Cake Interview With Midnite Creations
Welcome to the Baker & Cake Decorator Interviews Series!
Hi sweet friends! I am pleased to feature Aqeela Matadar with Midnite Creations, located in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. Aqeela specializes in exquisitely styled cake creations using a variety of techniques such as stenciling, buttercream painting, edible lace, pressed flowers, and many more. If you look at her Instagram feed, you will fall in love with her strong artistic flair! Read my cake interview with Midnite Creations on how Aqeela got her start in the cake decorating world!
Interview with Midnite Creations
This interview has been edited for clarity and length, preserving original responses.
Check out what Aqeela had to say in our interview:
Can you share a bit about yourself?
Hello! I’m Aqeela, mom to three fun kids, and a small business owner of Midnite Creations. My background is in International Business, but I left my corporate day job about 3 years ago to spend more time with my littlest one. Around that time, I also decided to take my business from part-time to full-time. This gave me the flexibility needed for my young family while also allowing a chance for my business to grow.
I’m super passionate about being a cake artist, and seeing the joy it brings to my clients week in and week out really gives me life! It makes me so happy to be a part of my clients’ celebrations and milestones, and I’m so grateful when people choose to order their cakes with me for their special occasions, whether big or small!
How did you get started with cake decorating?
I first got into baking in general around 8 years ago. I always joke about how I didn’t even really know what buttercream was before then (ironic truth lol). I had just started getting into baking around that time, and wanted to make my daughter’s first birthday cake. I was so excited and got deep into it, deciding to invest in some basic cake decorating tools, gel colouring, etc. This was around the unicorn craze time. I was ecstatic to make the most special unicorn-themed cake for her first birthday party, having practiced for months beforehand. During that period of time, I fell in love with cake decorating. I obsessively watched YouTube tutorials and loved learning more about baking and decorating each day. In those early months, I baked SO MANY cakes and used any excuse to celebrate with cake. Through trial and error (and lots of tears), I overcame many challenges that came with both baking, assembling, and decorating. Learning about buttercream, stacking tiered cakes, researching different mediums and decorating styles, and everything in between. This period of development made me more confident in my cakes over time.
My friends and family were impressed and encouraged me to start an Instagram page to start taking orders. I remember saying, “Who would want to order treats from me?” Imposter syndrome would creep up quite often. Little did I know that all these years later, I would have a loyal client base and be baking on the regular. Truly a butterfly effect in action.
What is your favorite & least favorite process of baking/cake decorating?
My favourite part of the cake process is actually the baking. I frequently hear cake decorators mention that they dislike baking and wish they could skip straight to the decorating part, but I honestly love baking! Something about seeing the perfect sponge bake up makes my heart sing. Maybe it’s because I appreciate the fact that I’ve finally developed surefire recipes, which is a stark contrast to the stress I endured when I first started. Once a cake is assembled, crumb-coated, and smoothed out, I do enjoy the final decorating process, especially piping!
My least favourite part of the process is hands down the mess (i.e. the dishes!!!). I absolutely despise washing all the pans and mixer bowls, attachments, the buttercream bowls, and also the stains all over my countertops from any deep-colored buttercream — the inevitable aftermath, basically. Nobody talks about how exhausting and time-consuming that part is. Other than that, perhaps making buttercream. I don’t love making buttercream, but once it’s ready to go, I’m happy and ready to assemble my layers.
What is your favorite buttercream to work with?
I mainly work with American buttercream, but I also love to make (and eat) Swiss meringue. Those are my top two picks for taste, texture, and stability.
I used to reply at all times of the night or day, until I realized I can’t run a business like this. Burnout is so real, and you’re the only person who can take care of yourself.
aqeela matadar, midnite creations
Where do you get your inspiration from?
Often from social media like Instagram and sometimes YouTube. There are so many amazing cake designers in this wonderful cake community of ours, and I love drawing inspiration from them.
Sometimes I have random ideas circulating in my brain, and once I get started on my blank cake canvas, I just go with it and do what feels right and looks best! I’m so grateful to my clients who put their trust in me, especially those who give me full creative freedom over the final cake design. It’s not something I take for granted!
Is there a cake decorating or baking technique you want to try soon?
I’ve always loved the distinct look that isomalt gives. I’ve made rice paper sails, but never used isomalt for my cakes. It’s for sure something I’ve wanted to try, but have never had the opportunity. I need to give it a go one day.
Other techniques that come to mind are: velvet textured cakes, and also the origami inspired cake tiers using chocolate ganache. They appear challenging and so interesting to me.
Do you have a memorable cake that challenged you?
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to make a 4-tiered wedding cake for a close friend, where all four tiers were square-shaped instead of the traditional rounds. I remember being terrified and excited at the same time, as it was my first order for a square-shaped cake, and also my very first four-tier ever! And as if that wasn’t a challenge enough, two of the bottom tiers had to be artificial cake dummies – another area I had no prior experience in. It was a great challenge and something that I wanted to try out, so I’m glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone and accepted the challenge. Luckily, I did a lot of research beforehand on how to prep and decorate artificial tiers, and the inspiration provided for the design included textures in varying neutral colours, which made the overall cake design very forgiving. It turned out to be a fun and pretty design, not as intimidating as I thought. My friend trusted me wholeheartedly, which always makes the experience that much better. It turned out beautifully, and watching the bride and groom cut the cake was the cherry on top! Definitely one of my favourite and most memorable cakes to date!
What are your challenges with running a business?
My biggest challenges are both setting boundaries with customers, as well as turning my brain off, since, of course, I live where I work!
We’ve grown accustomed to instant or near-instant gratification in many aspects of our lives. I feel that sometimes people who inquire about my cakes expect an instant reply, and unfortunately, in some cases, they present with a sense of entitlement. They tend to forget that there’s an actual human on the other end who’s running a one person show. I’d like to think I’m being as diligent and transparent as possible throughout the entire booking process…I used to stress myself out more than I’d like to admit. I used to reply at all times of the night or day, until I realized I can’t run a business like this. Burnout is so real, and you’re the only person who can take care of yourself. I’ve since set strict boundaries for myself where I try my best to only respond during regular hours, and taken on the mentality that what’s meant for you will never miss you. If someone truly wants to work with you, they’ll be respectful and understand that you’re doing your best as someone taking care of every single aspect of their business can. It’s important to unwind and set a schedule for yourself, because after all the back and forth communication, you still have to make a whole cake. Boundaries and organization are key!
What do you like to do with your free time?
I carve out time with my family, taking my kids out, and also enjoy checking out new restaurants and cafés!
Going out as a family usually involves walking nearby trails or going for bigger hikes. We love spending time outdoors as a family, regardless of the season!
I’m also a plant mom and adore my indoor and outdoor plant babies. I find joy in taking care of my indoor plants year-round, and really enjoy my outdoor florals and vegetable garden in the warmer months!
What is your favorite food?
Call me basic, but my favourite food is pizza! My favourite pizza spots in Toronto are NYC style: Pizzeria Badiali’s and North of Brooklyn. I also enjoy other places and styles, including homemade pizza baked on our pizza stone. I’m down for pizza anytime!
My Favorite Creations
Glam Birthday Cake
I absolutely love the colors, dark forest green, brown, and gold!
Enchanted Forest Baby Shower Cake
The most whimsical and straight out of a fairytale! Sage green buttercream, forest green edible moss, pressed flowers, fresh pansies, chocolate door, windows & mushrooms were used for this cake. Perfectly executed! For some baby shower inspiration, click here.
First Birthday Wild One Cake
This was a sugar-free banana cake with sugar-free buttercream for a cake smash.
Pressed Floral Tiered Cake
I was proud of this one because I grew & pressed the majority of the flowers myself! This was a huge 10-inch, 8-inch, and 6-inch cake, so there was a lot of surface area to use the edible flowers.
Purple Edible Lace Cake
Edible lace was used for this cake. Absolutely stunning!
Royalty Butterfly Cake
I am loving the buttercream palette on this cake with the wafer butterflies! For some buttercream inspiration, click here.
Berries Covered Cake
I made this for my baby girl, who turned five, and she requested a cake with strawberries, so I made this strawberry shortcake covered with fresh berries.
Abstract Wafer Paper Cake
Wafer paper was used for this cake, and I loved making this!
On Cloud Nine Sprinkle Cake
Loving that the sprinkles were used to mimic the rain!
Tropical Vibes Cake
All the tropical vibes on this cake!
NOTE:
If you’re interested in finding out more details on any of these cakes, head to her IG and select a cake to read the caption.
More about Midnite Creations
Cake Artist of Midnite Creations
I loved learning more about Aqeela, it was a great interview! 🩷