10 Questions With Our Star Cake Decorator, Lisa — Willamette

For Market of Choice cake decorator Lisa, creativity has always come naturally. With a background rooted in artistic expression and a love for pairing beautiful desserts with memorable meals, cake decorating became the perfect creative outlet. What began as encouragement from a family member soon grew into a professional passion, leading Lisa to teach herself the art of custom cake design.

Today, Lisa brings customer celebrations to life through thoughtfully crafted cakes inspired by nature, seasonal flavors and classic decorating styles. From intricate wedding cakes to playful holiday creations, each design reflects both technical skill and artistic vision. As vintage Lambeth-style cakes make a comeback and excitement builds for the upcoming “Caked” decorating competition by IDDBA, Lisa continues to push creative boundaries while sharing pure joy through every custom creation.

1. How did you first get started in cake decorating, and what inspired you to pursue it professionally?

I have always been artistic, and pairing dessert flavors with main courses felt natural to me. At some point, I had a family member ask me if I’d ever considered decorating cakes professionally, and that really sparked an interest in me. I then began teaching myself how to design custom cakes.

2. What’s your favorite part of creating custom cakes for Market of Choice customers?

Bringing a customer’s vision to life.

3. Where do you find inspiration for your cake designs and decorating techniques?

Inspiration is all around us. The flowers I design are inspired by nature, and the color palates I use are combinations that appeal to me, personally.

4. What trends are you seeing right now in cake decorating and celebration desserts?

Vintage and kitch are making a comeback. This looks like heavily swaged, giant boarders like we saw in the 1960’s called Lambeth.

5. You’ll soon be competing in Caked, a decorating contest by IDDBA. What has the preparation process been like, and what are you most excited about heading into the competition?

Many of the assignments will be to design holiday-themed cakes. So, I’m coming up with concepts for that right now. I’m mostly excited for the opportunity to compete once again, as I did last year. I’m also looking forward to seeing the friends I made.

6. What’s the most challenging cake you’ve ever created, and how did it turn out?

A few years ago, I designed a complicated six-tier wedding cake with intricate gum-paste flowers attached. I assembled the entire cake on-site using a step stool and several assistants standing next to me just in case I, or the cake fell! Keeping my hands steady was the hardest part.

7. Are there any decorating techniques or details that customers might not realize take a great deal of skill and precision?

Many people don’t understand the time that goes into even the smallest details, such as animals that use several colors.

8. What are some of your favorite seasonal flavors or design themes to work with throughout the year?

Whether you like the holiday or not, Halloween is the most fun to decorate for. As for flavors, my favorites are the Timberline pear tarts which come in the fall, and coconut cream cake in the summer.

9. What advice would you give to someone interested in learning cake decorating at home?

If they enjoy making any kind of visual art, the possibilities for designing creative cakes are endless. Artistic people are already naturally inclined for this work. I would also say that this profession never gets boring or routine, keeping your career active and dynamic.

10. What do you hope customers feel when they see and share one of your cakes at a special celebration?

Pure joy. I love when people trust me enough to order a cake again in the future, and if they come in to tell me how much they enjoyed it, it’s a bonus for me.