From Scratch

Kate Rudolph Bakes Creative, Custom Goodies Wild Violets Cakery | Fairview, AB

Meet Kate Rudolph. She’s a Red Seal baker with over 15 of years experience and the entrepreneur behind Wild Violets Cakery in Fairview. It’s a creative, and delicious, business that offers custom decorated sugar cookies and cakes.

After working retail baking jobs for almost 20 years, Rudolph decided to go out on her own with her craft.

“Work had started to become very monotonous; there was not a lot of room for creativity,” said Rudolph. “When I moved back to Fairview, I decided to pursue custom orders. Decorating has become my creative outlet.”

Behind the scenes, baking these stunning creations requires a lot more planning than one might think.

“Every order takes planning and special care and attention—from making sure I have the right cutters to making sure I have enough time for the icing to dry,” said Rudolph.

Timing is an important factor. Rudolph’s intricate sugar cookies are made with love. They have multiple scrumptious layers of icing that can take days to dry, so Rudolph wants to time every move to ensure her famous sugar cookies are as fresh as possible.

For those interested in a custom order from Wild Violets Cakery, the options are many.

“People usually have a theme in mind for their custom orders. Sometimes they send me inspiration photos,” said Rudolph. “Then, we discuss the size of cake or the number of cookies they are looking for and go from there.”

When it comes ordering custom cookies, the larger the order, the more designs Rudolph can include.

Rudolph brings a variety of items to farmers’ markets, ranging from $3-$25. She even sells paint-your-own cookies. They make for great hostess gifts and personalized presents.

“Whether you find me at the farmers’ market, or you place a custom order, cookies always make a great present,” said Rudolph. “Anything you can eat usually makes a great gift.”

Balancing family, a full-time job and her business has been a challenge for Rudolph, but where there is a will, there is a way.

“Most of my baking and decorating is done at night,” said Rudolph. “I think if you want to follow your creative passion, the key is to just start, even if its small. Everyone gets better with practice and time.”

Rudolph is looking forward to growing her business and expanding her customer base.

This Christmas season, find Wild Violets Cakery at all holiday and special markets in Fairview or on social media where she offers pre-orders.

“Contact me with your custom orders,” said Rudolph.

Find Wild Violets Cakery on Facebook and Instagram or email katejones832@gmail.com

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By Siobhan Kennedy | Photography by Dania Renae and Submitted