First award is just the icing on the cake

Most people see a cake. Jamie Hoffman sees an artistic challenge where the rules are set in flour and sugar.
 
Hoffman works her magic in the kitchen, whipping up elegant creations that make tummies rumble and eyes pop. That's because Hoffman says she wants her cakes to taste delicious. That's a given. She always wants them to be almost too beautiful to taste.
 
"That is why I specialize in custom cake design," Hoffman said. "They aren't just something you pick out of a book. I sit down and plan with a person about their cake. I consider them to be pretty exclusive works of art."
 
That commitment to cakes recently led this Yuma woman to transforming a hobby into a professional venture. Hoffman recently opened Yuma Couture Cakes, a business specializing in designer and high-end cakes for celebrations of every kind.
 
"I've been dabbling in cake decorating for several years, but I just recently decided to go into business," she said. "I think I have something to offer that's different than anything else in town."
 
Hoffman also thinks she has something to offer at the state level. That's why she recently competed in the Cake and Sugar Art Show in Glendale. Hoffman's four-tier cake with a Persian motif went up against cakes representing some of the best bakers in the state - and nation.
 
But Hoffman certainly proved her worth in frosting and sprinkles. The Yuma baker placed second in the competition.
 
"I was so surprised, and so happy. I had confidence in my design all along," she said, "but to look at the other cakes, and know that the judges considered my design and skill levels to be right up there with the 'big boys' was just phenomenal. My eyes definitely were a bit teary when my name was called! "
 
The Glendale event marked Hoffman's first competition. She competed in the "speciality wedding category," which was the highest level of competition that day.
 
Bakers weren't required to decorate real cakes. Instead they used edible frosting and other decorations to pretty up cake-like moldings.
 
The Persian theme meant that Hoffman's cake boasted colorful medallions and the colors matched those of a Persian rug - with golds, reds and greens.
 
"I make it look sparkely, without being too flashy," Hoffman said. "I think I kind of went out of the box with this one. It's something I've never seen before."
 
Hoffman was also chosen to participate in a live TV-style competition, where four competitors worked as a team to throw together a single fantastic cake.
 
But baking and decorating under pressure is nothing new for Hoffman. Through her work with Yuma Couture Cakes she creates about five major cakes a month. That's on top of her day job at Accurate Automotive, where she works as a secretary.
 
"My boss likes to call me his secretary, but I don't appreciate that very much," Hoffman said. "I pretty much do everything but work on cars!"
 
Hoffman, 32, grew up in Yuma and graduated from Yuma High School in 1995.
 
Her business hasn't been around long, but it's already caught the eye of a major wedding planner in Yuma. Hoffman now works with Circle the Date, a business owned by Laurie Davis.
 
"We're going to be very busy this summer."
 
But Hoffman stressed that she likes to keep her production at a good and manageable level, focusing on quality versus quantity. That's also her philosophy when it comes to the issue of choosing prepackaged ingredients or fresh, whole ingredients.
 
"A really good cake needs to be made straight from scratch. That was it's quality from start to finish," she said. "I use absolutely the best of everything. I'm actually going to throw out my vanilla extract and start using the whole vanilla bean."
 
So far her biggest cake was a four-tier number that served 300 people. Her strangest cake by far was a special request involving an inside joke with the buyer's friend. For some reason they needed a cake that looked like a rough two-by-four of wood, complete with edible nails.
 
Hoffman studied culinary arts at Arizona Western College and said she has taught herself a great through training DVDs and the Internet.
 
"You would be amazed what you can learn from the Internet. Plus the DVDs I get are from very famous cake decorators," she said.
 
Hoffman's cakes obviously range greatly in price, but generally start out around $4.50 per serving and reach a maximum of about $12 per serving.
 
Her cake designs prove that frosting truly is just the beginning. Her cakes can also boast decorations made from gum paste, which is similar to edible modeling clay, or a cake may be wrapped in smooth, shiny layers of fondant. Hoffman also works with molds to make jewels. Rubies, for example, can be made out of melted Jolly Rancher candies. She also works with edible "metallic" materials can come in paint, dust or spray forms.
 
"There are so many tricks that can be done," she said.
  
The chance to learn a few more of those tricks is a big reason Hoffman decided to throw her baker's hat into the ring for this recent competition.
 
"I'm definitely excited about getting a lot of exposure from the event," she said prior to the competition. "But the main thing I'm looking forward to is just getting to be with other people who do what I do. We'll get to talk shop!"