By LeRae Haynes –
Taylor Made Cakes and Sweets has been baking up a storm in the community and beyond for nearly five years. Brenda and Dale Taylor and their children Abbi and Benn have worked hard to make the delightful bake shop a true gem in downtown Williams Lake for residents and travellers alike.
Taylor Made creates cakes, cookies, cupcakes, Nanaimo bars, bread, sandwiches, muffins, cinnamon buns, cheesecake, and more—all made from scratch, by hand, and on site.
Baker Brenda Taylor said they’ve seen changes in the years the bake shop’s been open. “We’ve seen a great increase in dietary restrictions—mainly gluten-free,” she explained. “We’ve added low-sugar items and use organic flour and sugar in some things: we do our best to accommodate our customers.”
The community bake shop helps people celebrate things like weddings, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, Easter, birthdays, and other special events by creating beautiful customized cakes and cupcakes. They also do dessert buffets for parties and workplace meetings, and are a presence at community events, such as Performances in the Park.
Dale’s been in Williams Lake well over 30 years and Brenda was raised in the Cariboo-Chilcotin and has been here over 25 years. They have long-term ties to the community and are tirelessly supportive of local causes.
“One thing that sets us apart as a bakery is that we mix it here and we bake it here,” said Dale. “I bring in bags and bags of flour in one door and it goes out the other door as cakes, bread, and buns. It’s not frozen and shipped across the country, baked here, and called fresh. It’s truly made from scratch.”
Brenda thoroughly enjoys the creative and artistic aspect of making customized cakes. “I made a 3-D white pumpkin cake with all the crevices and textures, with painted butter frosting and green vines—that was fun. I also did a huge 3-D guitar cake that we put on a piece of plywood to carry out, and a monster truck cake.”
She also does skate board cakes and Barbie cakes, or cakes from other Disney characters—traditional and recent. She said it’s a great way to release her inner artist.
“She’s a cake sculptor; she bakes a slab of cake, gets out her knives, and starts carving,” said Dale. “Kind of like the Timber Kings; they take raw product, carve it up, and make you something.
“It’s so cool that people come in here and they have a good time and leave laughing; they carry out a treasure in a box. The look on people’s faces when they see the custom cake Brenda created is priceless.”
He added that sometimes people have said they accidently ate all the baked goods they bought before they reached home.
Brenda and Dale are staunch supporters of the community; it matters because they’re supporting the community, too. A huge range of events and organizations have benefitted from their community-minded generosity. Day-old breads and cupcakes are gathered up for St Vincent de Paul for its charitable food program
They have many repeat customers, both locals and visitors, and their bread is shared with regular customers in places like Langley and Kamloops.
Taylor Made is truly a community bake shop. “Either you know the people or you get to know them,” Dale said, “no matter where they’re from.”
Taylor Made Cakes and Sweets is located at 635 Oliver Street and you can reach the store at (778) 412-2979 and follow on Facebook.
LeRae Haynes is a freelance writer, song writer, community co-ordinator for Success by 6, member of Perfect Match dance band, and instigator of lots of music with kids
