Cake is one of my very favorite things in the world!

When we got married “cake & champagne” was on the top on my short list of what I wanted out of our day. And I got both immediately after we said our “I dos”

Olivia of Middle Name Baking Co. on the Olympic Peninsula uses fresh flowers, fruits and greenery to create some of the most beautiful cakes that I have seen. And I have heard that they are absolutely delicious! Read more below about Olivia and her cakes and if you are getting married on the Peninsula you will definitely want to set up a consultation and tasting with her.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A BAKER?

I got my first baking job purely out of necessity. I was new to the area, and had just gotten fired from an office job that I hated. I found a job listing for a baker at Sweet Laurette’s Cafe and Bistro and thought it was something I could do. At that moment I wasn’t thinking about a forever career, I really just needed a job. They agreed to take me on with no formal training so I could learn as I went along. After a little bit of time there I really fell in love with it. I loved the fact that I got to make something with my hands every day that people could enjoy. It was only then that I even considered making a living off of baking.

Photo Credit: Wildflower Cakes — Photo Credit: Middle Name Baking Co.

WHAT TYPES OF WEDDINGS CAKES DO YOU SPECIALIZE IN?

I specialize in European style butter cakes with all buttercream frosting. They are a little different than the typical cake you might be used to. They are a little bit more close textured, never overly sweet and full of flavor. I have classic flavors like vanilla and lemon, and a bit more adventurous flavors like honey vanilla lavender and lemon rosemary. Any flavor you choose is guaranteed to be moist, delicious and accompanied by homemade fillings.

I KNOW THAT YOU JUST HAD YOUR WEDDING (CONGRATULATIONS!!!) WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO COUPLES PLANNING THEIR WEDDING?

Thank you! For me, the best advice that I got was to keep it simple. It’s really easy to get caught up in the many traditional or expected aspects surrounding weddings, but anything that wasn’t truly important to me I completely let go and felt great about it. I knew I was going to be an untraditional bride and I wanted to make sure everything about our wedding reflected us, and our decision to get married.

IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT YOUR WEDDING?

As chill and simple as I thought I was being about wedding planning, trying to avoid stress at all costs, things still went wrong on the day. I felt a lot of anxiety about it not going as planned, but looking back I realize the beauty of the day was not that it was perfect, but that it was ours. I will absolutely always remember it and I wouldn’t change a thing about it.

WHAT TYPE OF CAKE DID YOU A HAVE?

We had a hazelnut cake with alternating layers of chocolate ganache and mixed berry filling, white chocolate buttercream and a caramel drip on the outside. I was over an hour late to my own rehearsal dinner because I was finishing up the cake.

WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES PORT TOWNSEND, AND THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA, SUCH A SPECIAL PLACE FOR COUPLES TO SAY “I DO”?

I think it’s the connections people have with this place. I meet with a lot of people who are from all over but have chosen here to get married because they feel drawn to it. Whether it’s a history of spending family vacations, or a kind of magical call that has brought them here, this place holds so much beauty and the kind of people who choose it feel that.

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Website: middlenamebakingco.com