Sunday, June 30, 2008 Cebu’s cake designer By Jigs Arquiza
CAKES have always been part of our celebrations, be it a birthday, an anniversary or a wedding. For cake designer Trina Ang, however, cakes are a celebration of individuality. Each cake she makes is one-of-a-kind, as unique as the person who ordered it.
A graduate of Accounting at the University of San Carlos, Trina worked in a bank prior to her cake business. She recounts:
“Working in a bank was OK, but I felt my artistic side calling me!” Hence, her decision to pursue her childhood interest in the culinary arts.
A course at the Center for Culinary Studies in Greenhills, Metro Manila, soon followed after she was able to convince her family that she would chase her dream. It was during this time Trina realized that baking was actually part of her life. Feeling that her education and experience was not enough, an apprenticeship under renowned cake designer Colette Peters in New York was arranged. Upon coming home, she involved herself full-time in her project: to design and bake cakes that reflected the personality of the person for whom the cake was made.
Designing cakes comes easy to her, as she explains: “I used to paint a lot.
Sometimes, my customers usually just show me a picture of what they want me to recreate.” From bags, to cartoon characters, to favorite pets, to sushi-shaped cakes, Trina says that most designs are possible, and she works on the cakes personally.
“You can check out my designs at trinaang.multiply.com,” Trina says modestly. “I have pictures there of most of the cakes I’ve done.”
Working out of her home in Guadalupe, she accepts orders for wedding cakes as well as what she calls “celebration cakes” for birthdays, anniversaries, engagements and any celebration one could possibly think of. “I even accept orders for cakes that are ‘adult-themed’!” she adds with a laugh.
Despite the hard work, Trina has no complaints. “I love what I’m doing!” she stresses, “It’s the perfect job for me!”
