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Marie Bryant's "Gateau du Ciel" Makes Heavenly Cakes
I've been mesmerized at the amazing artful dessert creations of Marie Bryant, and her company Gateau du Ciel for a while now. Ms. Bryant has a heavenly touch for making creative desserts and cakes especially for special occasions. I recently interviewed the artisan cake designer about her sweet success.
Kamau: Marie can you tell us a little about your background and life growing up in Southeast Queens or your home town? Can you also tell us about your early life?
Marie: I am originally from a village in Rockland County, called Spring Valley. My family is of Haitian decent. I have been living in the Southeast Queens for the past 8 years after getting married.
I grew up with my parents and my brother and sisters and have always loved the kitchen. I enjoyed everything about food, cooking, watching and learning it from others. I was fascinated by baking because I had a sweet tooth and I loved the science of recipes and what can be made with putting the right ingredients together.
I always wanted an Easy-bake oven but my parents couldn’t afford that for me. So every chance I could bake “for real”, I did. Throughout my school years, I took every cooking class my school offered and I still have many of those recipes.
Kamau: What is the name of your company and services you offer in your business?
Marie: The name of my business is Gateau du Ciel (French for heavenly cakes). Pronounced “Ga-toe-du-Si-yell”. My business offers custom cakes, which means uniquely designed for your event.
Even if inspired by an already existing cake look, the tasting will be a satisfying experience. My goal is to “elevate your sweet desire”. And what that means is to open my clients mind to go past the usual and be creative in style and in flavor. I not only create these cakes but I also make chocolate candy, desserts and treats to complete sweets tables.
Kamau: What inspired you to go into your present creative and special occasion cake business?
Marie: There was also an artistic side of me that I could not ignore and I would nurture growing up. When my siblings were watching cartoons, I was watching Julia Child and being mesmerized by Bob Ross on channel 13, Saturday mornings.
I mocked him in drawing beautiful pieces of art. These habits developed a very creative mind and trained my taste buds, only to many years later marry and birth my now cake business.
My Pastor used by God and led by the Holy Spirit inspired me to go into my present creative and special occasion cake business. He preached a message “Creation Waits for You” where he inspired me to the “business” aspect of caking.
He talked about what God gave us in our hands and how that was given to us as a gift to bless others...and bless us! The first year of my church having a picnic and featuring a baking contest, I won.
I not only won the first year, I won the second year too, and that opened up more opportunities for me. In all that baking, this creative edible habit was becoming very costly. So in order to continue mastering my craft, I barely charged for an order and when I did it was to almost cover ingredients and supplies.
I then began to research the cake industry to learn of it even further and was introduced to Great Cake Artist from all over the world. Social media became my schooling along with classes taken here and there.
I was fascinated by what the “ordinary cake” could be transferred to look like or become. It allowed me to divorce the “basic” look for cakes and re-routed me to taking this delightful dessert and transforming it.
Kamau: What is the uniqueness in your business in contrast to similar cake and desert businesses in the area?
Marie: The uniqueness to what I offer is the pride I take to deliver my products. I like for my creations to speak for themselves. I believe in “we eat with our eyes first” and so it is important to me to create something catching and deceiving to the eye, leading to a curious drive of the taste buds only to be led into a satisfying quandary.
I applaud all other baking businesses. I believe we are not competing but rather enhancing our community.
