Erika’s love of baking was not a traditional path.  But then again, Erika rarely does anything the conventional way.  She did not grow up baking nor did she learn it from her mother or grandmother; she put her mind to it and made it happen. Upon her oldest daughter’s first birthday, she wanted to celebrate by creating a showstopper of a cake, but the price for elaborate and spectacular cake creations were out of her price range. As a fan of the television show Cake Boss, she set her sights on a cake of that magnitude and made it a goal to create one herself. Erika had never even made a cake from a box, let alone a custom cake. While her ambition and ability did not match at that time, it sparked a challenge within her and she was determined to tackle this goal. Tirelessly, she tried over and over again until she sought out making a cake not only at the same level but excelling at it.