You couldn't get bigger extremes than those faced by cake maker Debbie Vanstone. One minute she can be replicating Hogwarts Castle from Harry Potter for a child and the next she can be creating a bondage themed cake for an adult. Anything goes at Mad Cakes, and Debbie wouldn't have it any other way, discovers Anita Merritt
Despite the name of her cake business, there's nothing mad about Debbie Vanstone because the crazy cakes designs she creates mostly start from the imaginative ideas of her customers.
It is then down to Debbie to transform their vision into an edible masterpiece that will be talked about for a long time.
In the two and a half years Mad Cakes has been based at Bakers Yard in Marsh Barton, Exeter, Debbie has never made two cakes the same.
It means no two days are ever the same, and during one such day she recently handed over a cupcake creation for a girl's 18th party, a Despicable Me children's cake, and a personalised rugby cake complete with rugby posts and player.
"Anything goes!" she laughs. "Customers often come in with an idea and they go out with something completely different as they don't realise what can be done on a cake.
"It's the same with wedding cakes. Brides and grooms come in with a story about themselves such as how they met and the things they like which is then interpreted onto their cake.
"One bride wanted on her cake a hedgerow, a Nissan Navara truck, their two children and two dogs, the groom wearing wellies, as he was a landscape gardener, and carrying a gun as he liked going shooting. She also wanted two poppies to represent two friends who had died in Afghanistan, and a ladybird and bee to represent the mothers-in-law. The cake was presented on a handmade board of oak.
"I also like to hide a surprise in the cake such as a hedgehog in this case because it fitted with their theme.
"The bride screamed when she saw the cake because she thought it was so amazing."
The unveiling of the cake is always an anxious moment for Debbie, but customers can request a sneaky preview of what's to come.
"It is a bit scary, especially wedding cakes, because it's the only thing they can't control – apart from the weather!" says Debbie.
"That's why I like to deliver it before the wedding so they can have a good look at it or I can email a picture of it."
When I meet Debbie she is busy using a new skill she has learnt to create 3D roses for another wedding cake. I marvel at how delicate and lifelike they look, but when I comment that she must have the patience of a saint, she simply laughs and says: "I'm not patient and I've got a memory like a sieve. It comes with practice.
"Years ago everything was handmade but now there's a mould and cutter for everything. It's sad in some ways as that talent of the older generation is disappearing. My uncle was a confectioner and did all his royal icing by piping. Now you rarely have to pipe as you use a mould instead, and that's why so many people do it themselves now at home.
"Cake making is totally different now. In two and a half years I have not been asked once to do royal icing. It's also not often I get asked for a whole fruit cake, usually it's just a small one for the top tier. Now it's carrot, lemon, chocolate cake – you name it. We also make gluten free cakes and charge the same prices as our other cakes."
What sets Mad Cakes head and shoulders above the rest is that not only do its cakes look amazing, they taste incredible too. What Debbie won't tolerate is a dry cake and her secret is going back to basics.
You won't find a packet cake mix in sight as everything is made from scratch in small batches using locally sourced ingredients. The only helping hand she gets is her trusty small mixer.
Passing me a cupcake to sample how moist her cakes are, Debbie says: "My cupcakes are very moist and last for two weeks because I use fresh ingredients. The eggs are from a local farm and the non-profit wholesaler I use is based in Cullompton.
"The secret to a moist cupcake is using yoghurt and ground almonds. It's based on a recipe I came across and have changed slightly.
"Cupcakes fizzled out a bit last year but this year they've made a come back. I get commercial orders ranging from the RD&E for its Extraordinary People Awards, to cupcakes for a female genital mutilation charity. I had certainly never tried creating a vagina on a cupcake before!
"I try to be affordable and that's why people come back again when they need another cake. Everyone loves cakes and I know I always have."
You'd think that Debbie would never be short of cake tasters, but that's not always the case.
"My children are sick of cup cakes and ask for something different," she confesses. "Everybody likes my chocolate cake though because it's more like a chocolate brownie. Again it's moist because I can't bear a dry cake. I've got a bit of an obsession with cakes not being dry, especially fruit cakes.
"The trick is using the right ingredients and timing in the oven is crucial."
Although Debbie might be meticulous with time keeping, she's much more relaxed when it comes to measurements.
The ingredients for her butter icing are estimates based on taste rather than being carefully measured out.
"You know you've put enough in of something when it tastes right," explains Debbie. "An elderly man commented that my cakes taste just like his gran used to make and it's probably because I put double cream in it to give that extra creamy taste."
Debbie's passion for baking began with making cakes for family and friends who encouraged her to set up her own cake making business.
"It was having the confidence to make that step, but as my children got older I looked into it," recalls Debbie. "I didn't want to take out a loan because if it didn't work out I wouldn't have lost anything."
Those early fears have been unfounded because business is now booming, and Debbie's reputation for creating something extraordinary has spread not just throughout Devon, but also abroad with cakes orders from South Africa, Sweden and Canada.
"I do like a challenge," admits Debbie. "I used to work in an office and every day was the same. Now no two days are the same. I love it.
"Cupcakes are my favourite. When I finish a cupcake bouquet I stand back and smile at my cakes. It's a bit weird, hence the name Mad Cakes!
"Actually the name come from the fact all our cakes are crazy. They're not classic cakes at all. A new idea I've come up with is using cupcakes with flowers on as centre pieces on tables at weddings. I also decorate cupcakes with names to double up as place settings and the dessert. I'm all for saving money!"
Mad Cakes also runs regular classes for adults and children to learn new cake craft skills, as well as birthday parties. Call 07598 339863 or visit www.madcakesexeter.co.uk
