Meet Alex Reel of Eat Me Sweets in Bay Area

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Reel from Eat Me Sweets.

Alex, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always had a love for baking. It intensified times 10 when I was pregnant with my son. I craved chocolate cake like it was water. A few years went by and my love for eating cake hadn’t changed. The cakes I made weren’t pretty, they were actually really ugly. I wanted to make something that looked good, where someone would say, “Wow, I can’t believe you made that!”

I started trying to decorate them and was determined to be good at it. I took this on as a hobby to share with friends and family, and mostly just as an excuse to eat cake. About 2.5 years ago, a coworker said she needed a cake made for her boyfriend’s birthday, but everyone was charging astronomical prices. She wanted a pool table cake with billiard balls on it. With my sister egging me on, I decided I could take on this themed cake (even though I had no real experience besides a simple two layer cake; I don’t know what I was thinking). I spent hours and hours on that cake, but the end result thrilled me and I found a new high that I didn’t realize I needed. From there, I did two more cakes for friends. My sister’s sister-n-law told me I needed to share my passion with the world, and I should create an Instagram account. I was terrified. Was I really good? Were people just being nice? Looking back at my first cakes, I think they were just being kind to me. LOL My sister took the initial reigns and created an Instagram page for me (Eat Me Sweets – based on Alice in Wonderland), and I took over from there.

What was a hobby became a side job. I work as a Legal Assistant full-time, as well as being a wife and mother of three. This side job lets me be creative and it calms me in my world of chaos. Albeit, it does add to my chaos; I probably spend a good extra 15-20 hours a week on emails, baking and decorating, on top of my full-time job and kids, but I love it. I’m still navigating my path to do my passion as a full-time job, but I know it’s just a matter of time and taking that leap of faith. As of now, I’m enjoying this ride and seeing how far it will take me. My Instagram followers also make me feel like maybe I’m not so bad at this cake thing after all.

Has it been a smooth road?
I don’t think anything self-taught is ever a smooth road. There have been a lot of long nights of having a cake to make, but still having to work the next day and care for my kids. Homework and everyday life get in the way, and I sometimes struggle with lack of sleep. There have been times I’ve gone to bed at midnight and woken up at 5 am to finish a cake before I left for work. I struggle with emotions when my kids tell me that I don’t cuddle them as much anymore on the weekends because my weekend life has become my cake job. I have now set boundaries where I take minimal orders so I can sustain a healthy life for myself and my kids. It’s a constant struggle of trying to keep all aspects balanced and myself sane, while still trying to push towards my dream of decorating cakes as my only career.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Eat Me Sweets – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I think what I’m the most proud of is making buttercream cakes look beautiful and smooth, without the need of covering it in fondant. I’ve never liked eating fondant, so I was determined in teaching myself how to accomplish that smoothness. I will use fondant as accent pieces and sometimes toppers for a cake, but you won’t see a cake of mine completely covered. I also love beautiful and simple designs, while still being bright and fun.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Being from the Bay Area, the one area that I have frequented is Disneyland. My sister recently moved to LA and loves every aspect of it. Specifically, the wide range of restaurants from all cultures. I will definitely be visiting more often now that she’s there.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @EatMeSweets
• Facebook: Eat Me Sweets Desserts

Image Credit:
Alexandra Reel

Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.