Fairfield mom Crystal Paushter—Founder and Owner of Confections by Crystal—admits she never loved baking, because it can be “finicky and very scientific.” With that said, she did have a passion for decorating cakes and making people happy. We had the sweet opportunity to sit down with Crystal to chat about her spectacular cakes, which she creates (and, yes, bakes) for every occasion—from birthdays and anniversaries to bachelor parties and weddings.
GL: What inspired your interest in cake-making?
CP: I used to think that it was a hobby I developed on my own in my mid 30s, but I recently looked through some old photo albums at my 90 year old grandmother's house and noticed very ornate birthday cakes in the pictures, so I asked my mother about them and she said that she used to make them for me as a child and that my grandmother did the same for her as well. So, I guess it was always in my family—a combination of nature AND nurture.
GL: What was the first cake you ever baked?
CP: I'm sure it was something I helped my mother bake as a kid. More recently, the first fondant covered cake I made was in June 2015 for a good friend's three year old daughter. It was a farm animal cake and, looking back, it was a bit of a disaster, although at the time I thought it was pretty spectacular! The birthday girl was a very specific three year old who wanted a half raspberry and half banana cake (to this day, the only time I have made that combination!)
GL: When did you decide to turn your passion into a career?
CP: My first career is in finance (and still is). So, I wouldn't call baking cakes a career, just a hobby that has taken over my life! It was never a conscious decision, it just happened gradually as friends and family requested cakes and then one day I was buying a website and filling out forms for an LLC. I think it goes back to the saying,
If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life, only in my case it's more like, Do you what you love and suddenly you'll be up all hours of the night on a deadline!
GL: What’s the most unique/wildest cake you’ve ever been asked to make?
CP: A groom's cakes for a wedding rehearsal dinner can be pretty specific and unique, sometimes with inside jokes that I don't really understand. But I'd say the most unique cake was requested by a four year old who wanted all of the flags of Asia and a picture of the continent of Asia on his cake. And he knew every flag and he made sure they were all there! This was way more fun for me to make than another rainbow unicorn cake—so bring on the wild ideas!
GL: What’s the average time it takes you to make a cake?
CP: It ranges from 3 to 5 hours on average, sometimes longer based on complexity. When I first started they often took me 8-10 hours!
GL: What’s your favorite cake you’ve ever made?
CP: Definitely a five tier black and gold marble wedding cake I made for a very fun couple with a theatrical, over-the-top wedding in a vintage metropolitan hotel. Everything about the process was fun, from the design meeting to the cake delivery. They gave me a lot of creative freedom, and I added in a tier with a black leather effect and another covered in edible gold. Then the other three tiers were black marble and the whole cake had white orchids cascading down the side. It was very dramatic and beautiful and really fit the wedding venue and couple perfectly, which is my ultimate goal.
GL: What is the hardest part about making cakes?
CP: There are two different things that can be hard about making cakes: the technical aspect and then the creative aspect. The technical aspect can be very frustrating if I'm trying to make something and it's not working out the way I envisioned it, for example the fondant isn't holding its shape or the cake isn't straight and smooth. Usually I can work around these issues and pivot to something else that I'm happy with. The harder part of making cakes though is the creative aspect. Sometimes the creativity flows and sometimes it doesn't, but when I have deadlines to meet the cakes must get done no matter how inspired I'm feeling. My best cakes come from times when customers send me a few inspirational images that are not other cakes they’ve seen—maybe the invitation or party plates or a photograph—and then I interpret those images into a cake that is truly custom and unique.
GL: Do you eat a lot of cake?
CP: Ha! Let's just say that each cake layer must be torted (leveled) and there is always a bit of extra cake around, which is very dangerous!
GL: How many cakes do you make a week?
CP: Approximately 3-5 cakes per week. During the COVID-19 pandemic I have been making more because the orders are spread throughout the week. Usually they are concentrated on weekends and then I can only take up to 3 cakes a day or I run out of time (and refrigerator space). At the beginning of the pandemic I thought my orders would decline, but instead they increased since it was one aspect of the celebration that could continue (or possibly everyone was just stress eating).
GL: Do you bake other treats for your family?
CP: Yes, I do make things like banana muffins for my kids and cookies for special holidays.
GL: Do you like to cook too?
CP: I do! (Even more than I enjoy baking) I usually cook about 4-5 nights a week. I've been told my seared salmon is pretty solid and my kids will eat it so that's a bonus. Right now I keep it simple since my kids are young and picky but I'm looking forward to their palates expanding as they get older so I can get back into more complex dishes. I love making any sort of seafood dish—scallops, shrimp, fish, crab—usually with a butter and white wine sauce and some fresh parsley. Living near the ocean you really can't go wrong with those ingredients! I also roast veggies a lot and bake dinners like chicken or fish.
GL: What inspires you?
CP: First and foremost I'm inspired by the joy my cakes bring to others. I love when a child first sees their birthday cake; it really is a magical moment.
Or when a customer sends a thank you note or posts a picture of their family surrounding a cake. And first birthday cake smash sessions are always so fun to watch. I will go out of my way to make a first birthday cake when possible because that is such an important milestone. People sometimes ask me if it bothers me when a cake is cut and my answer is yes and no. On one hand it is a little bit of a bummer watching something I've spent hours creating being sliced up. But, on the other hand, cake is about spreading happiness and it is made to be eaten. To that end, I always try to make sure my cakes taste as good as they look and I use the highest quality ingredients possible.
GL: Plans to expand?
CP: I've been looking into the logistics of hosting cake decorating camps and classes since I really enjoy teaching, although COVID-19 put a damper on that for the time being. As for a brick and mortar storefront, that would be down the road after my kids are older and I have more time to devote to it.
Check out Crystal’s website: confectionsbycrystal.com
More cake photos can be viewed on Instagram: @ConfectionsbyCrystal