27/07/2025

ON SUNDAY JULY 27, 2025 theSunday Special IX

It doesn’t need to be complicated to look beautiful.”

Farah

P ROLVKHG ¿QLVK For many, decorating is where things start to feel intimidating, but it doesn’t need to be complicated to look beautiful. Farah believes that with a few thoughtful choices, home bakers can elevate their cakes without requiring a complete set of professional tools. “Start with the right frosting. If you’re working in a warm home kitchen, fresh cream won’t hold up. You’ll need some thing more stable, like buttercream,” she said. She also stresses the importance of understanding the basic steps. “From filling and crumb coating to ¿QDO GHFRUDWLRQ IROORZLQJ WKH ULJKW RUGHU PDNHV DOO WKH GL̆ HUHQFH $QG GRQ¶W IRUJHW to chill your cake properly between each step. It helps set the structure and makes

accurately. Invest in a proper scale and measuring spoons. Second, start with a simple recipe you enjoy. $ SUHPL[ LV SHUIHFWO\ ¿QH LI \RX¶UH MXVW JHWWLQJ XVHG to the process. Once you’re comfortable, PRYH RQ WR EDNLQJ IURP VFUDWFK $QG lastly, have fun with it. It’s okay if your cake doesn’t look Instagram-worthy. Mistakes are part of the journey.” To learn and grow, Farah believes it’s important for aspiring bakers to step outside their comfort zone and surround themselves with others who share the same passion. “ ,W¶V DOZD\V JRRG WR H[SRVH \RXUVHOI WR the community. You learn new techniques, discover fresh ideas and realise that every one starts somewhere,” she advised. Speaking at the second event of Cake Piknik, a dessert-focused gathering of bak ers and creators, reminded her just how powerful that kind of connection can be. “I spend so much time in the studio, so being able to meet fellow bakers, hear their stories and share mine was such a KXPEOLQJ H[SHULHQFH ´

decorating so much easier.” Start small, bake bold

For beginners, Farah has three golden rules to help build confidence in the kitchen. “First, always measure your ingredients

Farah … “Baking is a skill that can be nurtured over time.”

“I was honestly surprised by the sheer talent on display. We see so many cakes online, but seeing the work up close and meeting the people behind those master pieces was truly inspiring.” W HGGLQJV DQG ZRUNVKRSV $ s Sooji Cakes continues to grow, Farah is turning her attention to new creative territory. “ ,¶P FXUUHQWO\ H[SHULPHQWLQJ ZLWK wedding cake designs,” she said. “We’ve started accepting clients for ZHGGLQJV VR ,¶P H[FLWHG WR SOD\ ZLWK QHZ aesthetics and eventually create my own signature style in that space.” Beyond weddings, she’s also working on making baking education more ac cessible. “We’re developing our online course for baking and cake decorating,” she shared. “Most of my followers are home bakers and they’re eager to improve, but many live far away or can’t attend physical classes regularly. For beginners, especially, a one-time session is often not enough. I want to create a virtual class they can return to, practise at their own SDFH DQG JURZ PRUH FRQ¿GHQW LQ WKHLU kitchens.”

The vision was always to create beautiful cakes, but with the right size and portion.