TODAY, cake art comes in many forms. From drip cakes to fault line and number cakes, there’s a ton to choose from. But what the team has been seeing more of lately are cakes with clusters of life-like, hand-piped flowers. The classic buttercream is given an update with a play of textures and colors.
One buttercream enthusiast is Cebu-based Amanda Tan, owner of Dee’Sweets which specializes in cakes and cupcakes that are a feast for the eyes. Her designs feature buttercream blooms with perfectly piped petals and soft color gradients, making them look almost too good to eat. Take one bite though and you’ll see that her crafty confections are not only pretty, they’re tasty too.
Amanda was first introduced to baking when she was eight years old as her mom’s assistant in their home baking business.
“As I grew up, I came to love the art of baking. I found excitement in experimenting with recipes and passion in decorating desserts. My internship in Marco Polo Hotel also had a role in honing my skills in cake decorating. I then studied abroad specializing in floral cake decorating,” she said.
She ventured into Dee’Sweets in July 2018 when she was still in college and wanted to earn a little for herself. Back then, her products included just cookies and cupcakes. Amanda explained her brand name: “It’s derived from my nickname Mandee. I found it quite catchy and loved the touch of the apostrophe. It makes sweets sound quite grand if you read it as ‘THE Sweets’ and may also go as ‘Dee’s Sweets’ to indicate that the sweets are from me.”
Asked why she prefers buttercream to other mediums, Amanda said: “I’ve fallen in love with buttercream and started using it as my medium for decorating my products. I decided to dive into buttercream florals and adore how buttercream flower artists develop their own styles and color sets for their craft. I was then fixated into developing my own and made the style lean more onto classy, clean and elegant vibes. The style fuses perfectly with buttercream flowers! And to top it all, our buttercream is delicious.”
For the cake base, one can choose from three standard flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla and Red velvet. Dee’Sweets can also customize flavors based on a client’s preference but this is also highly dependent on the availability of ingredients.
Amanda shared: “I take around 20 orders or more per week for the cakes. As for cupcakes, at least 10 dozens in a week. Bookings must be made in advance since our slots are limited. They’re all personalized after all.”
Customers may browse Dee’Sweets’ designs and order online through Instagram (@deesweeets) or Facebook (facebook.com/deesweeets).