sugar & champagne

Many people ask how I began baking. Well, when it comes to decorative cakes, it all began when my sister asked me to make her 17th birthday cake back in 2011. But the truth is that my passion for baking began at a much younger age. My great-grandma, Otilla, was Polish and was known for being an amazing cook and baker. She taught my mom how to bake who in turn passed those skills on to me. Tillie was a Pawlik Family legend, and her chocolate pound cake was what dreams are made of. It didn't matter which day of the week you stopped by her house, she would always have something sweet ready to eat. As I grew up, my mom carried on this tradition. I'm not sure if it was Grandma Tillie inspiring her, or if my dad just had an overly-active sweet tooth, but some of the fondest childhood memories I have are sitting in dad's lap licking the beaters clean of homemade chocolate chip cookie dough. Talk about what dreams are made of! As I grew older, I began picking up the whisk and cracking eggs myself. I loved trying new recipes and coming up with flavor combinations for cakes and cupcakes, but I never saw baking as a career path. I went off to college, received my B.A. in Interior Design, and planned on working in the design field. But little did I know that the design skills I had learned in school would take my love for baking to an entirely new level. With every cake I created for a family member or friend, I saw my skills strengthen