She doesn’t bake sugar plums, but Apison resident Toni Repko is cooking up quite a reputation as the “Ace of Cakes,” a title awarded at this year’s Formal Affair wedding expo by TV’s “Ace of Cakes” Duff Goldman.
Having seemingly found the recipe for success, Repko is now savoring the experience of running her own bakery, Sweet Angel Cakes in Ringgold. Her sweet journey to self-employment began in 2002 in a cake decorating class at the Sugar Shoppe on East Brainerd Road. Within a year Repko was teaching cake decorating classes at Michael’s Arts and Crafts.
Sweet Angel Cakes owner Toni Repko shows off her 2011 Formal Affair Ace of Cakes plaque awards.Prior to her baking career, she spent 17 years with Krystal in regional management. She said she enjoyed combining her loves of training and baking into her classes.
“In 2005 I got my first big break,” said Repko. “I made a four-tier cake with green and black icing cut out in diamonds and circles for a quinceanera, a Hispanic girl’s coming of age celebration.”
She said the girl turned out to be the daughter of Read House Executive Chef John Palacio. He liked the cake so much that he recommended she become the new contract cake baker for weddings at the Read House. Since that day, she has been baking cakes for brides that wed at the downtown attraction.