The right ingredients


Owner Fatema places a delicious looking cake into an oven

Most people will ooh and aah over the gorgeous wedding cake creations on Food Network Challenge shows. Back in 2002, Fatema Nuruddin was also watching…fascinated by the intricacy and creativity that was involved. “I had no idea cakes could be such high-end art!” she exclaims. It was, as she describes it, her ‘eureka moment’. She decided right then, that she would become a cake decorator too!

Fatema was undeterred by the fact that she had never baked a cake before. Let alone tackled the complexities of fondant icing, sugar flowers, bows and curlicues! With the help of several how-to books, she taught herself to bake and decorate. “It was trial and error. Believe me, my family was tired of eating cake,” she says with a smile. The fact that she was artistic by nature was certainly a big plus. Soon, Fatema became well-known in her local community of Campbellsville, Kentucky for her delicious, beautiful cakes. When she and her husband Ammar moved with their family to Los Angeles, Fatema took the opportunity to work in one of Los Angeles’ finest bakeries. “It was a great experience with many talented people,” she says. She was quick to pick up decorating tips, especially the art of buttercream frosting. As importantly, she learnt a great deal about the commercial side of bakery operations.

The family moved again to the Tri-Valley area in 2004. Fatema was now confident enough to go it alone. She called her new business Cake Delight…sure that it would live up to its name. She found viable business premises in Livermore, California and started from the ground up. (The bakery is not a store-front but Fatema will meet clients here by appointment.) The first year was tough, combining the responsibilities of raising her two daughters Sakina and Zaharya, now 8 and 10 years old with the challenges of setting up a new business. She credits her husband and in-laws for their whole-hearted support of her new venture. “I am really passionate about my work. And I am very concerned about quality. I was working very long hours. But by the end of the first year, I was very happy…I knew it was going to work out,” she says.

In the catering/culinary world, personal recommendations can take you far. Once clients had tasted and seen her marvelous creations, the orders kept coming in. For birthdays, baby showers, anniversaries and what has become her specialty, weddings. Her cakes take center-stage at wedding venues like the Poppy Ridge Golf Course and the Bridges Golf Club, and wineries like Rios Lovell and the Martinelli Event Center. She tells us that she is on the preferred vendors list at many venues all over the region. Rebecca Armstrong of Poppy Ridge Golf Course says, “They are one of the best in town. I have been referring them to all our clients. Fatema and her husband are always accommodating, never late. They are very nice people and I enjoy working with them.”

Cake Delight also participates in several Bridal Fairs, where prospective brides and grooms can meet Fatema Nuruddin personally and share their dreams of the ‘perfect wedding cake’. When Gian Nguyen visited one of these fairs, she was very impressed with the sample cakes from Cake Delight. “I could tell that she was a really good artist and enjoyed her work,” says Nguyen. “Honestly, I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted at first,” she adds. “But Fatema was extremely helpful.” Gian Nguyen and fiancé Ryan Hill are looking forward to their September wedding and their splendid, elegant wedding cake.

Some couples come to Cake Delight with an unusual challenge. Jodina Jacks and Adam Ehle of Livermore had decided on a westernized-Chinese wedding theme to honor her Chinese heritage. They both fell in love with the idea of a ‘pagoda wedding cake’ for their August 15th wedding. But finding a baker willing to do this at a reasonable price was no easy task. Till they found Cake Delight on the internet. Fatema Nuruddin’s website showcased her creations in mouth-watering detail and Jodina was eager to meet her. “She was so excited and open to the idea,” says Jodina Jacks. “She has a passion for doing something out-of-the-ordinary.” Fatema also agreed to use rice krispy treats as a base, instead of the traditional cake, as this was a favorite with the bride and groom. Says Fatema, “I was excited about making the Pagoda Cake…it was a challenge!” Covered with fondant and butter-cream frosting and embellished like a wedding cake, it turned out to be an eye-catching work of art! 

Philippa Coelho
Cake Delight
Livermore, California
925-373-7786
www.cakedelight.com

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