Meet Jordan Rondel of The Caker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Rondel. 

Hi Jordan, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I first experienced the elation of baking as a young girl visiting my grandparents in Paris. As I grew up, the kitchen became my domain, and I learnt how to bend the rules of traditional baking. 

In 2010 in Auckland, New Zealand, I founded The Caker – a made-to-order cake business selling homemade style cakes that taste even better than they look. My strong sense of self and style of my own immediately set me apart in her arena – I was making cakes cool again. I became the go-to baker for fashion events, art gallery openings, and high-end parties. 

The bakery pumping out hundreds of cakes a day for delivery within Auckland wasn’t enough to fulfill my desire to provide cakes to a wider audience, so I spent 4 years developing a line of luxury cake kits and published five recipes books too! I began to gain an international cult following, and this success propelled me to move to Los Angeles in 2019 to expand The Caker and my own identity. 

The rest is history 🙂 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been far from a smooth road! Every day there are different challenges to overcome, but nothing easy is worth doing – right?!? 

Moving counties to expand my business just a few months before the pandemic hit was probably the biggest struggle I’ve ever faced like it was for many people. It was one step forward, two steps back for a while there, but I am stronger as a result, I think. 

We’ve been impressed with The Caker, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My ethos is informed by my love of home baking and something my grandparents told me when I started: your cakes should taste EVEN better than they look, and that is what I’ve become known for. 

All of my recipes contain ground almonds to replace some or all of the flour, lending a moreish texture and creating a more wholesome, moist, and sumptuous cake. Some people call my cakes dense; I think that’s a compliment. 

I pack my cakes full of ingredients like Belgian couverture chocolate and fresh fruit, so every bite is as heavenly as the one before. The quality of the ingredients I use is one thing I will never, ever compromise on. 

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
Honestly, there’s nothing I would have told my younger self because if I’d known about the tumultuous adventures I was about to embark on, I may have not done half the things I’ve done! 

Entrepreneurship requires truckloads of perseverance, calculated risk-taking, intensely hard work, and die-hard passion. Starting a business is not for the faint of heart, but it’s certainly fulfilling, and the highs and lows of success and failure become addictive. I wouldn’t have it any other way personally. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.the-cakerusa.com
• Instagram: @thecaker