A sweet second chance to follow the baking dream

Jane Haugli was studying baking and confectionery when she discovered she was allergic to flour dust. After she finished school, the allergy made working in a professional kitchen impossible and she instead began a career in retail. But her love of baking remained as strong as ever, and she began modelling and decorating cakes as a hobby, making elaborate designs – a practice which did not affect her allergies.

By Hanna Margrethe Enger | Photos: Fairy Cakes

Haugli is a mother of three and lives on a farm with her husband. When she was due to go back to work, she worried about how she would balance late shifts at the store with raising young children. Meanwhile, her cakes were becoming popular and the number of orders was increasing. It seemed that turning her cake-making hobby into a full-time job would give her more freedom and flexibility.

“We decided to just do it,” Hauli says. “My husband built a kitchen in the barn and we thought ‘we’ll see how this goes.’” In October 2019, Fairy Cakes was open for business. www.fairycakes.no

At Fairy Cakes you can build your own cake or cupcakes and choose from different cake bases, fillings and frosting. For cakes, you can also choose marzipan or fondant. All the cakes are made from scratch in Haugli’s kitchen at the farm in Furnes, outside Brummundal, and enthusiastic customers are happy to drive from further away to pick up their cakes.

Haugli is one of a few bakers who also makes 3D cakes – some of which are scarily realistic. “Making 3D cakes is so much fun,” Haugli says. The joy she takes in their creation is obvious; the proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

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