Manhattan Bride Magazine, Fall/Winter 2000

"When I first began doing cakes," says Charmaine Jones, "I found that African Americans were left put. All the cakes seemed so Victorian. I felt everybody should have the opportunity to include their culture in their wedding."

She began researching African symbols and soon was asked to create a cake for a book called 'Jumping the Broom' by Harriet Cole (Henry Holt). The book sold an incredible nine million copies. This led Charmaine to begin researching more African cultures like Egyptian and South African.

Soon she found other cultures, like Asian and Irish, weren't represented either, so she researched their symbols and began to offer cakes for these brides as well. "I'm now able to offer many ethnic designs, and really enlighten a bride about the symbols in her cultures.

"It's very rewarding to us both, because it is always a learning situation. I show the bride what the symbol looks like and how it has been used in the culture. The we work together to see how it can be used on her own unique wedding cake."

Beyond the symbols, Charmaine offers a full range of flavors-over 100 in all.

Outrageous Cakes, 212 722 0678