About Mai
Sometimes, baking a cake can easily go wrong. One little hiccup can take you two steps back and then it’s panic stations! Do you start again? If you do, you realise you don’t have enough flour and you only have an hour to go. You’ve already invested time and money into making this cake so what do you do?
You are a busy person and finding your day job just doesn’t feed your creative soul. Or you’re a busy mum running around the kids and would love to find the time to bake just like you used to. You want to release the creative side of you but can’t find the time to do it and if you do, it would be nice not to feel stressed out about it. You love the idea of finding the time to bake cakes with ease and confidence.
If I was to use one word to describe where you are right now it would be “overwhelm”. You’re on the go all day and come the evening, you just don’t have the energy to bake an entire cake.
What if I were to say to you that it is possible to work a full time job, be with your family and have time to bake? I know you may think right now that it’s simply not possible and if it is, you’re not capable of doing it. Yes you may need someone to show you how to do all of this and how to fit this into your life. Yes you may need someone to help you build your confidence to learn and develop your cake decorating skills.
You can do this and I will show you how.
Hi my name is Mai (pronounced ‘my’) and I help bakers create cakes with grace and ease so that they feel proud to show off their cakes and say “Yes, I made that!”
Unlike other cake decorating tutors that don’t fully explain the steps, I will help build your artistic confidence and show you how you can have a successful bake no matter what, whilst saving you time and money.
I understand and know what it feels like to feel frustrated, disheartened and how you’ve wasted all of your time and money on something that you’re not happy with. It sucks, I know! And you wish there was some miracle where you could get someone to show and tell you exactly how to save it without having to spend hours searching on the Internet and waiting for people in forums to reply.
Thankfully, over the years, I’ve been able to learn the tricks and tools to create cakes of all styles, techniques and sizes. From cupcakes and cake pops to topsy-turvey and tiered wedding cakes and more.
It all started when I wanted to make my own wedding cake. I have several years’ experience of baking and cake decorating but making my own wedding cake was taking it to a whole new level. I spent countless days and hours searching on Google, being part of FaceBook groups, watching YouTube Videos and spending hundreds of pounds on courses because I didn’t actually have anyone I knew who I could ask for help and guidance. Although I wasn’t very confident as I felt like I didn’t have a lot of experience and limited abilities, I practiced at every opportunity I had to hone in on my skills and to discover the best techniques to make my wedding cake.
On the run up to my wedding day, I thought I was organised but I still ended up making my wedding cake until 11pm the night before my wedding! Also, I wasn’t entirely happy with my fondant roses and I had spent too long making my cake topper.
But…at the end of the day, I was so proud of myself because I made my own wedding cake (despite everyone telling me I was mad because not only was I working full time, I hand made all of the decorations, invitations, favours, gift bags…you name it I did it except for my wedding dress which I almost made but decided to buy one and tweak it a little! And I still had time to spend with my soon-to-be-husband, family and pug…oh and I did all of this in six months stress free!). Whenever I see my cake in my wedding photos, I always feel a sense of happiness and pride and although I say to myself that it could have been better, I’m still proud of what I was able to achieve.
I’ll never forget the compliments I had of my cake as it made me feel that all of the money, time and effort I put into it was worth it. My confidence grew and after the wedding, I was ready to explore and continue practicing so that I could become even better. As a result, my brother asked me to make his wedding cake which led me to starting M Bakery where I’ve been honoured to make several wedding and special occasion cakes, dessert and sweet treats.
And this is where the magic happens. I got to experiment with different cake recipes, design cakes with my clients and be able to make money out of something I love and enjoy. I’ve also been fortunate enough to help teach others with their baking knowledge and skills but most of all, making people happy with cake and being part of someone’s special day.
So I hope I’ve shown you that anyone can do this no matter how much or little time you have. With my experience and knowledge, I can help teach you how to create cakes and desserts in a way that fits in with your lifestyle. I can give you the confidence to achieve the cake you’ve always wanted to create by giving you simple steps and guidance from beginning to end. I will be there to help you at your own pace and provide you with my time and resources so that you always feel like you have a helping hand.
Looking back, I’m so grateful that I learnt and went through it all because it made me realise how I was actually using and managing my time and allowed me to release my creativity. I’ve always said to Justin, my husband, that if I wasn’t baking or doing something creative, I wouldn’t be my whole self. It’s such an integral part of my identity and so I make it a priority to be as creative as I can, whenever I can. I’m pretty sure you feel the same way too?
Now that I’ve learnt all of these skills and always learning new ones, I’m excited to be able to share my knowledge with others.
“I love baking, my skills were OK and I am always trying to improve. More than anything it was a confidence thing and I think that stems from having self taught a lot of stuff. I especially struggle/d with levelling cake and butter creaming it without getting crumbs all through the icing.
I took away several great techniques. Solving a lot of my struggles such as how to level a cake (so simple, but such a fantastic skill) and avoiding crumbs in the butter cream. But the biggest take away was probably the drippy effect. I’d tried it before and failed. I’ve tried it since and I can now do it.
After a class with Mai, I feel more confidence, especially when it comes to certain skills. Drippy cakes don’t scare me now, I feel pretty confident with them, thanks to Mai.”
Come join me and become a Founding Member of M Bakery Academy (MBA)!
What is M Bakey Academy? It’s an online membership site for bakers of all levels where I show you my tried and tested techniques and how you can create cakes like a pro with ease. I go through all of the foundations, provide you with simple steps, tips and tricks as well as resources to make your baking life easier. You will also get live Q&A sessions with me to answer any of your questions, win prizes and be part of an amazing cake loving family.
If you would like to learn more about working with me and being part of M Bakery Academy, simply click here.
Otherwise, fill in your name and email address to enrol in becoming a Founding Member and learn my 3 Secrets to Baking Success!
I look forward to welcoming you to the M Bakery Academy family!
Mai
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