Transforming Specialty Cake Baking--One Flower at a Time
By Portia Griefenberg
Lexi Striker is the owner of Sugar Mamas Bakery in Flagstaff, Arizona and has been providing thoughtful and beautifully decorated cakes and pastries for the Flagstaff community for over ten years. This woman-owned establishment is known not only for delicious cakes and pies, but also for the intricate and creative designs that weave the beauty of flowers and baked goods together. The shapes and layers of the various flowers remind Lexi of the connectedness of nature. Lexi enjoys integrating flavors that go well with flowers to create more natural-looking and tasting cakes. This transition was sparked by her frustration regarding how most food currently looks contrived and unnatural.
Lexi’s pressed flower and fruit cake-subtle and profound at once.
The mass-produced sheet cakes are too generic for Lexi’s preference. She wanted to stretch her imagination and add more of a personal touch to her creations to avoid burnout. Lexi’s pivot from traditional baking to focus on decorating with flowers brought a sense of joy and liberation to her life. She was inspired to make the switch by other bakers who decided not to accept classic requests like Happy Birthday or Harry Potter photos on cakes. This gave her creative freedom.
Lexi did not realize she could change the trajectory of her business and detach from the traditional confinements of baking. Since she began working with flowers sense of enjoyment and passion has been renewed. Embracing this newfound creative freedom.
Colorful designs with fresh flowers set Lexi’s cake apart from her competitors
Throughout her journey, Lexi overcame the lack of annual fresh flowers growing in Northern Arizona by pressing flowers. The art of pressing flowers became more intentional with each changing season as she learned what works fresh, dried, or preserved. Lexi’s relationship with Kate, owner of Wild Heart Farm, strengthened Lexi’s relationship with flowers and empowered her to start growing them herself.
Gradually, Lexi gained more confidence in her growing abilities and now explores new ways of appreciating plants. Instead of only focusing on the flower, Lexi plays by using the odd pieces of a plant and finding new ways to enjoy them. In addition, foraging and searching for various alternatives on how to bake sustainably brings Lexi joy and gives her a creative outlet. Through trial and error, Lexi has accumulated a wealth of knowledge with seed collecting. She continues to learn how and when to collect the seeds, where they are placed on the different flowers, and how to use them harmoniously. Along with finding new ways to engage with flowers, Lexi also considers how to use locations that will support her growing efforts. She transformed her mother’s front and backyard into a garden to pursue her edible education and planters at Chef Laura Chamberlain’s kitchen.
Homeade cupcakes, baked with love, topped with fresh garden flowers
Laura is a professional chef in Flagstaff who sources seasonal vegetables, herbs and flowers from local farms. Along with Lexi, Laura also uses Kate’s flowers and herbs from Wild Heart Farm. The three women have supported one another along the way by intertwining their establishments with the beauty of seasonal farm fare. Cross-pollinating their gifts and passions, these three women-owned establishments continue to bloom as they support and collaborate with one another.