Mari Sol Cakes

I am so thrilled to do a cake decorator feature on Marisol (@maris_sol_cakes) from London, UK. She’s a full-time mom to two kids and a baker specializing in bespoke cakes, cupcakes, and macarons with vegan and gluten-free options.

(Side note: Her answers are in British English.)

Hi Marisol! Tell us about yourself.

My name is Marisol (sea & sun) in Spanish and the beach is definitely my happy place! I’m a nature lover all around. I lived in Colombia for a few years. I was born in London where I live with my family. I recently turned 30 and I am a proud mother of two (Miguel, 4 and Catalina, 2) ‘my curly crew’. I generally bake at night because I am a full-time mom and it is very difficult for me to work around my daughter due to her egg allergy. I’ve been with my fiancé for 7 years and we are finally getting married in Barcelona next year. Ahh, every time we started planning our wedding, I got pregnant!

How did you start making cakes?

I’ve always loved baking and cooking and my dad’s a great cook and I learned a lot from watching him growing up. Last year, I was trying to come up with a flexible job but at the same time, I wanted to do something I really enjoyed so I turned to baking. I love decorating my cakes and getting creative but flavour is also key. Nothing worse than a cake looking good but not tasting as great so I put a lot of effort into trialing out recipes.

Do you have a favorite buttercream?

I always use Swiss meringue buttercream because it’s super smooth to decorate but it also doesn’t taste too sweet. I enhance it with other flavours like white chocolate ganache, lemon curd, coconut cream, it really depends on the type of cake I’m making but I think the options are endless.

What is your favorite cake and flavor?

I think my favourite cake is actually coconut cake and flavour would be dulce de leche! I love it and can spread it on anything and I make my own one using condensed milk.

How do you describe your cake style?

Oh, I’m not sure if I have a particular style, maybe modern, colourful, and bespoke (all my cakes are different). Some of my previous cakes have been a bit more on the minimalistic side but lately, I’ve been going all out and adding sprinkles, macarons, glitter cherries, and etc. A must accessory on my cakes is edible gold leaf, I just think it gives it a great finishing touch.

Do you have any favorite tools in your tool kit?

My big piping bags, I fill them up to go around the cakes as I think it’s the easiest way to apply buttercream without making a big mess. Let’s face it. Cake making is a messy job and using this technique helps a lot. My spinning table and offset spatula definitely are a must for sharp edges.

Are your vegan cakes tasty like non-vegan cakes?

I would say the texture is slightly different but they are still very tasty. This is something I’ve experimented with because of my little girl. I prefer vegan recipes to egg-free ones, I’m not sure why but I’ve always found them tastier. I recently made biscoff vegan cupcakes and they were delicious you couldn’t tell the difference.

Do you have any advice for anyone who is starting out in the cake business?

Practise as much as you can, start with friends and family, they will always give you an honest opinion. Try to develop a niche that makes you stand out from other bakers in regards to design and flavours. Create your own brand. Lastly, make sure you always bake fresh and give your customers the very best quality as ultimately you want them coming back because they love the taste of your cakes. This has really worked in my favour.

Cakes I’ve Done

Cherry and Macaron Crown Cake

This cake has two tiers of vanilla cake with layers of meringue buttercream and strawberry compote.

Brushstroke Christening Cake

I made this cake with brushstroke techniques and sprinkles by Sweetapolia for a very special little girl on her christening day.

Rustic Baby Shower Cake

I am in love with this rustic baby shower set up! The beautiful mommy to be left it up to me and I love how it all turned out. Inside of the cake, classic vanilla bean sponge with raspberry jam and vanilla buttercream. For more baby boy shower cakes inspiration, go here.

Oh Baby Lemon Sponge Cake

Loved making this white chocolate popcorn for toppings. Inside of the cake, zesty lemon sponge filled with homemade lemon curd and swiss meringue buttercream.

Peachy & Pink Vibes Cake

This organic coconut cake was filled with raspberry buttercream. This flavour has been so popular and probably the most requested!

Lemon Meringue Cake

When life gives you lemons, make a lemon meringue cake with homemade lemon curd! I made this cake for my brother’s 40th birthday.

Blue & Yellow Watercolor Cake

The top tier has vanilla sponge cake filled with salted caramel buttercream. The bottom tier has rich Belgium chocolate cake filled with Nutella buttercream.

Kisses Cake

I created this cake for a mental health campaign which was created to raise awareness for depression and help fight the stigma as there is no face to mental health. Anyone can end up suffering from it, even the happiest person you know. Check in on your friends, family or neighbour, even when they say ‘yes I’m fine’.