Inspired by Love

The amazing Bridget O'Donnell from Crumbs with Love stopped by Confetti HQ to tell us a little more about herself and her love of all things sweet.

Q: Bridget, tell us a little about Crumbs with Love?

A: Crumbs With Love is all about modern, French buttercream coated cakes that look inviting and taste delicious. I always say that it's my goal to get eyes lighting up for both big and little kids alike and everyone licking their fingers & going in for seconds. Crumbs With Love makes celebration cakes with a few cake popsicles, cookies, donuts etc thrown in there too.

Q: How did you start baking and what made you decide to turn it into a business?

A: I became a mum at 40 years of age and I was determined to be the mum who was able to make her child's first birthday cake. I'd spent some time living in Montreal, Canada studying and working as a pastry cook and I had loved that period in my life so thought I'd give it a shot. Turns out I wasn't too bad at it - the cake held up and the party was a success. I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed getting creative and really it was just another form of expressing that all encompassing love I feel for my child. I've been a Detective with the NSW Police Force for most of my life. My job is incredibly rewarding but oftentimes quite emotional, joyless and about keeping to 'the facts'. Baking and bringing sugar highs, sprinkles, and sparkles to people's lives and literally colouring outside the lines on my baking creations balances perfectly with being a Detective. Two little girls under four years old later and I'm still baking and still bringing joy to my local community via cake!

Q: What inspires your creations?

A: My creations are inspired by love...seriously. Cakes are ordered to celebrate people and mark milestones. People don't order cakes for people they don't love and cherish. So what I want is for those feelings to be reflected in my cakes. I want my cake sitting on that table to capture the love felt by the person for whom it was made. I like to create something unique to the purchaser. Nothing is less satisfying than producing a cookie cutter cake that has been seen time and time again. Tell me how you feel about the person then let me do my thing and I'm in creative cake-maker heaven!

Q: Tell us about your favourite creation to date?

A: So many favourites! Look, by default, most of my cakes are for kids birthday parties. That is where most of my repeat business comes from which is lovely because I get to touch base with these families and little kids as they grow up each year. You're never going to get away from Disney movies when it comes to kids parties, but Disney doesn't have to 'be Disney'! I'm the baker who loves to move away from the typical tacky Disney look and extract the message lying beneath the surface in these gorgeous movies.

Monsters University isn't a movie about monsters, it's about believing in yourself and working hard for a dream no matter how many times you're knocked down on the way. Frozen isn't a movie about a Princess needing to be saved by her Prince, it's about the bond between family, girl power, seeing true love in it's many forms and how love will defeat fear every single time (continued next page).

The Cars movies aren't about car races, they are about recognising true long-lasting friendships, slowing down enough to enjoy them and about how old-fashioned simple things are worth preserving and investing in. Creating these kinds of cakes and treats is me in my element –my eldest daughter's 4th birthday was based on Disney Cars. I turned our backyard into Radiator Springs and we celebrated the quirks and importance of family and friends. This one got all my creative juices flowing and I just loved taking a traditionally 'boys themed' party and making it gender neutral. The look on her little face was so rewarding and instantly justified the several 3am finishes.

Q: What are your favourite cake and dessert trends at the moment?

A: I love, love, love colour and texture. And I love seeing this applied in non traditional ways. I call it 'The Glamorous Mess' look. Black, navy and purple wedding cakes float my boat, and I really see couples getting bolder in their choices as they ask for their cakes to be an expression of who they are as people as opposed to going plain and demure. It's becoming classy to be bold, bright and different and I love that!

Q: If you could create any cake or dessert, what would it be?

A: We all want what we can't have right? As a rule, I don't 'do sugar paste', but if there is any cake creator that I lust over, it's Elena Gnut from Russia (@elena_gnut_cake on Instagram). Her cakes are works of art and take hours upon hours in the making. They are made wholly from sugar paste but are void of all tackiness - simply breathtaking.