By Elizabeth Zachry

If you do not know this already, I should tell you:  I am a dessert person, so I take my cake buying very seriously.  I love dessert, especially chocolate, and pretty much anything baked with butter and sugar.  That is why I was especially excited to check out the “Sweet and Savory” festival at Jack London Square in Oakland.  At first, I found the festival to be mostly hype, and then I tasted some red velvet cupcakes, and I was hooked…

After our initial meeting, and tasting her supreme red velvet cupcakes, I knew I had to sit down with Lisa, from Couture Cakes By Lisa, and find out more about the woman behind the cakes.  In high school, Lisa worked at Baskin Robbins, honing her cake decorating skills. However, those skills were sidelined as Lisa became a court reporter and started her own business.   Her cake decorating passion was renewed when she was stuck at home with a broken ankle.  Lisa spent a year recovering and, at the same time, refined her baking and decorating skills and took classes at Spun Sugar and Petit Fleur.  Since then, Lisa has headed down a new career path, which would not have been possible without her wonderful family (including her loving husband and daughter) and the help of Amy Fitzsimmons and Pat Peck, the pastry chef and owner of Bibiane Bakery.

Everything Lisa sells is completely homemade and designed.  She pulls her inspiration from renowned cake decorators, but is primarily inspired by her clients.  Lisa enjoys sitting down with new clients to help turn their ideas into tasty pieces of art.  Each cake is designed to everyone’s individual specifications, and Lisa spends her days designing, baking, decorating, and even delivering, every cake she works on.  I was not surprised to learn that Lisa placed third last month in the CCCSAS Annual Cake and Sugar Art Show, her first bake-off entry ever!

I am a chocolate lover, but I wonder…what if I were to marry someone who (gasp!) does not share my same love?  The easy answer is to order a cake with multiple tiers and flavors, but how much would that cost??  When ordered from Couture Cakes By Lisa there is no extra cost for additional flavors.  Couture Cakes pricing starts at $6 a serving for a wedding cake, but the prices vary on the size and specifications.  She also makes cakes for bridal showers, anniversaries, birthdays, and any type of gathering you can think of, so if you are looking for a one-stop bakeshop, this is definitely your place!

As an unmarried woman I have spent surprisingly little time thinking about my wedding, but as a dessert enthusiast, I have spent plenty of time dreaming about my cake.  I asked about the filling, frosting, and any combination of flavors and decorations I could think of, and Lisa’s answer was always the same “no problem.”  That is what makes her so great…she is very positive and enthusiastic, and loves to be challenged with new designs and flavors.  She told me the most rewarding thing about her new line of work is seeing the joy on people’s faces when the cakes are delivered and knowing that her cakes helped make people’s day’s even brighter.

You can find Couture Cakes in Oakland, as well as Pleasanton, and Lisa will deliver throughout the greater Bay Area.  You can find her online at http://www.couturecakesbylisa.com/ and http://www.bibianebakery.com/ or email Lisa at

Enjoy the cake (I know I sure did)!!