that it is easy. Why? Because big box stores and grocery stores have incorporated cake making (as well as other desserts) into the catalog of items sold.
To the general public, those who may not have experienced the delight and deliciousness of a bakery made cake–an artist made cake-a cake is a cake. Whether it is a par baked cake from their local grocer, slathered in a chemical cocktail labelled as “buttercream” or, a hand measured and mixed cake with hand measured and mixed buttercream, it is simply a “cake.”
Our cake studio is akin to an artist studio. We do creative work, in the form of edible art and we also don’t have the cushion of a deli or home ware department to defray the cost of the bakery department. The wonderful folks at those big stores also aren’t typically classically trained in the art of cake decorating and sculpting. They are trained enough to produce a large quantity of treats that can sell for a much better price since they are made en masse and, often by machinery.
What we do at our cake studio is bespoke. We take orders and bake and create items for custom orders. We do offer some “dessert counter delights” but, those are also made in house and with great care.
A great misunderstanding for us is that we should be able to price our cakes the way the grocery stores do. The truth is, what they call cake and what we call are to distinctively different things.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My sister and business partner and I have owned Sorella’s Cake Studio for 19 years at the end of March. Last year, on our 18th anniversary, we closed on the purchase of a cake supply store in our hometown, Kitchen Creations. We thought it was a perfect addition to our sweet making family. Selling supplies to our community of sweet makers!
My sister and I started our business in November of 2005 in my basement. I was a stay at home mom of three boys and she was a daycare provider. We had both reached the limits of doing those jobs. The day we discussed our feelings on the future, is the day Sorella’s (the Italian word for sisters) was born. By March of 2006, we had a brick and mortar store and began the challenging and amazing adventure of our lifetime.
I am most proud of the exceptionally talented staff we have-truly our co workers-who put their heart and soul into everything they do and who keep our dream alive. We have been blessed with true artists and people who walk our mission, vision and values with us every day.
We offer heartfelt, authentic client relations, We are truly beholden to our clients for supporting us on this journey and people come from far and wide to get the Sorella’s treatment.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I would have to say our two main goals are inclusion and accessibility. We open our door to every beautiful facet of humanity and we take pride in doing so. Inside of inclusion, lies the truth of accessibility. We know that inside the welcoming blanket of inclusion is the opportunity for people to be able to access the goods and services we provide. We know that our craft is a luxury and, can come with a luxury price tag. While we do not cut ourselves short, as we are committed to furnishing our employees with a fair living wage, we don’t place a ridiculous minimum spend on potential clients. We want to meet everyone where they at in a mutually respectful and beneficial interaction.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I highly recommend Zingerman’s Guide to Giving Great Service-Treating your customers like royalty. It was a concise read that illuminated the Zingermans standard of service and I was able to apply that philosophy (with tweaks) to my client relations.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sorellascakestudio.com
• Instagram: Sorella’s Cake Studio
• Facebook: Sorella’s Cake Studio
• Yelp: Sorella’s Cake Studio

Image Credits

These were all taken by our staff