Cake Creations

WESLACO — Nancy Cantu’s days are filled with art and food.

She does what many would consider a dream job — baking, decorating and selling cakes and pastries. Her frost-filled world revolves around Honey’s Cakes and Pastries, her newly opened bakery in Weslaco.

“I’ve been doing cakes at home and I thought it was time to open up something a little different,” the 24-year-old entrepreneur said.

Just one glance at the cakes in the bakery makes “a little different” crystal clear. The lopsided, towering, colorful and abstract creations seem to have jumped right out of the pages of a Dr. Seuss book and onto her cake racks.

“I do a lot of cook book stuff, I start from scratch, but I’ll change it and kind of make it mine,” Cantu said. “I guess I’m willing to do everything a little different. I really don’t do a lot of sheet cakes. I like to do stuff sticking out of the cake, bows, personalized cakes and stuff.”

Originally from Donna, Cantu graduated from Donna High School and later received her degree in culinary arts from South Texas College.

She began constructing cakes at an early age and had been employed by a number of local bakeries before she decided to branch out on her own.

“I don’t have that office mentality, I got into something different,” Cantu said.

Cantu said she produces every part of the cakes she sells. Her customers sometimes request very specific designs, and her creativity allows her to make the most out of every request.

Cantu said she often stays awake for hours on end decorating, coloring, stenciling and even air-brushing the cakes. The end result often makes jaws drop and mouths water, she said.

She is also her own publicist, using the social networking site Myspace to promote her business.

“I do a lot of networking, like on Myspace,” she said. “I start friend-requesting people and people will tell others. People will see (the cakes) and their parents will see (the cakes).”

The whirlwind process of opening her own bakery was completed in a matter of two to three weeks, Cantu said, using building space that was previously a sports bar.

Her plans haven’t stopped at the bakery, and Cantu said she may possibly expand her business.

“Maybe later if it goes well we can make it more of café style. It’s something that we’re looking into,” she said.

For the moment, Cantu said she is concentrating on the back-to-school rush.

“For some reason, when (children are) out of school there are no cakes,” she said. “When school starts that’s when the cakes start.”

Because of the unique style of her designs, Cantu said her cakes must be seen to be appreciated and invites the community to take a look at her artwork.

“If you’re interested in something different, something out of the ordinary, this is where you’ll find it,” Cantu said.