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It was by no means actually in ex-architect Zuhair Shaid’s plans to begin Reka Baka, a enterprise baking intricately designed desserts. Nevertheless, he already had some curiosity and expertise in baking prior.
As a child, the Johorean used to assist his grandmother make conventional desserts at house. “Come Ramadhan and Raya, I might be probably the most excited. I’d beg my mother to purchase me baking elements,” he fondly recalled to BASKL.
This curiosity by no means left him and served as a way of retaining him sane throughout his research at Universiti Malaya. For eight years, he was pursuing an training (from basis to a Grasp’s diploma) in Structure.
Zuhair would often bake for buddies and lecturers for the enjoyable of it. Till sooner or later, a good friend approached him to make her wedding ceremony cake. That kickstarted his enterprise on the planet of cake making.
“Orders started coming in again then and I needed to juggle cake making with my design theses and studio time,” he advised BASKL.
The beginning of one thing new (type of)
It wasn’t till 2019, when he was working as a Design Architect at an architectural agency, that he launched Reka Baka.
Previous to that, he was promoting his cake creations (largely customized orders) beneath a distinct model with certainly one of his baker buddies. All whereas being a full-time architect in Subang Jaya.
However dealing with an expert profession with a time-consuming facet hustle could be draining to anybody. And Zuhair ultimately felt the results of it in 2022.
“Working life was powerful with quick deadlines particularly once you’re coping with early-stage (architectural) design proposals,” he shared with Vulcan Put up.
“I managed to ship the works and proposals with nice satisfaction from the boss. Nevertheless it got here to a sure level the place I used to be too exhausted and burnt out.”
Working practically 24/7 each week to pursue each of his pursuits turned too taxing on him bodily and mentally. In spite of everything, he juggled the 2 ventures by spending as much as 5 hours per evening baking desserts.
So he ended up having to decide—he had to decide on one path and one path solely, which led him to log out from the structure discipline and pursue Reka Baka on a full-time foundation.
Cake, or artwork?
Simply scrolling by way of Reka Baka’s Instagram feed, you’ll discover that the model’s desserts are usually not easy by any means.
Taking inspiration from throughout him, Zuhair’s cake creations function each intricate and elaborate designs. Even an everyday tall, one-tiered floral cake comes out a stunner after he’s accomplished with it.
The ex-architect shared that he learns new adorning kinds occasionally, generally from one other baker, and a few designs are self-discovered.
Many of those designs use edible sugar paste, fondant, and rice paper for his or her exterior. Listening to this, you’re most likely questioning concerning the style.
In spite of everything, cake isn’t meant to be only a show, it’s additionally a dessert to get pleasure from.
He shared that fondant and sugar paste style like marshmallow, whereas rice paper is fairly tasteless. As for the within, he sometimes makes use of Italian meringue buttercream and chocolate ganache for stability and “good outer layer masking”.
“As a part of our precept, we would like the cake to look stunning and secure, but in addition scrumptious inside,” the baker said.
Although he does acknowledge that not everybody likes the style and texture of fondant.
“Although it’s edible, for me fondant isn’t meant to be eaten, identical as sugar paste and rice paper. It’s edible however solely as a medium for cake masking, safety for the true cake inside and for adornment functions,” he stated.
Thus, Zuhair recommends shoppers lower the cake and scrape off the fondant or outer buttercream layer, earlier than consuming the cake.
Truffles for every kind of events
At present, Reka Baka affords two varieties of cake packages for these trying to personal and style a bit of Zuhair’s creations.
The Petite Package deal for petite desserts is extra fitted to intimate weddings and ranges from one-tiered (from RM230) to three-tiered plus (RM720).
Should you’re having a grander ballroom-like event, its Grand Package deal would most likely be a greater match. The smallest dimension is a three-tiered cake (from RM1,150) as much as a seven-tiered plus cake (from RM6,150).
To make clear, desserts beneath the Grand Package deal are usually not wholly edible. As a substitute, it’s a totally dummy-tiered cake with a hidden cake slice for the slicing ceremony. However fret not as complementary sq. cake slices are supplied for visitors.
However when you’d favor it to be an actual cake from head to toe, Zuhair is blissful to customize that for you too.
As soon as the cake’s dimension is chosen, prospects can begin developing with some design concepts. It doesn’t must be concrete as Zuhair’s position is to assist flesh it out and convey your design to life.
Afterward comes the query of the dessert’s flavour.
The house-based model has an honest record of cake flavours to select from, with its bestsellers being lemon cake with lemon curd and blueberry, in addition to pistachio cake with pistachio buttercream and raspberry.
A few of these recipes come from courses, whereas others are modified from what he finds on the web.
Clients can guide as late as two weeks earlier than the supply, however three months earlier than the occasion can be the best interval. In case your wedding ceremony’s in a yr’s time, a reserving will also be made now.
Nevertheless, do word {that a} 50% deposit is required upon reserving your order. The rest of the cake’s price is to be settled two weeks earlier than supply.
Taking it one step at a time
Talking candidly to Vulcan Put up, Zuhair shared that there wasn’t an actual plan when he give up the architectural world for Reka Baka. All he knew was that he now not felt interested in the sector, citing lengthy working hours and low pay.
Not solely that, nevertheless it had been fairly disappointing for him to repeatedly decline cake jobs, particularly for weddings.
So now that his time is extra freed up, he’s capable of handle greater order volumes regardless of nonetheless being a one-man present. From solely three to 4 desserts every week, the baker can now take as much as 10 orders.
Although, he often does rent part-timers for busier weeks.
“Whereas it’s thrilling to maintain the orders coming, after some time I feel I have to step again and analyse. I’m taking this early one to 3 years of journey as a pilot research. To expertise how it’s to be an entrepreneur.”
In that, we want him all of the luck along with his entrepreneurial journey,
Study extra about Reka Baka right here.
Learn articles we’ve written about Malaysian startups right here.
Featured Picture Credit score: Reka Baka
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