FROM ‘FUNEMPLOYMENT’ TO CHOCOLATE CAKES: THE MAKING OF SHAKAR BAKERY
Armenian Weekly
June 14, 2012
‘Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.’
-Ernestine Ulmer
Whoever uses the phrase “a piece of cake” to denote ease most likely
has not seen Shakar Bakery’s exquisite, intricately designed cakes.
Whoever uses the phrase “a piece of cake” to denote ease most likely
has not seen Shakar Bakery’s exquisite, intricately designed cakes.
Like many a great idea and successful business model, Shakar Bakery was
born out of unemployment. In an interview with the Armenian Weekly,
the bakery’s founder, Shantal Der Boghosian, explained, “I graduated
from UCLA with a master’s degree in environmental engineering just
in time for the economic crash. Coincidently, my contract job as
a chemist ended the same week that I graduated, and I entered a
six-month period of ‘funemployment.’ The endless rejection e-mails
were disheartening and I started to think of ways I could get by
until I found a full-time job. To distract myself, I made more cakes
and started a blog documenting my work. I sculpted a Pi cake for a
mathematician friend, and a purse cake for my fashionista best friend.”
“It wasn’t until I finished designing the purse cake that I had my
‘ah-ha!’ moment and realized that I was pretty good at cake decorating
and should open up a business,” she added.
Although Shaker Bakery was officially founded in December 2009,
Der Boghosian had been baking cakes for the family since she was eight.
It took some time for the idea of starting a business to take shape.
“I never had any formal training in cake decorating and I had plenty
of competition in Los Angeles. I used all my ‘funemployment’ time to
research all about cake decorating online. YouTube, Google, and Cake
Boss became my best friends. I also knew that choosing a name was very
important, and it took weeks before I settled on Shakar Bakery. It
was easy for both Armenians and non-Armenians to pronounce, easy to
remember, and the best part was that it translated to sugar or sweet!”
Shakar Bakery founder Shantal Der Boghosian.
Friends and family were Shakar Bakery’s main customers the first few
months. “They were kind enough to let me bake for their events, and I
would share my blog posts on Facebook. The two orders that paved way
to success came from two friends! One friend ordered a few dozen baby
shower cookies, and another friend ordered a 3-tier baptism cake for
100 people. I remember Googling ‘how to tier fondant cakes’ in order
to prepare for the order, and I only charged $60 for that cake even
though I spent 18 hours making it,” Der Boghosian recounted.
After starting a full-time engineering job, she started cramming her
full-time “Shakar hours” into after-work hours. “I work on my cakes
when I get home from work at 5 p.m. and call it a night around 12:30
a.m., since I wake up at 5 a.m. for work,” she said.
Shakar Bakery’s business is, mainly, online based
(), and most of the orders are made via e-mail
or by phone. “Facebook has been the best source of advertisement for
me and I have received many emails from people saying their friend
‘liked’ my picture and that’s how they heard about me.”
“The biggest reason I love Shakar Bakery is that I’m always baking for
a happy and festive occasion. It’s always a good feeling to interact
with happy customers who chose you to design their cake. Although my
customers thank me for my work, in the end I’m the one who is grateful
for the opportunity to add to their joyous events,” she explained.
Der Boghosian also channels her passion for fundraising through
Shakar Bakery. In 2011, she created a special line of cupcakes for
a Japan Tsunami Relief fundraiser she was hosting, and donated $800
to the cause.
“Although my customers thank me for my work, in the end I’m the one
who is grateful for the opportunity to add to their joyous events.”
Jason Love famously said, “I want to have a good body, but not as
much as I want dessert.” Shakar Bakery tries to balance the two by
making the cakes healthier and tastier. “I have a lot of fun figuring
out where recipes are flawed-it really brings out the chemist in
me. I submitted my chocolate pumpkin cake recipe to a competition on
and I won five stars! The cake is a seasonal flavor
since it is made with real pumpkins, and I’ve yet to come across a
person who doesn’t moan a little when they take a bite of that cake!”
But the signature Shakar Bakery flavor is a decadent chocolate cake
filled with dulce de leche and candied walnuts that Der Boghosian
makes herself.