Following your drather B might not happen right away. Sometimes those dreams sit on a shelf for years. For Voni Kinderknecht, they sat on her bakery shelf until last year when, at the age of 51, her love of cake decorating led her to open her fake cakes bakery, called Bogus Bakery.
Fake cakes, donuts, cookies, and other desserts look realistic and are great way to decorate your home, stage real estate, or enhance a photo shoot. You might be surprised at the many uses Voni has come up with for faux food.
Meet Voni and learn about her journey of jumping into a new adventure. Chronic illness, cPTSD, and a busy family life could not stop her from pursuing the desire to work from home using her talent as an artist to create fake cakes.
Her courage inspired me. I hope you come away inspired as well.
LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO THE QUEEN OF FAKE CAKES
Voni and I met our Junior year of high school, in Kanab, Utah. I don’t remember having a lot of classes together, but we did have PE one year where we choreographed an aerobics routine — think 1980s headbands, leotards, and scrunchy socks. After school we both worked at the grocery store bakery. She was way more artistically talented, and I marveled at the incredible cakes she created, especially for weddings. I asked her to demonstrate how to make roses once, and I couldn’t believe how fast her fingers moved, rolling the nail between her fingers and forming the delicate petals.
We graduated and went our separate ways. She eventually married the assistant baker and moved to Arizona and then Colorado, but her friendship has always been like a warm place to fall. If there’s anything I can say about Voni, it’s that there’s nothing fake about her – except her fake food art. You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and Etsy. I assure you, I’m receiving no compensation for this post, and Voni did not ask me to spotlight her. She truly has been an inspiration, and I want you to know her — even if you never buy anything from her. Let’s get on with the interview.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I have a tremendous love for learning . . . artistically and educationally. I have always loved creating beautiful art for others. Nothing brings me greater joy than to see the smile on someone’s face after receiving a piece of art. I love watercolor, mixed media design, doodling, drawing, photography, and cake decorating. I have finally found a job that encompasses all of these and really love what I do.
At 22, I was diagnosed with CFS, and later Fibromyalgia. Many years later, I learned my condition was caused by having cPTSD. Bob and I raised four beautiful children and now have seven grandchildren all under five. Bob has always made sure I was able to continue my education: astronomy, watercolor, and coaching classes. I have had to do it all a little at a time. My health hasn’t allowed anything different.
One class at a time, I got certified in Marriage, Family, and Human Relations. I have spent the last four years in treatment for my condition while going to school. I am super passionate about my family and working hard on ending unhealthy generational patterns by changing the only person I can change — myself. All of these classes have actually helped tremendously in working with customers and challenges that have come up.
I forgot you were also diagnosed with ME/CFS. The long hours are a killer. I feel it mostly in my arms and neck, so I can’t imagine doing all the piping and intricate work you do.
My arms, legs, and neck are affected. When I first started decorating, it was hard. I have gained strength in my hands and forearms, and it has become easier. I work hard trying to keep my body relaxed. This equals energy. I set a ton of boundaries on who is allowed in my space because I have a narrow window of tolerance before I freeze up and shut down. Occasionally I go down [and then] my son has it mostly under control. Self-care has become extremely valuable.
We worked in a bakery as teenagers, and you were decorating cakes then. When did you learn this skill?
I was around ten years old when my grandmother started teaching me. I would make up a batch of icing and practice at the kitchen table for hours. I still take classes online to learn new techniques. When I first applied at the bakery, I wanted to be a cake decorator. I was hired to package rolls, bread, cookies, and to wait on customers. I would fill in for the main decorator when she was gone.
Have you worked as a cake decorator since high school?
I worked for Bashas in Arizona, strictly as a cake decorator. I have done many wedding cakes over the years for friends. Most of them were my wedding gift to them. Of course, I’ve done many family events.
When did you come up with the idea for Bogus Bakery and making fake cakes?
I was working in an office job and hated it. I actually prayed and asked God to help me find a job that would allow me to use my creativity and still produce an income. I also prayed that I would be able to better connect with my daughter. Within five days, Jessa (the daughter) reached out to me with an idea for a job. She told me about faux food art and told me that she would help me get started. I got so excited. I made a bunch of fake cakes for a photo shoot for her business (clothing line) and in return she helped get my first photos shot and my store opened. I didn’t hesitate because it was exactly what I prayed for. March 1 was the first anniversary for BB with an online site.
The name is fabulous. Did you come up with it?
Jessa and I bantered back and forth until she suggested this name. I loved it.
Do you have a crew, or do you make everything yourself?
I make everything myself. I am just now in a place where I can hire someone to come in and help with a bit of housework. My son Cody is still in training phase.
Do you have a studio, or do you work from home?
I’m actually just finishing my new studio which is in our home. For the first year, I did this out of our dining room and kitchen.
What’s been the hardest part of starting this business?
We had family move back in with us which made it difficult to keep my business organized and clean. We have a small home so we were pretty much cramped for a while.
It takes time to build a business. Everything in the first year was reinvested to grow the business. Don’t plan on making a huge income the first year. By remembering this, I was able to keep going.
What’s the most rewarding part of making fake cakes?
Creating and hearing how happy everyone is with their products. I just love the joy others feel.
How many hours a day/week do you spend creating?
I honestly haven’t tracked them. When you’re doing something you love it doesn’t feel like you’re working. It’s very relaxing. Except January and February kicked my butt. I got sick during the biggest season of the year in my business. I worked well over 40-hour weeks and had to rest between every order. It was pretty rough. I had to shut down for a week to catch up on orders and give myself some recoup time.
What do you use to make everything look real?
I have a ton of cake decorating and art sculpture tools. I use tons of toothpicks for a variety of things, a couple of different clays, several types of paint and art mediums, and a few different home building compounds. I try not to give away all my trade secrets. haha All the various art classes I have taken over the years have actually helped hone my trade.
Do you make everything from scratch or buy items already made?
I do both. I order in most of my sprinkles now. Sometimes you have to ask yourself how much your time is worth compared to what individuals want to pay. I order in fruit. I now make my own raspberries. All of my cakes, cookies, donuts, cupcakes, and pies are handmade. I’ve learned how to make my own conversation hearts, chocolate kisses, chocolate bunnies, and chocolate chips, graham crackers, teddy grahams, macarons, marshmallows, etc. I try to mass produce when I work on things to keep stock on hand. I use a lot of molds, too.
What’s the craziest material you’ve used?
Aluminum foil and wire is really great for sculpting certain shapes. For example, the gnome hat on this cupcake.
What’s the most unique fake cakes item you’ve been commissioned to make?
A replica of a birthday cake for a deceased infant. The mother was so touched by the gift. She can pull the cake out each year on her birthday and remember her.
How often do you make fake food props for companies?
I don’t always know when it’s for a company. My best seller item is the custom order. In the last three months I have completed 175 [custom] orders. Many fake food props go to models for photo shoots, some have gone for movie and filmed music sets. I had one go to New York for the set design of the Nutcracker Ballet. A few restaurants have bought my fake cakes for window displays. I have replicated several original desserts and cupcakes for display. I believe I have done 18 exact replicas. They were very happy with them.
What is your favorite fake food decor item?
My favorite fake food decor item is my cupcake containers. This is something I came up with on my own and is completely original. It’s always fun to see the surprised look when I grab what looks like a real cupcake and pull the top off to expose a container large enough to put a small treat inside. When I sale at shows, I have to keep a stash of candy on hand, as I get some really upset individuals when they discover they aren’t real and can’t eat it. People take their desserts pretty seriously. I have prevented some near melt downs by having candy on hand.
What advice would you give someone – young or old – who is considering going after their dream?
Dreams more often than not aren’t just handed to us on a silver platter. Just because something doesn’t come easily, or may cause some discomfort, doesn’t mean it isn’t the right thing to do. Be willing to fail several times, put in the work to get better, take the class, and chip away at it.
YOUR TURN
Share in the comments below: Do you have someone who inspires you? Are they a friend or family member? Maybe they’re someone you’ve read about. If you have a story or someone you’d like me to highlight — someone who has made their drather B shine — let me know.
I loved this. Voni is so inspiring. I found a lot of truth in the idea that future events/dreams are made possible through our continued journey of practice and learning , with her sharing that many of her prior classes and learning have been used to make this business successful.