Fondant ruffles, stone textured finishes and sequin burst cakes are just a few of the many uniquely modern options Sophie Roseanna Cakes has on offer. Taking wedding cakes to new heights with a stunning range of colours, textures, and shapes. Sophie Roseanna Cakes are known for their mouth watering signature flavours such as chocolate, vanilla or lemon syrup, as well as unique combos such as elderflower champagne and berry, or espresso martini cake with salted rum caramel. We are delighted to have spoken with Sophie about her incredible journey from hobby to full functioning business and what’s in store for the future.
Can you tell us about your beautiful business and how you started?
Sophie Roseanna Cakes started in a little town called Gore! I was busy in my final years of high school, and instead of concentrating on my exams and tests, I was far too preoccupied by the art of baking. Friends and family were always my go to cake testers (lucky them), and slowly but surely, I had people asking to buy them. Cupcakes turned in to cake, cakes turned into weddings and next thing I knew, I had a reputation for my creations.
After moving up to Queenstown, I took a small break and it wasn’t until a couple years ago, when my partner gave me the nudge I needed — I really pushed for an impact with my cakes — from the way they taste to the last couple of details, I knew I needed every aspect to compliment each other. Through all the failed cakes and the stresses of starting my own business, I’ve really grown into myself, I know where I want to go and where I would like to end up with Sophie Roseanna Cakes, and I can’t wait to take you all along with me.
What is your brand ethos and what drives your business forward?
We have always been big on flavour! And I think that’s the way it should be — we get clients telling us the cake was even better than they imagined, because how can something look amazing and taste just as good!? We want to make sure our clients are always excited about the whole journey of their cake, so we don’t skip any parts – from figuring out your style, to the flavour combos, and how to incorporate your personality into a cake. No two cakes are the same, and we love how each of our couples get something truly unique and special.
As a cake designer, finding my brand has been interesting! We love an elegant white cake with fondant ruffles, but we also love a vintage piped cake with red cherries on top. For us, it’s about taking your inspiration and creating something that works in a bit of complexity and personalisation.
We know that cake styles are forever evolving and that’s what creates our drive! We are always relearning techniques and finding inspiration for our next cakes.
How would you summarise your style and what couples would be a great fit for you?
Our style right now would be elegant, modern, sophisticated, unique, but also fun, bright, and bold. (Bit of a wild mix, right?!) We love using all the flowers on our cakes, there is no better way to finish a design.
I think the greatest thing about our brand is that we cater for all couples! You can choose a semi naked cake with white florals, and it’ll look breathtaking. Or you can choose a 3 tier centrepiece that includes all the bells and whistles. Either way, there’s a place for everyone. We definitely like to stand out from the crowd, which I think a lot of couples are going for at the moment.
What are your favourite cake trends currently and where do you draw inspiration from?
I never use to like working with fondant — it was always a bit risky and out of our comfort zone, until we started working for White Rabbit Cakes one summer – she made it look effortless.
I actually can’t get enough of it now. The different textures and movements you can create with fondant is really cool, and so now I really look forward to a fondant cake – we really do recommend trying out this finish (you can always just peel it off before eating too!)
My inspiration comes from all the amazing cake makers out there, local and far afield. We also use our surroundings, anything from nature to snow capped mountains, to the autumnal colours while the seasons change. I’m also a trained interior designer, so I think this has been where I’ve been able to come up with different designs and colour combinations. It’s been really helpful!
We have seen a huge rise in elopements, is this something you cater for and if so could you please tell us about how couples can organise a cake with you for an elopement and what are some favourites for this downsized occasion?
We love an elopement! Some of my favourite cake designs have been from our mini cake range, they’re so fun to create and we can still do so much with the design. We are currently obsessing over square mini cakes — keep them simple with some white florals, or add some gold leaf detailing for a bit of sparkle.
For our elopement cakes, we have a couple of sizing options to choose from to keep it simple, or we can customise a range of sizes but in a mini version. These can be enquired through our website via our wedding tab, or organised through email where I can talk you through whats best suited for your day. From there, we get to talk styles, flavours and add ons!
Tell us about your flavour options and what are your signature cakes?
Sophie Roseanna Cakes offers a range of flavours, and we are always happy to customise to suit our couples taste buds! We have your signature flavours such as chocolate, vanilla or lemon syrup, as well as unique combos such as elderflower champagne and berry, or espresso martini cake with salted rum caramel. The cake should taste just as good (if not better) than it looks, so we are always learning and perfecting out techniques.
Do you cater to dietary diverse clients? And what are your options?
Absolutely! All our cakes can be made gluten friendly, and we have a separate menu for our vegan friends. Theres no dietary we can’t cater for, so we welcome everyone to enjoy some cake!
For couples wanting to cater to a large guest list with an array of tastebuds, how would you recommend going about this?
For larger events, we recommend having a large two or three tiered cake, with an array of desserts. Whether this be cupcakes for each guest, or a platter of macarons, cake pops and tartlets for everyone to graze on. This means your friends and family get to choose what they devour for dessert, and get to try a bit of everything.
We also recommend including favours for the end of the night — DIY s’more kits, or personalised cookies are a great way to say thank you and the perfect finish to your big day!
Can you recommend a service for cake transportation in your area?
Currently, we only offer pick up or delivery for our cakes. For larger cakes and weddings, we prefer to transport and set up on site so we know your cake is perfect for when you and your guests arrive. This also means we can place on florals and extra details to finish off your design.
For clients wanting to try our cakes and treats out of the area, we can courier particular items such as cake tastings, macarons and cake pops through overnight delivery.
How far in advance should couples book with you?
The sooner the better! Anytime from 6 – 12 months, this way we can lock in your date, and finalise styles and flavours closer to your event.
Do you have a Pinterest our couples can pin your cakes for inspiration?
Yes, we have recently created a Pinterest for our cakes! We are also pinning any inspiration and designs we love for potential clients to see whats out there and to think outside the box. Follow here — SophieRoseannaCakes
What have been your favourite cakes to create and have you worked on any exciting projects you would like to share with us?
Our favourite cakes have been the ones that took us out of our comfort zones and had to push our experience and knowledge a little further. Fondant ruffles and stone textured finishes have been some of our most loved, as well as our sequin burst cake which took most of the day to complete, but was so unbelievably worth it.
Every wedding or styled shoot we have been apart of has been amazing and we have enjoyed getting to know different vendors and see how the day flows.
We really enjoyed working out at Mt Isthmus, just past Lake Hawea. The venue was breathtaking, overlooking the lake and mountains. We created our cake based on the style and colourings of the interior. Our idea was to produce a sharp structure with a rough finish for contrast, as well as gold hues to shine during golden hour. The architecture throughout has been thought out so the space blends into the nature around it. It is definitely one of my favourite venues, very cozy but modern and elegant. We worked with some amazing people, from the photographer/ videographers, to the florist and the make up artists. It was a beautiful day and we learned so much by being there.
Lastly, what are your dreams for your business and what’s next for you?
We can only hope that Sophie Roseanna Cakes continues to produce cakes that look unique and stand out from the crowd — we want our couples to have the best. Our goal is to push the limits with our designs and concepts, carry on producing delicious products and learn with every project we take on. With the world opening back up, we’d love to take part in cake decorating courses so we can evolve even more with our work and style.
We are very excited for the wedding seasons ahead, and cannot wait to see what the next trend with be and what our clients will choose for their masterpiece of a cake!
To book in with the wonderful Sophie Roseanna Cakes pop over to their vendor collection listing here.
