Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Salma Tariq. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Growing up we didn’t bake at all even though we owned an oven. My mother usually made traditional Indian food that does not need baking. I baked my first cake ever as a junior in college. When I came to the US I witnessed my college friends bake nonchalantly like it wasn’t a big deal. I was intrigued by the whole process. I remember watching Buddy on TV on the Big Boss show and I absolutely loved his style. He once made a ‘lobster’ cake which was super realistic. I was amazed at how real his ice cubes looked that he made out of isomalt. After watching a few episodes I was determined to also make an unconventional cake with realistic details. I remember missing my chemistry lab so I could finish making a 3 tiered apple orchard cake. I shared it with my friends and I got a lot of ‘wows’ and ‘you should sell these’ type of comments. It was exhilarating to know I wasn’t so bad at it after all. I was starting to really enjoy baking. Eventually I graduated, years passed, life happened, I moved a lot and didn’t have time to bake anymore. Several years later when my life got more stable I came across Amber Spiegel’s cookie work from Sweet Ambs. I was so impressed by her delicate style of cookie art, I wanted to try my hands on sugar cookies and royal icing, which was the dawn of my cookie art journey. I consider myself a self taught baker. To learn and get better at anything one must practice, and that’s exactly what I did. Couple of months after I started trying my hands on cookies, I started my Instagram and Facebook page. I was humbled by the response, I got with 200 followers in the first month and I was on cloud number 9. I remember getting my first order before I had even decided to start selling, a sweet friend of my sister in law was determined to have me make her engagement cookies. I took the order with a lot of hesitation as I didn’t have much experience, but I was pleasantly surprised by the end result. Once I had posted on my page about my first order, I started getting many more. I got overwhelming at times and had trouble juggling baking and handling new customers.
I do take orders and make whatever my customers would like me to make but I do make cakes and cookies that aren’t for orders but just to try new techniques to satiate the creative bone in me. I specialize in royal icing cookies and buttercream cakes.
As I had mentioned earlier, I love the art of make unique and realistic cakes and cookies. To achieve this I use different techniques like shading by painting or air brushing. I loved using different mediums to achieve the look of my craft. I use materials such as wafer paper, isomalt, fondant, gumpaste, sugar sheets, etc.
As the owner of Frosted Confection, I provide my customers with different goodies. Beside cakes and cookies, I take orders for cakesicles, chocolate covered Oreos, and cupcakes. I also create non edible cake toppers.
Even though its not in my best interest to take orders from customers who challenge my artistry as it can be stressful, it is always a treat to view my craft with great pride when the order is ready for pick up. Although I do like to give my customers more than they ask for. I strongly believe in customer satisfaction. To hear back good words from the people who ordered always warms my heart and gives me a good dose of dopamine boost which makes it all worth it.
I take great pride in my ability to work with colors, shapes and proportions which helps me generate my own unique designs. Every time a customer asks me to replicate a design, I always tell them that if they want to order something from my home bakery, its surely going to be unique. I do take inspiration from other designs but I do not make replicas of someone else’s work. I feel that it is disrespectful to the artist of the original design and to the artist being ask to replicate.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

As an artist you are constantly learning new techniques to better your art. The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is watching yourself grow, watching yourself create in a way you had never imagined, garnering a sense of confidence in the field.

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

While I love creating my art, the reason I make sure to create time for it is because I want my young daughters to watch me work on my passion so they can learn to never put theirs to the side.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/frostedconfection
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/frostedconfection