Bakery interview and tasting

This is Keto right. Well, I'm not going to waste any more time because guys cake, Why would I waste any more time when they are the most magnificent baked creations in front of me. It's it's an absolute privilege and a delight to say good morning and welcome to weekend Breakfast to el Marie Rosachaki from Montful Soot, Good morning.

Good morning, thank you so much for having me.

Now I told you off air, and I'm going to tell you again on air. I feel extremely bad having learned that you were up until two am baking or up from two am. Rather, you woke up at two am this morning to bake and get ready for us for the show for these incredible, beautifully looking creations.

Not at all. That's the life of a baker, I suppose.

So Actually, when you, when you are a baker, you anticipate early mornings. I suppose tell us about, Hey, how you came to start Montfulsoot and what your business does.

So Mourntful Suit is a cake studio. I work on pre orders for whole cakes. I'm saved with cakes that are all about flavor and ingredients, so we focus on creating something with locally sourced ingredients and take a lot of inspiration from that. And every month we have a seasonal cake that we celebrate either an ingredient or a small producer, or sometimes we take inspiration from an occasion.

June, we have a beer.

Cake, for example, that we're doing taking inspiration from Agger micro Brewery at Innurtuk and for Father's Day and the cold wet winter took and took their wee heavy beer and created our owntake of like a Guinea style chocolate cake.

Ooh wow? Is that no? That beer cake that you mention? Is that any of these ones that we have in studio this morning?

Unfortunately, not.

Tell us about these cakes that you've presented us with this morning emory.

Of there, we have a slice of the Bear cake, which is inspired by the TV series The Bear, which you can find weekly on the counter at Cake Canteen.

Okay, they have a.

Branch in Gardens Valvo, Stalamosh and they're opening up in.

Johannesburg as well.

Oh wow, Okay, yeah.

And then we also have mini cakes like the carrot with a spelt crumbled top and a cream cheese icing and locally sourced pecans, which you will find on the counter at Max Burgel's in Park Road and the Daili Social in Hotware.

Now these just to explain to listeners that can't see yet, we will post the pictures. These mini cakes are probably a bit too big for one person. I would say maybe sha share between two, but the size of about it looks like maybe two cupcakes.

Yes, it's a I would say, like a good It's the equivalent of a slice of cake, okay, a generous slice of cake.

But just in a beautifully presented round shape like a mini cake. Yeah.

It kind of alleviates people having to slice and manage slicing a cake on the counter.

Lovely okay. And that cake over there.

Also the carrot cake. The one over there that you've got is the dark cocoa sponge with a mocker butter cream and then it has an espresso bean covered chocolate espresso bean on top.

Oh wow. And this one is an apple cake Okay, that's the apple cake, yeah.

With olive oil and spout, and then a maple cream cheese icing.

Now some of your I know that baking with sustainable and different ingredients is very important to you, and some of the ingredients that you mentioned one wouldn't automatically associate with cake. For instance. I mean, well you said beer and then you mentioned off a tahmi. I wouldn't think of using tahini and a cake.

Yes, it is a little bit.

Yeah, how can I say it's not mainstream? It is a little bit fringe baking. But once you get into the fringe baking of cakes, you realize that there's a lot of people that are really into it and also appreciate that cakes are a beautiful vessel for all these different ingredients and tastes and flavors.

Where do you get the inspiration, elmor? Is it just lots of experimentation or how does it come to you?

Yes, I would say it's been a lot of experimentation. I've always worked in food, but when I had children, I stayed at home and then I kind of started baking as a hobby and also just to keep the home cozy and create an activity at home. Didn't also, we lived in Camps Bay and all block of flats and there wasn't a bakery or good bread around. So

Kind of in your jeans almost.

Yes, And my mom was very particular about the kind of cakes that you liked, which was very much the style of baking, not leaning towards overly sweet, but more towards interesting flavors and flavors with a little bit of contrast.

So what would you say are some of the most unusual ingredients that you've used in the cake.

Well, I think people always get a fright when they hear the tahini because they really don't think it goes with cake, But it's the tahinium use it in the icing, and it works a charm because that specific chocolate cake is really it's actually quite sweet on its own. So it's I love being able to have something to cut that down so that the salty sweet works well in there. And I also actually put a sesame brittle on top of that cake. So yeah, it just looks it is

Yeah, because olive oil does have quite a sharp taste, so you don't think of using it in baking.

Yes, but it really shines through. And then of course the spelt in the cake as well, it's quite unusual, which is a beautiful spelt from Krinfontein in Cedarburg area are actually also based in Hot Bay.

I think their house is there, so they travel between the two.

Okay, So just so that listeners that may not know your business can understand, you mentioned you are based in heart Bay, but you don't have an actual shop.

No, I don't have a shop front.

I bake, have a website montfulsuit dot com, and.

I take pre orders for cakes. So whole cakes, the.

Smaller items or if you're interested in only having a slice would then be found at these dailies and restaurants that I've kind of made associations with.

Okay, and can people find the list of those dailies on your website or which the best way for them to get hold of a montful suitcake if they want to d s.

Well, okay, so whole cakes you could order through me on my website. And then for let me tell you that Max Bagel's in Park Road, the Deli Social in Hot Bay Cake Canteen, and then Agger is having they have the beer cake on their counter.

I'm so excited about that because you as you know, I'm a noted local, So now I know where to get my mournful suitcake.

Get your sweet fix.

You mentioned of a El Marie that you bake to order, but it's a Friday collection, so there's only once a week that people can pick up a cake from you.

Except if they are in Hot Bay.

So I've just found that that was the easiest way to streamline things because not everybody. A lot of the communication then comes from larger Cape Town area.

So yeah, And what's been some.

Of the coolest feedback you've had from some of your customers. I mean, have you had somebody from a different country or somewhere far away just go, wow, that was the most amazing cake I've had anywhere in the world.

Yeah, I've had really, I mean to be honest, I have amazing customers.

I've had people buy for me for a very long time.

People buy every year for the birthdays or those celebrations that come back or they ask are you doing that flavor again or can you do this for me? I recently had a person come back and say they've lived They've lived in New York and actually operated a restaurant there as well, and there was came back especially for the teini cake, saying like can I please make that for their birthday? Its favorite of theirs. So yeah, then

Incredible. I mean, in conversation with baker el Marie Rossichaki of Mournful Soot, she's telling us about her confectionery and her creations. I see you've also brought in a container of chocolate and coffee biscotti, which looks absolutely amazing. Tell our listeners about that.

Yeah, it's a gift tube that I do with piscotti, which is well classically an Italian kind of cookie, but I think I describe it as somewhere between a rask and a cookie. As tasty as a rask, but not as cute as a cookie. I think that's actually a tagline that are created for it because it's it's like a chunky finger of piscotti that's quite long, and I would say it's not the traditional like the original recipe

Yeah, okay, Well, we were talking off air about, you know, the fact that it's eight o'clock and we've got a selection of cake in front of us. Which is the most breakfast ye and you said perhaps the biscatti or the apple.

Yes, the apple can definitely passes a breakfast number.

The apple cake looks absolutely gorgeous. In fact, they all do talk to me a little bit more about this chocolate cake, which is the Bear Cake.

The Bear Cake.

So that's really the show, But I want to get the backstory.

Well, okay, so it is inspired by the TV series The Bear, which is all about the restaurant industry as well and working as a chef, and it kind of yeah, showcases.

I think it does show.

How hard people work and how much stress they are working under in the kitchen in the hospitality industry, and

You know, you can't really go wrong with it.

It lasts well, it's it's always hits the spot it is, it's indulgent.

It looks incredibly I'm actually gonna taste a piece. I never like chewing on air, but I have to con'trasist. It looks incredibly like moist and.

Yeah, so it's a it's a dark coco sponge. It's really my favorite sponge. Always go back to it because it is moist and it's soft and it's but it's got flavor and then it's layered with like real.

Chocolate moose, so real, chocolate moose.

Real, not like you know, going through the whole process of making chocolate moose, with the eggs, the cream, the chocolate, the coffee, and then that's wrapped in a Mocker butter cream that I use, which is essentially a Swiss marangue butter cream that's made with chocolate un espresso. Wow.

And I can just I can tell you absolutely can taste the difference this is. You know, I can taste all the work that's gone into this chocolate mouse creation and the sponge. It is Oh wow, that is absolutely delicious.

Thank you.

I'm glad you like it. I mean, it's a I think it's a really cool. It's a it's a nice slice of cake. You know, it's a celebration on its own. One slice is good. You can take it as a gift or absolutely in.

Fact, any of these I think would make an exquisite gift for somebody. You know, it really is just very special. We've got a voice note from a listener who's got a question for you. I believe let's take a listen to that now.

Good morning, Amy, it's dialog more. I wonder if you could ask your guests her name El Marie, if they do anything gluten free. Unfortunately, glutens would have a known for me. Dairy as well, quite restrictive. Thanks.

You definitely couldn't eat that beer cake then die. What a shame if you are dairy free and gluten free, El Marie. That's a tricky order when it comes to cake.

It is indeed, I don't do gluten free or dairy free or vegan cakes as such. It is a very specific style of baking which has its own repertoire that one really needs to go into.

I feel that.

Within cake there's very few people that are focused on bacon cake with really good quality ingredients. So this is kind of a niche in itself that when you're going to have a piece of cake, enjoy it. Let it be really good. But it's not void of sugar or gluten or dairy for that matter either.

And I think also you know you're not operating a restaurant or a walk in bakery where people will feel excluded if they are not being catered you. You are selling through other channels and have a loyal customer base as you mentioned, of people that are wanting this kind of real ingredient made from scratch with love product.

Yeah, I do.

I mean, if someone is really in need of a gluten free cake, we do like a classic almond torte.

Okay, either a citrus version or a chocolate version of that.

But okay, yeah, there are options.

But it's not something that would be an add on to other if you're an existing customer and if there is another existing order going around.

Now, you mentioned, of course, and we've said on air that you did get up very early to prepare, and you said that you said good night to your husband and kids very early in anticipation of your early start. Do they love your cake? Do they beg you to make it for them every day?

Yes?

I'm sure. I bet you. Everyone wants to come to your kid's birthday parties.

We've actually just had my daughter's if they party last weekend.

Yeah.

Look, my children have very much been at the heart of montful Suit and my husband as well. They have to taste everything and give feedback. They have to sit next to the cakes traveling in the car. They have to deal with the delivery schedule and the baking schedule, which yeah, I at some point rented space in town and then eventually decided to build a second kitchen in our house, so they really, oh wow, are very close to the heart of the business.

Oh wow.

And I hope you have help in that kitchen because it's an awful lot of work for one person to be managing all these orders and demands.

Yes, I do have an amazing assistant, Oka Sauna, who really helps me.

Yeah.

I just love working with her. And having meticulous and hardworking woman work with me is amazing.

El Marie, weare to you next for montfull Suit. What are the plans for the future.

Well, hopefully when my children are a little bit older, there will be a shop in town with its own little shopfront.

Ah, that'll be wonderful.

But for now, being able to collaborate with these other businesses that are my shop fronts and the customers who are happy to deal with my baking schedule and collection points, and I.

Think it's just what's really nice for me. Also is the personalization and the attention to detail. You're not just churning out a random bark because you feel like you're thinking, well, it's June, it's Father's Day, it's men's health month. Let me see where this takes me. Kind of thing. There's a lot of thought that goes into all your products.

Yeah, I think if I did, if I was bound by a shop right now, I would not be able to have that creative freedom. So I'm grateful to be able to play with it still and explore all my different ideas and recipes.

Well, I hope we've with the appetite of our listeners ever so slightly. If they would like to get in touch with you and order a piece of heaven, I'll call it a slice of heaven? How can they go about doing so?

So they can have a look at our website morenfulseit dot com. We are closed for next week Friday because we are running off to the movie for Fabula camping trip with my family. But after that back in action and if you can't find what you're looking for on the website and welcome to just send an email to montful suit at gmail dot com. I'm also on Instagram, Montful, Mournful Underscore Suit.

Wandful Underscore Soot. If you'd like to find your on Instagram or montfulsoot dot com online and it is well worth visiting, trust me, you won't be sorry. El Marie Rossichaki, thank you so much for coming into studio with these gorgeus creations and have an incredible holiday, and I think it's very well deserved.

Thank you very much, Thank you very much for having me recording