Meet Chelsea Busa of Cakes, Elevated in Colorado Springs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Busa.

Chelsea, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My story starts and continues, with joy. Some of my fondest memories growing up are of me standing on my tip-toes peering over the edge of the counter trying to catch a glimpse of my birthday cake. Although our cakes were either a homemade, box cake with frosting from a tub or a simple grocery store cake, they always brought so much joy to my sisters and me. Cake was the holy grail of birthdays! Plus, those ultra-sweet buttercream roses on top always fascinated me. In my mind, it was a borderline miracle that frosting could be made into such beautiful shapes and colors.

Fast forward to age 15, and I had recently been diagnosed with severe anxiety and panic disorder (along with a then-undiagnosed chronic illness). Life had become pretty difficult, and I was sick a lot. I had trouble sitting or standing still, and I was always pacing whatever room I was in. My parents bought me a beginner’s Wilton cake decorating course at our local Michael’s craft store. At the time, cake decorating was the only thing that would soothe my anxiety and make me stand still for more than a few minutes. I doubt my parents ever imagined that a simple course at a craft store would bring me to where I am today.

After this introduction to the vast world of confectionary arts, I practically inhaled any and all knowledge I could about making cakes – and this was long before Facebook, so I would search clunky online message boards looking for the next best tip, borrow books from the library, and stand in the aisle at Michael’s reading the latest cake magazine (I’m not even 30 but this makes me sound old). I volunteered to make nearly all of my friends’ birthday cakes, with sometimes disastrous results (sorry, friends)! Despite the generally awful result of my cake decorating, my friends and family were amazingly supportive. My cakes rarely turned out how I imagined them in my mind – it was more like a series of ‘nailed it’ moments.

But cake was just a hobby for me. I never planned on making a career out of it. I never even charged for ingredients back then. In fact, I had been arranging my life to become a lawyer. I studied hard, maintained impeccable grades, earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Paralegal Studies, and was accepted into the University of Florida’s law school. Not too far into my studies, I became very sick again and needed surgery. I was forced to medically withdraw from school. I’ll be honest, it completely crushed me at the time – this was my lifelong dream! Eventually I was diagnosed with stage 3 endometriosis, which affects 1 out of every 10 women, and has no cure.

As it turned out, leaving law school was probably one of the best decisions I’d ever made. It reignited my passion for designing cakes, and I decided to make a business of it. At some point, I discovered a passion for wedding cakes. I fell in love with the elegant, modern designs and decided to specialize in them. It’s very personally and professionally fulfilling to bring joy to my clients. To this day, my favorite moment of any order is seeing the client’s face light up when they see their cake for the first time, especially when some of my cakes take months of planning. That joy and happiness from my clients is what pushes me to better myself and my business on a daily basis.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No entrepreneur has a smooth road to success. There are always obstacles to overcome – whether professional, personal or otherwise. I am a big believer in the iceberg theory – that people only see a very tiny portion of what you, as an entrepreneur, do on a daily basis to achieve your version of success. It’s especially true in today’s social-media-driven world. They don’t see the failures, frustrations, rejections, tears, and other not-so-glamorous behind-the-scenes things that go on. And if they do see them, I sincerely doubt they see all of them.

My personal struggle in owning my own business is balance. Even now, five years into my business, I sometimes struggle with the work-life balance. Part of it is the nature of making cakes, in that they need to be fresh for a client’s event, so often 14+ hours a day is devoted to a single cake. The other part of it is my chronic illness. It definitely takes a lot of self-care to manage my health on a regular basis, and I still struggle with it often. Some days are really hard, but I keep pushing through.

Despite the obstacles, I can’t say enough about the love and support I’ve received from my husband over the years. He has supported me in my crazy dreams and holds my work to a very high standard – if something doesn’t look right, he doesn’t sugarcoat it. He is there when I succeed, and more importantly, when I fail. I’m very lucky to have a partner that understands my goals and pushes me to reach them. He’s on this crazy road of entrepreneurship with me, and it’s not always sunshine and buttercream. It also doesn’t hurt that he washes a LOT of dishes for me when I’m working on orders.

Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I make high-end custom cakes for weddings, celebrations, and corporate events. I also offer full dessert bars with styling options. I specialize primarily in wedding cakes, though my dessert bars are quickly becoming a popular alternative! Most of my cakes are on the larger size – 100+ servings. All of my desserts are baked from scratch, using the highest quality ingredients. I am definitely a quality over quantity cake designer – I limit my orders each week significantly to ensure my clients get my very best work.

I am known for my attention to detail, clean lines, and perfectionism when it comes to my cakes. For wedding cakes, I have a more minimalist style, but I’m slowly morphing into my next ‘season’ of cake design – meaning I’m starting to enjoy more details on the cakes I make.

I am most proud of my customer service. At its core, my mission is to bring people joy through edible art. But a big part of that is also being prompt and timely with client contact, being on time to deliveries, and working through any issues that may arise in a professional manner. I want to ensure that my clients have an amazing experience with me from that very first email. I make an effort to get to know my clients, which I think sets me apart from other cake designers. I especially love hosting tastings – I offer private consultations for wedding clients and it’s always a lot of fun to get to know the couple and their families. By the end, I usually feel like we could be friends!

What are your plans for the future? What are you looking forward to or planning for – any big changes?
I’m looking forward to making more friends and connections in the industry, and meeting and booking more amazing clients. Since I moved to Colorado a little over two years ago, I’m still fairly new in the wedding industry out here. But I’m loving all the people I’ve met so far, and I feel like I’m finally building my tribe.

I’m always looking forward to improving my craft with each cake I make and pushing boundaries whenever possible. It’s constantly a learning experience making cakes – keeping up with the latest trends and techniques is important in a visually-driven business. Despite the time it takes, learning new skills is one of my favorite parts of designing and making cakes.

Pricing:

• Buttercream cakes start at $6/serving
• Fondant cakes start at $7/serving
• Most cakes fall between $8-12/serving
• Dessert Bars/Tables start at $300, full styling options available
• Minimum order amount $300
• Cupcakes available upon request.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cakeselevated.com
• Phone: 727-580-0027
• Email: chelsea@cakeselevated.com

Image Credit:
Mariana Ziegler Photography, Ashography, Alysha Lee Photography, Payge Stevens Photography

Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.