Mini Cake Sponsoring/Cake Decorating workshop in Community Center

Silian Cakery was invited to sponsor an upcoming community event: the grand open house of Markham Wesley Center on June 3, 2023. MWC decided to present a new image to the public by diversifying its programs to cater to different age groups and ethnicities. Additionally, there will be an installation of The Canadian Library, featuring indigenous-designed fabrics and books to honor the stories of missing and murdered Indigenous women and children in Canada.

My day was divided into two parts. In the morning, I provided 20 individually portioned cakes for the invited guests, which included reporters, city and provincial councillors, photographers, and members of the community and church management. I prepared and served four flavors of cake: Lavender Lemon, Chocolate, Matcha, and Mango, with five of each flavor. They were elegantly presented on wooden plates with golden forks, catching the attention of photographers and many others. The cakes disappeared within minutes, and everyone loved their taste.

In the afternoon, I led a cake decorating workshop. Since June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada, I decided to decorate two cakes with all the participants: an indigenous headdress-inspired cake and a dream catcher cake. I prepared the base of the two cakes in advance, and during the workshop, I demonstrated how to create edible feathers and leaves using wafer paper. Together, we adorned the two cakes with these edible decorations, resulting in beautiful creations. Coincidentally, it was one participant's birthday, so we lit candles and sang "Happy Birthday" together. In the end, we shared the cakes to celebrate everyone's hard work and effort.

It was yet a remarkable mini catering and workshop hosting experience. I want to extend my gratitude to Mimi for connecting me with MWC. I also want to thank Harina, Louis, and their family for their assistance with setup and cleanup. Special thanks go to Stanley, Bella, and Kyle for dropping by and saying hello!

As I reflect on the event, I have identified a few areas for improvement in the future:

• During the morning cake sponsorship, the serving scenario became somewhat chaotic. Although I was informed that only invited guests would be in the room for the ceremony and cake serving, it turned out that other people were also present. Some inquired if the cakes were for sale, while others asked if they could have one. I had difficulty distinguishing who was invited or not. To address this, I should consider making extra cakes available for sale and preparing tickets for each invited guest. Guests could then present their tickets to receive their cakes for free, while others could purchase cakes on the spot.
• By the end of the day, I discovered that several wooden plates and golden forks were missing, and these items are not inexpensive. In the future, I should request that the MC makes an announcement reminding everyone to enjoy the cakes inside the room and to return all plates and utensils to us before leaving the room.
• The workshop had a maximum capacity of 10 people, and to ensure a smooth experience, I chose to close the door to maintain focus. However, the community members preferred to keep the door open, allowing more people to enter the room. Fortunately, we managed the situation on the spot, but this highlighted a communication and expectation discrepancy. Next time, I should discuss this aspect with the organizers beforehand to ensure a better understanding of the workshop's capacity and setup.