Victoria: An Inside Look
We did a Quick Q&A with the Owner/C.E.O
Q. What’s the definition of a great cake artist?
A. A great cake artist breathes life into an idea, they are inspired by other forms of art and the world around them. They take textures, shapes, colors, structures, movement and feeling and they create, but this is just the beginning as cake is both art and food.
Q. Why do I focus on specialty cakes?
A. I’ve always had a flair for the arts, but there was something about cake that drew me in, the joyful laughter after the groom swipes frosting on the bride’s nose, the memories of the creamiest frosting and the tartest curds years after an event. The excited smiles of children taking home a personal treat. Cake does not simply pass through you; it lingers with you.
Q. What other things interest me?
A. “The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” Nature inspires me, going hiking and observing the wild growth or standing in the ocean and being moved by the unpredictable waters, spending hours going through the pieces of the finest museums in NYC. New techniques and mediums intrigue me. Life is my teacher, the world is my classroom.
HERStory
Victoria Benjamin grew up in the kitchen, learning to bake her first pie at the age of 7, while hearing stories about her great grandmother making batches of handmade bread so big that she had to use a washtub to mix them. Nana would cover dining room tables with over 50 pies, and her grandkids would each have a whole pie to themselves. These stories sparked inspiration and wonder in her young mind. Victoria always had a passion for food. Creating desserts that complimented different ideas and themes. Tailoring them to match the needs of the client is something that Victoria desires to perfect, playing with different flavors, textures and designs, to create the perfect masterpiece, tailoring them to match the needs of the client.
Victoria started selling custom cakes at the age of 14, watching tutorials, taking elementary classes and practicing constantly. Her hard work resulted in the successful sale of her first wedding cake at the age of 16. During her junior year of high-school, she took courses on both Baking and Pastry, and Sugar Arts at her local college. After high-school, Victoria attended the Culinary Institute of America, in Hyde Park, NY. She graduated with an Associates in Baking and Pastry Arts, and a Bachelors in Business Management: in which she specialized in Baking and Pastry businesses. During and after this time she worked in various positions surrounding the hospitality industry.
Her passion for "good sweets" never ceased, she is constantly pursuing knowledge which led to her further step into the culinary arts in order to gain a good foundation, and she isn’t afraid to test the boundaries of the classics, or to experiment with the techniques or the trends of different industries like modern art, fashion and architecture. She is always stopping to admire the roses, and learning to recreate them.
PHILOSOPHY
When I think about cake, the sweet swirling aromas in the air, the awe and wonder of its colors and textures as the masterpiece sits on its penultimate stage, the smiles and laughs as it finally vanishes forever.
Maybe it’s the cake, maybe it’s the events that typically, or traditionally have a cake, the joining of two people in love, the celebration of ones birth, looking back at all the years, or reconnecting with old friends.
Creating a piece for such memorable events brings me so much joy because that joy is one that is shared, cherished, and immortalized.
“A party without a cake is just a meeting.” - Julia Child
Victoria Aleyakpo - CEO/ Cake Designer