Humble Beginnings…

My first ever cake was the Rubber Ducky from the Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cakes Book for a school fete competition when I was in 5th Grade in 1980. I followed the directions and was so happy with the result, only to be disqualified as the judges said it was too good and I couldn’t have possibly made it! This experience was so devastating that I completely forgot about it until I made a Pink Panther cake in Year 7. 

Mum showed me photos of the duck and everything came flooding back. From that day I decided to embrace all things cake and 40 years later I still love what I do! 

In high school, all my friends received cakes for their birthdays so I could practice. I did work experience in Year 10 with Anthea Leonard from Sweet Art and was hooked on cake artistry! By 15, I was running a hobby cake business from my parents’ home in Sydney making cakes for all occasions. School afternoons were super busy teaching myself how to sketch designs and sculpt cakes.

I decided to do the Pastrycooking Trade Course at Ryde TAFE as I actually love everything about living the sweet life! I took to it like a duck to water and received Apprentice of the Year each year for the 4-year course. Having Lorraine Godsmark as my mentor and boss at Rockpool was lifechanging. The range of new techniques, flavour combinations and work ethic were an exciting learning curve. 

I learned to produce an enormous amount of food without losing quality that put me in good stead to travel the world with my chosen occupation. I also met Vicky Harris here who named me “Nadine, Nadine the Dessert Queen” and became my business partner and lifelong friend. 

Working in London at Harvey Nichols 5th Floor Restaurant with other ex-Rockpool staff was amazing and challenging. Imagine coming up with 5 new daily desserts to feed 200 people each day!  I worked with Vicky here too.  My new moniker was “Nadine, Nadine the Potato Queen” as Nadine potatoes were the potatoes of choice in the kitchen. 

I nearly stayed in Vancouver, Canada as I loved working at the two True Confections dessert cafes but decided to come home taking up the Pastrychef position at Brazil Café in Manly then going to Berowra Waters Inn. Vicky Harris, who now owns Catering Northern Beaches & V-lish Vegan, and I started Twocan Restaurant and enjoyed 5 years together with our amazing staff receiving rave reviews and being in The Good Food Guide. 

I met my wonderful husband, Chris at this time. He’s my biggest fan and logistics officer in cake board design and construction and offsite events! After Twocan closed, I opened Indulge in Desserts in Dee Why, supplying some of Sydney’s top restaurants, cafes and food stores with desserts plus retail cakes and catering. It grew too fast and I couldn’t keep up, so I decided to work with Lorraine at Yellow Bistro & Food Store in Potts Point. 

You’ll find some of my creations on her menu at Lorraine’s Patissiere in Sydney.

Chris and I celebrated our marriage at Yellow Bistro, our first child Joel followed a couple of years later.  I continued to work part time at Yellow Bistro, our second child Dylan was born in Sydney too. We moved to Smiths Lake in 2011 and Nadine The Cake Queen was born four years later! 

I have now been creating, baking and decorating along the Barrington Coast for the past 7 years!