Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Astashkina
Hi Anna, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in Russia, and I’ve always loved plants and baking. My first memory is when I was 7 and decided to bake cookies for my mom. They didn’t turn out great, but that sparked my interest in learning more. Even though I have a degree in mechanical engineering, since moving to the States in 2014, I have decided to change my passion and become a pastry chef. My love for plants led to discovering handcrafted wafer paper flowers for modern wedding cakes. And that quickly became my signature style. I began teaching online in 2017, and in 2020, I started to focus solely on wafer paper artistry because I fell in love with the medium. Now, with my YouTube Channel, Instagram, and Wafer Paper Academy, I love empowering home bakers! My mission is to simplify the art of wedding cakes and make them accessible to everyone.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
After over a decade working in the wedding industry, from having a side hustle to owning a full-time cake business, I’ve been through a lot! The biggest obstacle I had to overcome was to find my authentic voice! I often wondered if I had what it takes to design a cake without copying someone else’s work. I made many cakes I didn’t like until I learned to lean into my intuition and trust the creative process.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
I love designing elaborate wedding cakes and developed my signature method of working with edible paper (wafer paper) to create handcrafted realistic flowers. I’m very passionate about teaching modern cake designs and inspiring home bakers to discover their cake decorating style for what I got the nickname “wafer paper queen.”
Things I’m proud of:
- I was named a trend-setter for the wedding cake designs by Pastry Art Magazine
- My cakes have been featured in magazines, TV commercials, and online publications worldwide
- I was invited to create gingerbread houses for the Chicago Museum of Art to raise money to support the charity
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
- Tina Allen – Tina’s Dog House, Pet & Home Care LLC
- Olga Bridges – Success Properties LLC
Contact Info:
- Website: https://floreacakes.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/floreacakes/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@floreacakes/
