Kristine M. Kierzek

Particular to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Meals has a language all its personal. For Viktoria Ovsepyan, it turned her connection to a brand new group.

Seventeen years in the past, she was engaged on her English language expertise and wanted a job to help her household. Ovsepyan and her husband, Samvel, left behind their roots in Armenia and Turkmenistan to return to Wisconsin and lift their household. Whereas she’d labored as a nurse , coming right here meant constructing a brand new life and studying a brand new language. She acquired a job adorning desserts. Whereas she couldn’t all the time discover the correct phrases, she put all her creativity into each dessert.

Now, Viktoria and Samvel Ovsepyan have three youngsters and reside in Grafton. In October, they launched their specialty dessert enterprise, Cake Creations Cafe, 1239 Washington St., Grafton.

Ovsepyan takes delight in her capacity to attract freehand and adorn customized desserts, but additionally enjoys creating cupcakes and desserts by the slice together with the standard baklava and gata pastries she discovered from her mom.

Providing actions for youngsters and adults, Ovsepyan customizes cake adorning and cupcake adorning courses, team-building occasions, and birthday events. Beginning this month, sizzling ham and rolls baked in-house will likely be out there on Sundays. Free native supply is out there for orders over $50. For pricing and orders, go to cakecreationscafe.com or fb.com/CakeCreationsCafe.

Drawn to desserts

I’m actually good at artwork. I wanted a job. I used to be a nurse in my nation. It was onerous to proceed the training right here. There was a gap for a cake decorator.

I used to be a cake decorator at Metro Market in Mequon. For 17 years, my co-workers would say why don’t you open your personal enterprise? I did, lastly. Opening Cake Creations has given me confidence.

Attending to Grafton

My roots are in Turkmenistan. My husband’s relations had been right here, his dad and mom and siblings. All of us got here to be with household. It was additionally for the alternatives for my children. My nation, it was onerous after they declared independence when the Soviet Union broke and it wasn’t protected for us. That was 2003.

I’ve three youngsters. My oldest is at Marquette College ending his grasp’s in felony justice. My second son, he’s at UW-Madison for pc science and will likely be ending in Might. I even have an 8-year-old daughter. She likes to return in and assist me.

Making her menu

We aren’t solely specializing in desserts, this can be a cafe and bakery. Folks can have croissants, strudel, a cup of espresso and convey their mates and youngsters. Folks can have a birthday celebration within the area. I even added adorning courses for adults and youngsters. We now have a package deal that features pizza, desserts or cupcakes and drinks. I present cupcakes to embellish.

Style and custom

I make Armenian pastries, the baklava and gata, which is an Armenian pastry roll. It’s a recipe that’s tons of of years outdated, very conventional in Armenia. I discovered it from my mother.

Hottest on the menu

Cake slices and cupcakes. My cupcakes, it took many months to get a superb recipe. I’ve 12 totally different assorted cupcakes with all totally different flavors.

We concentrate on special day desserts for birthday, affirmation, commencement and holidays, and small wedding ceremony desserts. I bake pies for particular orders. Beginning this month we’re including sizzling ham, and rolls to go along with it, solely out there on Sundays.

Level of delight

If I gained’t promote it to myself I wouldn’t carry it. In case your cake isn’t moist, if it isn’t good, individuals have choices.

The language of meals

I respect the individuals I used to work with as a result of my English wasn’t good firstly, however they trusted me. I did the whole lot from my coronary heart. All the things I discovered was from the catalogs, the books they’ve. I wasn’t in a position to communicate, so I had frosting and books and went to work day-after-day. This can be a type of artwork remedy, too.

Ranging from scratch

Making the whole lot from scratch is difficult. It is vitally private. Inside me, it’s drugs and desserts. Possibly if I had been 25 I’d end my nursing (courses) right here. I can do this with my eyes closed. I used to be an anesthesiology nurse, however there was a lot to do after we got here right here. Now I make desserts, drawing and creating, and I’m very sturdy with that as properly.

Favourite factor to make

Actually, my favourite might be to attract one thing. Even once I’m drained and standing for six to seven hours, I can do this. That’s the place I can use my creativity.

Her indulgence

The strawberry chocolate cake, the black forest cake, and tiramisu. I even have on my menu a style of espresso with ice cream. We put a scoop of ice cream within the espresso. Scorching espresso with ice cream melted, it tastes like mocha. I’ve launched a number of individuals to that. It melts and it’s creamy and tastes so good.

Every day desserts

I rotate the cupcake flavors. I’ve a steady of cake slice flavors. Proper now I’ve 12 totally different slice choices. I’ve cannoli cake, black forest that’s highly regarded, carrot cake, tiramisu, raspberry chocolate, strawberry chocolate, lemon,espresso, delmonico, rainbow, mango, pina colada.

We now have meringue shells day-after-day, gluten free. Cherry and apple strudel, cream puffs, Napoleon cake with my home made Bavarian cream, all are made in-house.

Lesson discovered

You must learn about advertising and marketing. Mary Unkel has been very useful to me. She may be very educated and has expertise with advertising and marketing. She has been serving to me together with Barbara Hunt. She is instructing me the enterprise isn’t just working together with your palms. You may bake 24 hours and it gained’t work. You must socialize and introduce individuals to your product. I used to be type of ready for the purchasers to return.

Plan forward

For primary desserts, I would like 48 hours (discover). Whether it is extra difficult, one thing for a special day, I would like at the very least every week or two weeks prematurely.

Fork. Spoon. Life. explores the on a regular basis relationship that native notables (inside the meals group and with out) have with meals. To counsel future personalities to profile, electronic mail psullivan@gannett.com.

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