Cake decorating fun family activity during pandemic

KUANTAN, June 26 --Cake decorating can be a  joyful family activity during this challenging time, as some parents found out after buying DIY cake decorating kits.

These DIY cake decorating kits are not only easily available, but the craft session is able to get children engaged and encourages creativity as they try to make the best possible creation.

Housewife Norhafizah Hamzah, 46, said that before the movement control order (MCO) was enforced, her family would spend most of their leisure time outdoors, but now cake decorating has become a favourite pastime for her and daughter Nurzahra Saffiya Mohd Sharizan, after trying out several kits. 

“I came to know about the cake decorating kit after seeing an advertisement on social media and decided to try it out with my daughter as she was getting bored of being indoors.

"With the kit, I just have to check her once in a while and share some tips on matching the colours of the toppings, but most of the time the end product is up to her own creativity,” she told Bernama here yesterday. 

According to Norhafizah, her 10-year-old is now able to whip up decorative cakes for her siblings and she proudly presented a stunning cake design when the family celebrated Father’s Day recently.

For Hazirah Anim Halimi, 29, the cake decorating activity is able to divert her child from just playing with her smartphone or watching television.

She said the ingredients provided, especially the toppings were child-friendly as even her four-year-old daughter Bazilah Aishah Mohd Bahir could handle them with ease.

"When children are confined indoors they get stressed up as there is not much for them to do. So this is a new family activity and my daughter has shown interest in baking cakes. 

“The session is  enjoyable and can keep my daughter engaged for long hours. Besides, the tools are not too expensive and the cakes and toppings taste good and are of quality," said the mother of the two. 

Meanwhile, the owner of a bakery at Batu 6, here, Nor Anita Ahmad, 45, said demand for the DIY cake decorating kits had increased significantly as she now has to produce 70 packs a day compared to 30 previously.

According to Nor Anita, each baking set priced at RM20, comes with a  a six-inch vanilla flavored cake, buttercream in red, yellow and blue and customers would also be provided with ornaments such as beads, marshmallows, candles and knife as well as a video on cake decorating ideas and techniques.

“I came up with this business idea after brainstorming with a friend on ways to diversify our products to lead to new revenue streams during the pandemic, while people are spending a lot of time at home with their families.

"I did not expect the response to be so good and that cake decorating would be a favourite family pastime, as I received several repeat orders,” said Nor Anita who runs the bakery with the help of her eldest son Nukman Nurhan Nahmar, 23, and five workers.

--BERNAMA