A SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS WEBSITE
Singapore, November 27, 2009 - These days, it seems like a simple wedding cake with a bridal topper is not enough for most couples. They want unique wedding cakes - it doesn't matter that it is going to be eaten anyway - that stand out and add status to their ceremonies. This is where Ms Riza Saidi comes into the picture. The baker and cake desinger, whose fondant creations have been adorning wedding celebrations all over Singapore for about seven years, knows how to make each cake unique. Her home business Sugarly Nice, which she runs with her partner Lena Johari, handles about 30 to 50 orders a month, more during the wedding season. And while most of her clients are from Malay community, she is seeing an increasing number of Indians asking for her sweet creations. Recently a client asked for a wedding cake with henna designs... and Ms Riza delivered. "People are more sophisticated and they want something different for their wedding, even the wedding cake has to be unique and memorable," she said. Her Indian clients ask for cakes that are mordern yet represent not only their personalities but their heritage as well. "Which is why talking to the couple is very important, so I know exactly what they are like and make a cake that represents them," she said. Ms Riza, who honed her baking skills by making cakes for her friends and relatives, has since done a baking course with Baking Industry Training Centre. Five years ago, she registered Sugarly Nice and used the Internet to advertise her creations. All her decorations are made of pure sugar, hence the name her name of her company, while all ingredients are halal. Prices range from $180 for a 3kg single tier cake to $1200 for an elaborately decorated 10kg seven tier cake. Besides nuptial creations, she also makes novelty cakes for birthday parties which are also popular among the local Indian clientele. She has done piano cakes, massive key-shaped concoctions and even a Taj Mahal cake that took her nearly a week to complete. The one thing she doesn't do is make figurines in the image of the clients or their children. She also tries to avoid painting the photos of the birthday boy or girl on the fondant. "It's a personal thing, you can call it superstition. If the cake figures or the photographs closely resemble the bridal couple or a child and you are going to cut them, I am not comfortable with that. I always suggest making a doll or a cartoony figure instead," she said. That said, she considers every cake order a personal challenge to come up with something new: "Making my customers happy is a passion for me. I feel I am more than just a baker, I am a designer and I always want to do more for them."
