Indian Sweetheart Market

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to set up as a vendor at Autumn Star Catering’s Indian Sweetheart Market. This was my second market ever, and with the experience from my first market under my belt, I felt much more prepared!

During my first market, I used boxes with opaque lids, which made it hard for customers to see the treats inside. This time, I switched to clear packaging for better presentation. I also made the mistake of overbaking last time, leaving myself too little time to decorate everything properly. For this market, I paced myself and ensured I had plenty of time to decorate. (Fun fact: making buttercream takes much longer than you’d think!)

Another lesson I applied was expanding my menu. At my first market, I heard several people say, “I want something, but I don’t like cake.” So this time, I brought a wider variety of items, including cheesecake, brownies, chocolate-covered strawberries, macarons, and cupcakes.

I was nervous that I might have brought too much and wasn’t sure what I would do with the leftover products. I figured I could offer a flash sale on Facebook if necessary.

To my surprise, as soon as I arrived at the market, a line of people had already formed! Things sold quickly—first the brownies, then the strawberries, cupcakes, and bento cakes. The cheesecakes went next, followed by the macarons. I even sold the treat boxes, which were a high-ticket item I wasn’t sure anyone would buy.

I spent roughly 30 hours preparing for this market—possibly even more if you include planning, shopping, and attending the event. I’m so glad that all my hard work paid off. I never would have imagined accomplishing so much with my business in such a short amount of time.

I’m incredibly grateful to my friends and family who supported me early on by buying small cakes for their children’s birthday parties. Those opportunities helped me gain experience and, more importantly, taught me to be patient with myself. Things aren’t always perfect the first time, but practicing and experimenting with cakes for my family has better equipped me to offer my services to the public.

Baking in a formal bakery environment is very different. There, everyone plays a role in delivering a dessert to the customer. As a cake decorator, I never even went near the oven. Combining the skills of baking and decorating while working independently has been a learning curve, but it’s one I’ve adjusted to over the past few years. After this past weekend, I feel more confident in myself than ever before.