I make Beyoncé’s birthday cakes – some easy ingredient substitutes will help you bake fancy confections on a budget
WHEN it comes to celebrating her birthday, Beyoncé trusts only one bakery to make it as sweet as possible.
Philadelphia-based Cake Life Bake Shop has already made a couple of Mrs. Carter’s birthday cakes, plus countless other treats to satisfy the superstar’s sweet tooth.
NOT ALL INGREDIENTS ARE IRREPLACEABLE
Nima Etemadi, co-owner of Cake Life Bake Shop, shared his tasty tips for baking a cake fit for royalty like Queen Bey on a budget with The U.S. Sun.
By switching out some of the costliest ingredients with less pricey ones, you can now have your cake and eat it too.
“Some ingredients, like nuts, chocolate, and alcohol, can raise the cost of your baking really quickly,” Etemadi said.
“I recommend sticking with flavor-forward ingredients where a little goes a long way,” he continued.
“These include things like spices, espresso, caramel, raspberries, and citrus, especially the zest.”
DECORATE LIKE A DIVA
Etemadi, whose most popular items include cupcakes, cookies, and croissants, shared the money-saving item that can make a big difference in your baking technique.
“For making beautiful desserts on a budget, invest in an offset spatula,” he said.
This pro tip is certainly affordable — Amazon offers an offset spatula for $6.99 that gives you more control while icing your own homemade masterpiece.
Want to decorate like a skilled baker?
He also has some easy tricks for expertly elevating the look of your edible treats.
“Be careful adding too many colors before you can control them properly,” he said.
“Your cake can look grey and off-putting very quickly,” he continued.
“Instead, try getting the look and texture you want in one color, then add garnish in accent colors for pop, like fruit or edible flowers.”
If you plan on implementing these methods for a fancy event or “wow” wedding cake, you’ll want to test your skills before the big day — way before.
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“Make sure to try the recipes and techniques in advance,” he said.
“You don’t want the wedding cake to be your first experiment with them.”
STAR SWEETS
Etemadi also knows that just one cake is too basic when baking for Beyoncé.
“We have baked for two of her birthdays, but several cakes each time,” he said.
He shared the former Destiny’s Child member’s most requested flavors — and the best part is you can try them for yourself.
“Right now you can get our Funfetti and Peaches ‘n’ Cream Cakes, both of which were amongst her birthday favorites,” he said.
Both recipes are also available in slices and even cupcakes.
He has since made dozens of tasty delights for Beyoncé and her team, with one consistent order — their signature petal-pistachio cookies.
DESTINY’S DESSERT
He can still recall the first time he was asked to bake for the Texas Hold ‘Em singer while she was performing in town.
“We essentially freaked out! What else can you do? It seemed too good to be true!” he said.
The precious birthday cake cargo even had its own space.
He and his team personally delivered the cake backstage at the Made In America concert where it had its own designated room marked “Beyoncé Cake.”
Being tasked with creating a celebratory cake for the Cowboy Carter singer might have been hard to believe for the bakery owner, but this wasn’t his first rodeo making sweets for the stars.
Etemadi has baked cakes for everyone from Lizzo to Ali Wong to Will Smith, and many others.
