My name is Vanda Pereira-Rodrigues and I’m a 35 year old mom of two gorgeous clever little girls, a Cake Artist, Co- Owner of a Small Business called CAKED and a Niz Goenkar to my core.
I’ve been raised in Oman and Goa as a child and after completing my Master’s Degree in Commerce, worked in Dubai for a few years. When I came back to Goa after I got married 10 years ago, I was sure I didn’t want to go back to corporate or work regular office hours.I have always been a creatively inclined person and baking has been a love since I first started at about 11 years old.
Cake making around the world has just taken on a very exciting turn around that time with cakes being made into objects of art rather than just edibles and I was completely fascinated.
I already knew most things about baking from my very talented mom who was also an excellent Baker (among other things) and would make elaborate lovely cakes for our birthdays as children. The rest I picked up through intensive reading, internet tutorials and endless trials. I did a basic 3 day workshop in Fondant Art and realized I could definitely pursue this!
In 2012, CAKED my little home bakes and custom cakes enterprise was born. Initially I made cakes only for relations, friends and neighbours but slowly and surely word of mouth spread and I started getting more orders than I could handle alone.
It was also around this time, my mom was diagnosed with kidney failure. She was house bound and needed full time care. My younger brother, Lenin, who after doing his B.Com had just started his law degree at the time , quit his studies and stayed at home to be her care provider.
I would try my best to help them out while managing at my in laws and looking after my little one. At times I would feel overwhelmed but my mother pushed me to pursue and concentrate on my budding business. She knew what it meant to me.
She was the one who opened her home and kitchen to me and gave me free reign to work from there. In the process, with the increased orders, I started asking Lenin ( who is a very talented baker as well!) to help me out too. Soon Lenin and I realised we were a very good team together, so we made it official and became partners on paper! Lenin handles all the purchases, the financials and the actual baking while I take care of the customer relations, promotions, creative decisions and mainly the Sugar Craft and Art of the production process.
CAKED is what kept Lenin and I sane through the painful period of our mother’s illness. It became our happy place and we focused all our energies into it. In 2016, CAKED became a brick and mortar physical shop in Caranzalem. It was a dream come true for me! We opened on our Mom’s birthday but sadly our idol was no longer in this world to celebrate with us.
Today I’m both happy and humbled to say CAKED is one of the top names for elaborate and unique Wedding Cakes in Goa. We are also the pioneers of Dessert Tables and themed desserts. When we started offering Dessert Tables 4 years back, they were unheard of and we had to explain the concept to people. We’re well known for our Macarons and other desserts like mini cheesecake, cupcakes, cake pops etc. We’ve made several hundred Children’s themed cakes till date and enjoy getting creative with those. We also provide finger foods and savoury snacks for parties.Our little Cafe in Caranzalem serves these snacks, grilled sandwiches and Shakes/ Fresh Juices besides desserts.
Why CAKED?
We’re told by our returning clients that they prize our neat precise work, the efforts we put in the detailing and creativity, the superior taste and our over all efficiency.
We make everything from scratch. No industrial premixes or artificial additives. We believe in using good quality ingredients that reflects in our tasty products. We also provide delivery everywhere in Goa ( even up to Sawantwadi!) that a lot of our competition doesn’t. We do our utmost best to provide a complete service and have managed to do so for over 6 years now, thanks to our amazing clients!
My daughter’s, Hope and Faith are the reason I push myself so hard to hold on to my dreams. I’m raising two girls who understand that any woman ( or man!) can achieve anything she wants with focus and hard work!
I’m blessed to have three amazing pillars in my life: My dad, my brother and my husband. These wonderful men are my entire support system.But my mother was and is the whole inspiration of my work and life. Lenin and I inherited our love for baking from her and we honour her through our work.
I feel like every cake Lenin and I make is a tribute to our amazing mom.
CAKED Shop-Cafe:
Shop no 16, Models Meriden,
Caranzalem, on the Miramar DonaPaula Bypass,
Opp.SwimSea Resort.
https://goo.gl/maps/kgWut41XqyG2
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CAKEDbyVanda
Instagram: https://instagram.com/caked_shop_cafe_goa?utm_source=ig_profile_share&igshid=1uh2onhvsbzel
Contact information: 9823560802/ 9921372386
