Creating fine cakes and pastries is an artistic journey for Carol Wieberg of Frosted.
Some might consider her an accidental baker, but Carol Wieberg, owner of Frosted, has the perfect combination of work experiences. In fact, it is her unique lifetime quest with baking and art that keeps her East High Street shop in demand and churning out creations that are well beyond what many customers expect.
Wieberg’s early training began more than 20 years ago at the University of Central Missouri where she completed her Bachelor of Science in education with a major in home economics and a minor in sociology. Fresh out of school in 1985 with limited openings for home economics teachers, she began substitute teaching. This also proved a flexible option for raising her young family.
While the challenge of teaching and working with students was enjoyable, missing was an intense need for a more creative outlet. As a result, Wieberg taught herself to sculpt, combined that with seamstress skills and began crafting fine art Santa dolls, which she sold for a few years.
Shortly thereafter, she took the position as pastry chef for a local catering company. It was then that she discovered a love for baking. “I baked all of the cakes but most enjoyed the more challenging, artistic side of creating wedding cakes,” Wieberg says. “Here, I could combine baking and sculpting, which is the perfect combination where my passions and skills meet.”
After realizing her dream and as a single mom, Wieberg first opened Frosted Art out of her home. One year later, she sold her house in order to purchase a shop on Jefferson Street. Just this past summer, she and husband, Ruben, bought the current shop and rebranded the name to Frosted.
Elbow deep with custom wedding cakes and more, her business thrives. “Possibilities are endless,” Wieberg says. “Many of my customers want something more than the traditional cake. Their expectations come from ideas they’ve seen on network television, which can often present quite a challenge for me. They might have layer upon layer of visual effect, including shape, color, texture and infinite sugar work add-ons. Some can be built in a way that appears to defy gravity. Once completed, I’m often asked, ‘You can really eat that?’ When it tastes as amazing as it looks, there’s no way to lose. That’s the effect I’m after.”
Without a doubt, orders dictate that there will always be demand for traditional wedding cakes, yet Wieberg’s favorite creations are those that test her abilities in both structural integrity and artistic detail. She admits, “Artistic passion can often get me lost in the details for hours at a time. I love what I do. It’s a lot of hard work, but I love every moment of it. I couldn’t do any of this without the continual support of my husband and children.”
When asked about her favorite cake so far, she mentions a Where the Wild Things Are cake that combined all of her artistic skills, including sculpting and painting.
Weiberg has obviously found her niche and enjoys the challenge of surprising people and making sure that a cake isn’t just dessert but it’s part of the party. In order to taste and experience Frosted creations for yourself, freshly baked cupcakes and cookies are available on Friday afternoons. Cake decorating classes and parties are also offered at various times throughout the year. For more information visit frostedartstudio.com.
Frosted’s new location
202 E. High St. Jefferson City
www.frostedartstudio.com
