Success for Alex is the icing on the cake

WHEN it comes to unusual cake requests there isn't much that Alex Pulfer attempt.

"I once made quite a detailed cake of a lady giving birth," said the 33-year-old. "It was for a baby shower present and I think it went down really well.

"I also made a curry-design cake for my husband's birthday, with chillies and rice, as he loves curry. I hasten to add that it didn't taste anything like curry, as that would have been rather unpleasant."

Based in Stockleigh English, near Crediton, Alex, of Hollyford Cakes, makes beautifully decorated occasion cakes and cupcakes.

The former primary school teacher has been in business for just six months and does all the baking from her home, where she lives with her husband, Matthew, and their two children, Tilly, three, and Ben, two.

"It just started out as a bit of a hobby," said Alex. "I made cakes for friends' birthdays. Everyone kept raving about them and I realised that I was sitting on a potentially good business opportunity so decided to make a go of it."

Alex has always had a passion for baking.

"As a five-year-old I always used to make birthday cakes for my family," she recalled. "I remember spending a lot of time decorating them and making them look pretty. Everyone always said they tasted nice, even back then."

Alex will make whatever cakes her customers desire. Her website boasts a fruitful gallery of her handiwork, from a individually handmade rose-covered tiered wedding cake to a jungle scene cake for child's birthday.

Varieties of sponge on offer include Victoria, chocolate, fruit and carrot cake.

Before heading to the kitchen to start a cake, Alex gets out her sketchbook.

"I always sketch the design of the cake first, which helps me to visualise how it will look," she said. "With the children's cakes you have to be accurate. There is a lot to think about regarding the colours people want, getting matching ribbons and making the decorations to go on top."

Alex believes that the secret to taste lies in using good-quality ingredients.

"I try to source all my ingredients locally wherever possible," she said. "I use butter and free-range eggs from a neighbouring farm.

"You can really see a noticeable improvement when using free-range eggs, because they make the cake a different, more vibrant colour. Plus, being based in a small village, I think it is important to support other local producers.

"I always use real vanilla extract rather than vanilla essence as this makes a huge difference to the taste."

Alex relies on the recipes she was taught as a child for her Victoria sponge.

"I use the old-fashioned method of balancing out the flour, sugar and vanilla extract with the amount of eggs I add," she said. "But I also have a trusty cook book from the Little Venice Cake Company in London. It makes the most amazing, inspiring cakes."

Despite the icing on Alex's cakes being a work of art, she doesn't actually like it.

"I can't stand eating icing," Alex said. "I never have done, even as a child. The first thing I do when eating a cake is peel it off. But I appreciate its merit for decorative purposes. Cakes look naked without it."

The icing is made out of sugar so it is really long-lasting. Alex said: "I make each rose individually, which is a dainty job."

Alex tries to concentrate on making one cake at a time. "One week I had three cakes to make for the same day," she said. "It didn't work as I ended up running out of space on the work surface and it became stressful, so I try to limit myself now.

"It is best if customers book me to make a cake in advance."

Alex bakes in her large farmhouse kitchen.

"My husband has kindly put up some extra shelves so I can dry the cakes," she said. "I like having Radio Four on in the kitchen to keep me company while I bake. Then I really get lost in my own little world and the time flies by. I have to keep the little ones out of the kitchen. They know when I need to finish a cake."

Cake prices vary between £30 and £200 plus for a tiered design. Alex said: "The price of a cake really depends on how much work goes into it."

Alex is happy to deliver within a 20-mile radius, including Exeter, Tiverton and Crediton. When I am delivering a cake I drive really carefully," she said. "I have nightmares of having to swerve and ruining a cake that has taken me weeks to prepare. Thankfully it has not happened yet.

"Although I would love to get a sign for the back window saying 'Careful — Cake On Board'."

For more information about Hollyford Cakes, call Alex on 01363 860155, or visit www.hollyfordcakes.com.