We chat to Berkshire cake specialist Natalie of Cuppies 'n' Cream

Your Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wedding gets to know local wedding cake design Natalie Dickinson of Cuppies 'n' Cream based in Wokingham - perfect reading for those still looking for their wedding cake designer.


Where did your journey in to baking begin?Natalie says: I've always baked and can remember as a young child baking in the kitchen with my mum or grandma. Usually it would be something simple like cupcakes (or buns as we called them then) or scones even. I carried on baking throughout my whole life and then one day in 2011 decided to have a go at decorating some cupcakes for my niece that were a little fancier than usual. I posted a photo on my personal Facebook account and everything spiralled from there. Next thing I had a Facebook Page, a new pretty website and started delivering to local shops and cafes whilst slowly venturing into wedding cakes. Now I bake for all occasions, I teach cake decorating at The Cake College in Arborfield and I couldn't imagine not being a cake maker.

What's your favourite part of wedding cake designing/making? It's really hard to choose as I adore the baking side and love the fact that you can create something so delicious from such simple ingredients. I also love the moment where you're in the last couple of hours of decorating a cake and you can see all your work all coming together and what the final piece will eventually look like. Lastly, I love the smiles on my clients faces when they see their cake or cupcakes for the first time.

What's been your favourite cake design so far/why? It's really tricky to pick a favourite as every time I deliver a new cake I say it's my new favourite! I adore them all. I try to only ever take on cake orders where I know I'll love the end result and when they fit in with my design style. Cake decorating is creative and you have to enjoy making the design your working towards. That saying I'm quite a fan of pink girly designs and I love hand-painting too.

Top wedding tip for couples? Trust your cake maker and let them have the creative freedom to design something for you nobody else has had. Chat to them on email or the phone and see if you can build a relationship from the beginning. I always say ordering a cake from me is an experience and I truly mean that. I've made friends with some of my cake customers whilst we've been designing their cake and it really makes a difference. On a more practical note – do your research! It's a saturated industry and it's really important to check previous work and reviews too.

What's your go-to comfort-eating dessert? I have a huge sweet tooth but ultimately I'm a traditional dessert person at heart. Sticky toffee pudding, jam roly poly...oh and anything with rhubarb in, it's one of my most favourite flavours. My most favourite cake flavour however is Chocolate Orange.

Check out more delicious cake designs at https://www.cuppiesncream.co.uk