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Irina's Bakery

From marketing manager to passionate pastry chef

Baking was in Irina Avdiushkina's blood from a young age. But that she would ever make a career out of it? She never thought so either. "I have always enjoyed baking and spoiling people with sweets, but professional baking only came into the picture after I moved to the Netherlands," says Irina. With a background in marketing and sales, she had to think about a career change because of the language barrier. "I was looking for something I could be good at, and after the enthusiastic reactions to my baking, I decided to take my skills to a professional level and start a home bakery."

The start of Irina's Bakery

On September 1, 2022, the time had come: Irina's Bakery was officially registered with the Chamber of Commerce. From her kitchen in Dordrecht, Irina has since been baking the most refined cakes and desserts to order. "It was an exciting step, but I knew I had found my passion."

A day in the bakery

No two days are the same at Irina’s Bakery. “My schedule depends on the orders I receive,” Irina explains. “I spend a lot of time learning new techniques, developing and testing recipes, and advising customers.” She also handles administration, social media, shopping, cleaning, and of course: baking. “Making a cake is a process that can take several days. For example, my popular raspberry-pistachio cake: it requires separate steps such as making a pistachio sponge, ganache, raspberry mousse, and more.”

Essential Tools and Ingredients

Irina laughs when she tells about a common misconception: "A lot of people think that all you need to make a cake is flour, sugar and eggs, but there's so much more to it!" From professional mixers and baking rings to high-quality chocolate and fruit purees: everything has to be top quality.

Favorite and least favorite pastries

"I enjoy making mousse cakes, tartlets and eclairs the most," Irina says enthusiastically. But there are also orders she prefers to skip. "Sometimes I get requests for designs that don't fit my style. In such cases, I refer the customer to another baker."

Baking inspiration and trends

Irina draws her inspiration mainly from talented pastry chefs from Eastern Europe. "In Russia, Belarus, Lithuania and Ukraine, the pastry world is very developed and competitive." When it comes to trends, Irina prefers simple elegance. "I love rose-, bow- and heart-shaped cakes. But the Korean style doesn't appeal to me at all."

Challenges as a home baker

One of the biggest challenges for Irina is finding a balance between work and private life. "As a home baker, it is difficult to keep work and free time separate." Another stumbling block is the unpredictable demand. "Sometimes I get more requests than I can handle, while there are also days when I would like to have an order, but no requests come in."
A mistake Irina made in the beginning was using too thin cake bases and the wrong packaging. "I didn't know how important sturdy cake boards and the right box sizes were. Unfortunately, that damaged a few creations during transport. I wish I had known about the packaging options at Cupcakedozen.nl earlier!"

The role of social media

Like many modern bakers, Irina gets a large part of her customers through social media. "Instagram and Facebook are very important to my business. I want to focus more on videos soon to increase my reach."
The presentation and packaging of her products also play a crucial role in the image of her company. "The packaging must not only be sturdy and functional, but also radiate luxury. Thanks to the packaging of Cupcakedozen.nl I can deliver my creations safely and stylishly."

Dreams for the future

Although Irina now operates successfully as a home baker, she has bigger ambitions. "My dream is to open a cozy pastry shop, where I can offer refined desserts every day."
In addition, she wants to continue developing her skills. "I would like to learn how to make complex 3D figures from fondant, as well as advanced decorating techniques such as painting on gingerbread and working with edible flowers from chocolate and cream."

Tips for Beginner Bakers

Finally, Irina shares her best advice: "Keep learning, experimenting and improving. Be grateful to customers who trust you. And don't just compare your work to better bakers, but also to how you started. That helps you appreciate your growth."
Additionally, Irina has a handy tip for working with gelatin: “When making a lot of fillings that require gelatin, you’ll save time by preparing a batch of gelatin mixture instead of soaking gelatin over and over again.”

Want to follow Irina's creations?

Instagram: @irinadordrecht
Facebook: Irina's Bakery
Contact: irinadordrecht@gmail.com

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