Bryan learned to bake cakes from T.V.

Angela Bryan said watching the Food Network and receiving requests from her children are what inspired her to begin baking her own cakes. 

“My oldest daughter got me into baking around 12 years ago,” Bryan said. “Making cakes for my children is how all of this started. We used to watch Cake Boss on the Food Network and she told me I could also make cakes. After seeing what types of cakes she wanted for her birthday and how much it would cost for other people to make them, I decided to make them myself.” 

Bryan was born and raised in Chicago and just recently moved to Philadelphia about eight months ago. Outside of baking cakes and working in database marketing at the Pearl River Resort, Bryan enjoys spending time with her daughters, Sierra and Aspen. 

“I started baking cakes around 12 years ago,” she said. “My children would tell me what kind of cake they wanted, show me a picture of it, and I would try to replicate it. I self-taught myself how to bake mostly, but I also watched a few tutorials. I’m still perfecting my decorating skills.” 

Bryan said her baking drew public attention after she began bringing cakes to work for people to eat. 

“I recall taking a decorating class at Meridian Community College, so I had to bake cakes every week and bring them to the class,” she said. “I would then bring them to work where everyone would eat them, and that’s where I remember first getting requests from people.”

Bryan’s favorite cakes to make are red velvet, chocolate, and carrot cake. 

“I sometimes make strawberry or just vanilla cake,” Bryan said. “I make my own buttercream frosting, and my own fondant as well. Other than cupcakes, I mainly focus on cakes that I get orders for.” 

“I enjoy the satisfaction of completing a cake, looking at it, and the learning prospect,” she said. “There’s always something that you can do differently.” 

CHOCOLATE CAKE

2 cups white sugar

1 ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

½ cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup warm water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans.

In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. Stir in warm water last. 

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove cakes from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

CARROT CAKE 

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground ginger

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

½ tsp. salt

¾ cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs 

1 ½ cup brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup applesauce

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups grated carrots, lightly packed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until combined.

In a separate bowl, mix together oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, applesauce, and vanilla extract until well combined. Add grated carrots and mix well.

Pour dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk or mix with a rubber spatula until combined. Pour into cake pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Allow to cool in pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes then remove cakes from pan to continue cooling on racks.

RED VELVET CAKE 

1 ¼ cup vegetable oil

1 ¼ cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp white vinegar

½ tsp red gel food coloring

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two 8- or 9-inch cake pans.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a mixer, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes until fluffy, scraping down sides as needed. Beat in oil, and add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and vinegar until combined.

Add red food coloring until the desired color is achieved. Put mixer on low speed and add ½ of the dry ingredients and beat until combined. Add buttermilk and the rest of the dry ingredients.

Divide batter evenly and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Allow cakes to cool in pans on a wire rack until easy to handle. Remove from pans and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before covering with frosting.