Q + A with Ashanti Martyr, Owner + Baker, The Cake Tree

Do you ever watch those reality baking shows like Cake Wars, Sugar Rush or Ace of Cakes and wonder if we have someone local that can create something so special? We are here to introduce you to Ashanti Martyr, founder of The Cake Tree. Her Instagram page is filled with magazine worthy custom creations so realistic that you would be hard pressed to eat it! 

We asked the South Etobicoke resident and mother of 3 some questions on her business and living in Mimico.  

Q. Hi Ashanti, tell us a little about your self and how you got started making custom cakes? 

A. I’ve always enjoyed being in the kitchen, trying out new recipes, baking up sweet treats though for a long time, I never really took it seriously. After my second child was born, I decided to stay home with the kids. With one child off at school and the other too young to do much more than sleep most of the day, I soon found myself grappling with boredom. That’s when I picked up my baking once more. For my daughter’s baptism, I ordered a custom cake which looked ok enough, but certainly didn’t taste good. I remember thinking that I had spent way too much money to not even like the taste of the cake. I felt I could do way better than that cake. Baking was already second nature to me but I knew nothing about decorating a cake.  After watching an episode of Cake Boss, I decide to try. So began my journey. 

Q. Describe the creation process?

A. The cake creation process can span anywhere from a few days to months. Everything starts with an idea, of course. My clients will come to me with a few requirements for their cakes. They let me know their general theme, preferred colours, required number of servings, flavour choice, and the date of their event.  I usually start by doing a quick pencil sketch just to get the ideas flowing. Sometimes this is just a bunch of stick figures on a napkin. This helps me to visualise the cake. I can get a rough idea of what will work and what won’t. Once I’ve gotten the general shape of the cake and placement of the decorations, I then do a proper more detailed sketch complete with colours and correct proportions, and a secondary sketch for sculpted cakes detailing the cake structure and supports within. Essentially I create a blueprint for the cake. Once I am satisfied with everything, it’s time to get started on creating!

Q. Where do you get the inspiration from?  

A. Inspiration can really come from anywhere. A colour, a shape, a drawing of a space monster drawn by the kids…any and everything presents an opportunity to create something new. I’ve found a lot of my inspiration comes from things I see on my morning walks. It could be anything from a pair of foxes playing while autumn leaves blow around them, to a red-haired little girl wearing a blue and white dress at the playground, to a series of colours on a shoe. 

Q. Do you have a team of people helping you? 

A. I don’t really have a team per se. I mostly do everything myself. When things get crazy, my husband does step in to help me out. He helps me organise my paperwork and keep track of my orders. He also has the role of delivery driver.   

Q. Do your kids help you bake? 

A. Yes and No. My second child especially is very interested in baking and cake decorating. She’s been trying out recipes on her own, and helping me to figure out different cake projects whenever I get stumped. I allow her to help out and sometimes take the lead on our personal projects but for paid projects, she is currently still an observer. I fully expect her to one day be working on paid projects too.

Q. Your Hot Chocolate Bombs were a huge hit this past Christmas! Were they your most popular order? 

A. OMG! The Hot Chocolate Bombs were just crazy! They were definitely my most popular order this season. With the pandemic, there are not many parties and gatherings happening at the moment, so there’s not a high demand for large cakes. Hot Chocolate Bombs gave people the opportunity to have something small and personal which can still be presented as a special treat. 

Q. Do you deliver in the GTA? 

A. Yes I do. I offer delivery for a flat fee within the GTA. Outside of the GTA, pricing depends on the travel distance.

Q. Any big projects you are excited about and can share? 

A. I’m originally from the island of St Lucia. I’ve recently been researching the island’s myths and legends. I’m hoping to be able to translate some of those stories into sugar. The island has such a rich cultural background with so many wonderful stories to tell and I would love to be able to bring that to life. 

Q. You are so creative, we are curious. What else can you make? 

A. I enjoy making decorated cookies. I don’t offer them for sale very often however I still love making them for my kids. I tend to favour anime character cookies. I also love writing short stories.  My imagination can run wild at times. Writing does help me to focus those thoughts into something coherent. I usually get a nice fun story out of the process to tell my kids. ☺

Q. You reside in Mimico, how long have you lived here? 

A. This year will be 7 years that I’ve been living in the community. I absolutely love this community. I would pass through here every day on the streetcar while I was attending classes at Humber College. I remember thinking this was the most enchanting place I’d ever seen and told myself I’d live here someday. Even back then it already felt like home. When the opportunity to move here came up, I grabbed it with both hands and haven’t looked back since.

Q. When you’re not baking what do you like to do? 

A. When not baking, I can usually be found taking long walks on the lake shore, observing the local wildlife, reading a good book (I love fantasy fiction), watching anime, or being silly with my kids. 

Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us! We look forward to seeing more of your custom cake & treat designs in the future.

For anyone looking to order custom cakes, hot chocolate bombs & sweet treats contact Ashanti at mycaketree@gmail.com. You can see her work on Instagram @mycaketree, & Facebook.com/mycaketree