Interview with Mike McCarey of Mike's Amazing Cakes

The Business of Baking Podcast

I'm really excited today to get to chat to Mike McCarey of Mikes Amazing Cakes, located in Redmond, Washington! I feel that everybody knows who he is because he is truly one of the bright lights in our industry, known for his amazing sculptural work and also because he really is such a nice guy!

To be honest, I actually think that he's kind of famous just for being a guy, in this very female dominated industry! I've admired Mike for a long time and last year, at Cake International he really knocked my socks off! When I went up to him there, he even knew who I was, so that was pretty cool.

In addition to running his bakery in the US, Mike has been teaching across the world. He offers five classes as a Craftsy Instructor and he also teaches in person, at his premises in Washington. Several friends of mine have done his three-day Master Class and it's definitely on my cake bucket list!

Mike is a dad to sixteen-year-old Olivia and he's also just a really awesome guy who's appeared on television a whole bunch of times. I'm pretty sure that you all know who Mike is and if you don't, we're going to educate you about that on the show today, so listen in now, as we find out more about Mike and the business behind Mike's Amazing Cakes.

Show highlights:

• Mike explains all about his business and he discusses how many cakes they bake on average, per week. He also explains which lines are the most popular and which are the most profitable.
• Although Mikes sculpted cakes make his business unique and give it identity, they're still not the bread and butter of the business.
• The Home College Laws have really opened the door to much more competition, so Mike explains the impact this has, on his business.
• Mike explains why he does every Wedding Show that he can.
• The types of cakes that Mike and his team show, at their booth at the Wedding Shows.
• Cake TV helped Mike in the beginning, for exposure, but he's been battling to break a false impression that many people have.
• Mike's background as a trained pastry chef allows him to do things really quickly, so he explains how this benefits him.
• Mike will do a cake for $20, if required- or one for $2000. He explains how it would impact him financially if he were to decide to set a minimum price point.
• Mike explains why he doesn't make his own flowers.
• Mike spends the majority of his time in the kitchen, as that's where his strength lies, so he explains how he manages to deal with the business and the administrative side of things.
• The creative side of a Cake Business has to give way to the business end, so Mike discusses some sacrifices that need to be made, in order to make a profit.
• Mike's secret to his longevity in this industry.
• Mike discusses the most popular flavours in his shop.
• Mike explains what he'd be doing today if he wasn't a baker.
• Mike explains about the new cake class concept that he's starting in his shop. Email Mike for details.

Resources:

Connect with Mike at www.mikesamazingcakes.com.

Email Mike: [e-mail]

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