Meet our
experts: Cake decorator Shinobu Updyke
Our
talented team of cake decorators can create just about
anything under the sun for you (including the sun). This time of year they’re
especially popular with our customers looking for that perfect graduation cake.
If you live or work near our Lunds & Byerlys in Eagan, Shinobu Updyke has
all your sweet treat needs covered.
Q: What do
you do at Lunds & Byerlys?
A: I decorate everything from birthday cakes and cupcakes to
confirmation cakes and grad cakes. I enjoy creating sweet treats for my
customers. When a customer is looking for a special decoration or type of cake,
I really like taking their vision and putting it into my artwork.
One of the coolest cakes I’ve decorated was also one of the
hardest cakes to create. A few years ago, a Native American family requested a
special cake for a milestone birthday important in their culture. They brought
in the most beautiful drawing they wanted decorated on the cake; it was truly a
piece of art. I had to make sure it was perfect. There was a lot of preparation
to get everything just right and it took many hours. I would work in sections
around the cake to get everything perfect. They loved their cake, and I loved
bringing their masterpiece to life!
Q: What do
you like most about decorating cakes?
A: I really like everything about it! I love making our
customers happy. When they’re happy, I’m happy. I get so excited when I can
create something so beautiful for someone; it makes my job really fun. Once in
a while, the customer will ask for me to come out of the bakery to thank me
personally. I love seeing how happy they are.
Q: What’s
your background?
A: I’m from Japan and we don’t have the kind of cake
decorations over there that are so loved over here. I’ve never seen anything
like these cakes until I came here. I moved from Japan to Minnesota in 1990 and
started working at Byerly’s in 1995 as a bakery sales associate. As I learned
more about decorating and saw all the beauty someone could create on a cake, I
became really interested. I’ve been enjoying cake decorating ever since.
Q: How do
you create such beautiful cakes?
A: Knowing what the customer wants is key. I make sure to
read everything they’ve asked for in their order and clarify anything with them
before I begin. Next, I create a plan and am very organized before I start
decorating. After that, I let my creativity flow!
Q: Do you
have any advice for customers about ordering graduation cakes?
A: Please order
as soon as possible! Make sure you have plenty of time to get us the
information. Our busiest time of the year is right now – mid-May through
mid-July. We want to know the school your child is graduating from and if there
are specific colors you would like on the cake. It’s most helpful if you bring
in samples of those colors for us so we can make the best cake for you. If
Eagan isn’t your closest store, please see your store’s cake decorator to place
an order. They would be thrilled to have the opportunity to serve you!