It’s not cake, it’s imagination

IN THE KITCHEN: THERE’S NO END TO WHAT SHE CAN DO

For Cloete, baking is more than just a side hustle, it’s a sanctuary.

If you can imagine it, Drusilla Cloete can bake it. From monster trucks through to knotting needles, yarn, bugs and Halloween inspired horror cakes, there’s no end to what she will tackle in the kitchen.

It’s a side hustle that’s a passion, sprouted from a moment that paused Cloete’s life.

“My sister used to do all the cakes for our family functions. In 2019 she passed away suddenly,” Cloete said.

“That’s where the journey started.” Along with her best friend and partner in the venture, Katz Bolt, the pair saw an opportunity to transform their passion for baking, already a hobby, and in memory of her sister, into a means of bringing joy to others, as well as an additional source of income in the wake of the global pandemic in 2020.

“In Covid, like a lot of other South Africans, we decided to start baking for an additional income,” Cloete said.

The baker-duo are based in Centurion and both still hold down day jobs, too. After hours, they swap formal wear for aprons in the kitchen.

It’s been around four years since breaking their first egg as

Silka, the brand name they derived through a combination of their first names. The duo bakes around three to five cakes a week now, which is a lot, considering the delicate constructs that they come up with.

Creating a new cake design, said Cloete, is akin to solving a complex puzzle.

“You cannot just pull it off from scratch and hope for the best; you need to find the point of the beginning and then unknot it from there, a little at a time,” she said.

Her metaphor parallels between the creative process of designing a cake and untangling a knotted ball of wool.

This detangling approach, coupled with an in-depth conversation with the client, ensures that each cake not only meets but exceeds the expectations of those it’s made for.

The evolution from traditional round and iced cakes to the sculptural and personalised works of art speak volumes about the changing desires of people, said Cloete.

“People want their event to stand out from the crowd. This shift towards more unique and customised designs allows for a more intimate connection between the baker and the recipient, making each cake a reflection of personal stories and individuality.

“Clients would give me pictures of ideas of what they want, but most of the time after speaking to the client, you know the picture is not all what the client wants or needs,” she said.

There is often an emotional or memory-driven undertone in why a specific design or idea is desired. Decoding this is as important as the final product.

For Cloete, baking is more than just a side hustle, it’s a sanctuary. “It is the best way to space out into my own world and destress,” she shared.

“This sanctuary has been the birthplace of some of our most unique creations, including a cake designed specifically for a “4-legged fur baby” with allergies, ensuring it was safe for both the pet and its human family,” she said.

Another standout project was a “Party for the Planet” cake, a project intended to be a thoughtful representation of earth’s beauty and the ongoing harm humans inflict, complete with internal lighting and rotation that made it not just a cake, but a piece of socio-political statement, in baked form.

“My mom’s plain vanilla and coconut cake,” she said, is her favourite baked treat. “Just the love that she puts in that cake is amazing,” and shared that sentiment transforms a simple cake into a vessel of love and tradition.

Each cake she bakes demands the same.

“It requires lots of patience, concentration, and very little sleep.”

And despite the challenges posed by uncontrollable load shedding and cable theft, which often stretch their limits and test their resilience, the fulfilment of bringing happiness to others keeps her motivated for her mission to transform flour, sugar, and love into confections that celebrate life’s special moments, one cake at a time.

She derives immense joy from experiencing the reactions of clients upon seeing their visions come to life, baked.

“It is the faces of our clients when we deliver the final product to them. When their reactions are priceless, then we know our mission was a great success.”