Teaneck Cake Decorator Frosts With Flair

About 20 years ago, L’via Weisinger learned to think outside the cake box.

Shortly after the birth of her twins, Weisinger was treated to a baking class where she said she fell in love with cake decorating.

A Duncan Hines girl up to that point, Weisinger began to experiment with different frosting techniques. Soon, the self-taught decorator was creating custom cakes for her family and friends.

“Fondant is my favorite to work with – it’s basically candy Play-Doh; it’s sweet and edible,” Weisinger said. “I love making people happy with food because I’m a Jewish mother. I also enjoy the challenge of it.”

Because her business is fairly new, Weisinger is still getting the word out about her talents beyond her immediate family and friends who have been fans of her work for decades.

“Pretty recently I made a business connection with , where I’m a guest baker,” said Weisinger, who calls her business L’via’s Luscious Creations. “I have access to professional baking equipment and kosher supervision.”

Weisinger studied art and fashion at Yeshiva University: Stern College for Women. But after graduation, she felt unfulfilled, so she attended Beth Israel School of Nursing. A nurse now for nearly 15 years, Weisinger is also a lactation consultant, freelance writer and ghost writer.

Her family includes her husband and five children ages 3, 13, 17 and her 20-year-old twins.

“All my kids know how to decorate cakes,” said Weisinger. “I’ve done cake-decorating parties for my daughter where all the kids learned how to do fondant roses.”

People who visit Weisinger’s Facebook page can view more than 200 photos of cakes, including some of Weisinger’s favorites, such as swimming pool cakes, princess cakes and her brother’s wedding cake, which is the page’s profile picture.

“If someone wants me to do a cake for them, they can give me a call, and we’ll go over details and designs,” Weisinger said. “I’d like at least a week or two notice before the cake is due, so I can set up a time to bake at Butterflake and to work it into my schedule.”

Weisinger recently partnered with Butterflake Bakery on a 3-foot-by-1-foot ambulance cake that took 25 hours to build. The cake was commissioned for the Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps’ that was held on March 5.

“When I see an ambulance now, I think of that cake,” she said.

Thanks to TV shows like Food Network’s Ace of Cakes and TLC’s Cake Boss, Weisinger felt confident in taking more creative liberties with the TVAC cake.

“The shows on Food Network and TLC have expanded my repertoire,” she said. “They’ve inspired me to add more ‘BAM’ to my cakes. With the TVAC cake, it was the first time I used flashing lights. I found submersible LED lights that are completely safe to use because the batteries are encased. We tried to rig a siren, but we couldn’t get it to work – maybe next time.”

While the TVAC cake was a huge undertaking, a typical cake that Weisinger works on takes about three to four hours to create and costs about $150.

The more challenging cakes to make include the ones that are different shapes because they have to be carved. Weisinger works with cakes from Butterflake Bakery, and she orders her fondant wholesale.

“I don’t think anybody would want to make their own fondant when you can buy it in 20-pound cans,” she said. “I color my own or buy the fondant colored.”

 Weisinger also uses buttercream frosting for fine details, and she still experiments with different molds when working with fondant.

For the regular cake-mix baker at home, Weisinger recommended having fun with the frosting and involving your children if you have any.

“Every craft store these days – A.C. Moore, Michaels, Chef Central – they all have cake-decorating tools that can help spice up your cakes,” she said.

Sadly, the only downside to being surrounded by sugar is a softened sweet tooth: The lure of eating frosting and gulping down leftover cake is not as important to Weisinger as it once was.

“I’m so over it,” she laughed. “I can’t stand buttercream anymore. I actually eat around it now.”

For more information about L’via’s Luscious Creations, call 201-801-0784 or visit her Facebook page here.