Ibi Hinrichs – The art of Custom Cakes for All Occasions 

We are pleased to introduce Ibi Hinrichs, a truly unique and talented baker, as our tempter this month.  Her story and her custom cakes will chase away the wintry chill of January!

Although born and raised in Missouri, Ibi spent her summers in Maine, where her parents owned and operated a summer wilderness camp.  One of Ibi’s duties was to help with the cooking, and as her mother did not care much for baking, it quickly fell to Ibi to take up the task – and she loved it!  Even at that young age, Ibi felt that cooking was a way to care for people, and she found that satisfying. 

After college in upstate New York, Ibi kept on cooking, working as a private chef, in various restaurants, and even working as a contract chef for Martha Stewart for a few years.  However, she sought fulfillment on a greater level.  She became acquainted with a foundation which promotes peace and funds humanitarian initiatives around the world. Here Ibi found a way to serve and nurture on a greater level in her free time.  Her involvement with the Foundation has led her all over the United States, including, at one point, Houston, where she worked in a French gourmet bakery.  She credits this experience with honing her baking skills. 

By l983 Ibi was running her own catering business, which she kept until just a few years ago, when she decided to focus on her cakes.  Ibi’s popularity continues to grow.  She has made cakes for such well-known names as former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and TV producer Tammy Haddad.  But popularity is by no means a requirement!  What is important to Ibi is your story –she delights in finding just the right presentation for you, in cake form!  Realizing that the cake is often the centerpiece of the event, Ibi works hard to get a sense of your occasion and design the cake to fit it.  She has never made the same design twice!

Her website has beautiful photographs of her special occasion and wedding cakes that illustrate the thoughtfulness that goes into these creations.   And that’s just the outside of the cake!  Ibi offers – are you ready? – nearly a dozen types of cake, nearly a dozen types of icings, over two dozen flavors of fillings, a half-dozen liqueurs and soaks, and dozens of cake styles, as well as create-your-own-style.  How does anyone ever decide?!  Ibi also uses only the finest ingredients:  European butter and chocolate, real vanilla, and eggs from cage-free chickens, in keeping with her life philosophies.

Here are photographs of some of the cakes that Ibi has created...