Piece of cake

Attention all brides! If you haven't made arrangements for a wedding cake yet, you might want to give Samantha Fisk, of Cakes Etc. in Plainview, a call. This young baker is making wedding cakes her specialty, and as word has spread, they are becoming very much in demand.

Up to now, Fisk has been known mainly for her cupcakes.

"I have been baking close to 500 a week," she said. "Reeds Landing has sold them from when I first opened up, and the Jon Hassler Theater often sells them during intermissions."

Fisk's cakes come in a unique variety of flavors — not your usual chocolate and white — 20 in all, most of which have a filling of some sort. A creative baker, she often makes them up. A current top seller is maple bacon, with a batter that includes Schell's beer and candied bacon with a caramel center and maple frosting. Also popular — no surprise — is Death by Chocolate, with its fudge sauce center.

Brides who contact Fisk will find that she doesn't offer them selections from a book.

"I'll take their theme and colors and go from there," she said. "I do have a book with some of the wedding cakes I have done in the past, but mine are not formulized — they are unique to each bride. Whatever they want I will do."

While the trend in recent years has been fondant frosting, Fisk prefers to decorate, as she describes it, "the old school way," which includes piping and hand-decorating.

Fisk comes from a long line of bakers going back to her grandparents in the 1920s. She also has a degree in sociology and gerontology from Winona State University.

"With the job market being what it is and exploring my options, I decided to go back to what I know the best — baking," she said.

Fisk opened Cakes Etc. just over two years ago. This, however, is not her first baking venture. Fisk and her mother, Nancy Beach, a well-known Winona cake baker and decorator, had their own shop in Winona from 2000 to 2005.

Her current shop is as colorful and unique as what comes out of her ovens. The decor is whimsical, with each wall painted a bright color.

"Customers tell me they like to come in because it is so cheerful in here," Fisk said. In addition to her cakes and cupcakes, Fisk now plans on adding pastries to her case — "but not your usual bakery pastries."

A future goal of hers is to try out for the TV competition "Next Great Baker."

"I think I could do very well on that," Fisk said.