New cake boutique opens in Conway

Lisa Crafton held a grand opening event Friday for Lisa's A Cake Boutique at 936 Faulkner St. Hollywood actress Mary Steenburgen and her sister, Nancy Steenburgen, were present for the event, which doubled as a food drive for Bethlehem House, located next door.

Several beautiful cakes were on display, and a large crowd toured the business and sampled cupcakes.

Crafton recently attended the Wilton School of Cake Decorating and Confectionery Art in Darien, Ill., where she took the master course as well as supplemental courses on fondant, gum paste and sugar art. She majored in graphic art in college, she added.

"I know we have some very good cake shops in town, but I think Conway is big enough to sustain somebody else," Crafton said. "I wanted to bring some new ideas."

Although Crafton has studied cake decoration, she said cake designer/decorator Mariella Ortega is "the real talent."

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Renowned cake artist Kerry Vincent recommended Ortega, Crafton said. Ortega lives in Miami and is moving to Conway to work with Crafton.

"She is awesome. She is nationally known and speaks at national conventions," she said of Ortega.

Crafton said they will create "the most amazing wedding cakes, specialty cakes, party cakes, cupcakes." She said they will cater to "anybody with a special occasion, and brides are going to be knocked off their feet. I'm hoping to get a lot of business from all over central Arkansas."

Ortega was on hand at the opening. She said with the cakes she and Crafton prepared for the opening, they tried to show different techniques.

"I think we can do whatever design the customer wants," she said.

A four-tier orange fondant wedding cake was topped with a pearlized orange fondant bow that was draped down the tiers. Finely piped icing, also pearlized, formed flowers on each tier. Ortega said the technique is called embroidery.

Judi Lively, executive director of Bethlehem House, said of her new neighbor, "I'm very excited to have them here. Lisa's a friend. She's a supporter of Bethlehem House. Her passion for the work we do is just great."

Lively said she was on hand while Ortega crafted a cake styled for a baby shower. The yellow cake was decorated with babies made of fondant and a thin pink ribbon laced through the icing on top.

Crafton said another cake on display, a two-tier, white fondant with cornelli lace, was topped with sugar calla lilies.

Mary Steenburgen and her sister, Nancy Steenburgen, decided to attend the event after they heard about the fundraiser for the homeless shelter. Nancy Steenburgen and Crafton have been "great friends for years," Nancy Steenburgen said. All three attended the same high school in North Little Rock, and Crafton and Nancy Steenburgen graduated together. Mary Steenburgen said she attended college at Hendrix, and her sister attended the University of Central Arkansas.

"I think it's gorgeous," Mary Steenburgen said of the cake boutique. "The cakes are jaw-dropping and mouth-watering."

Nancy Steenburgen said, "Lisa has always been an inspiration to me. Whatever she sets her mind to is a success, and I know this will be a success, too."

She added she liked the idea of tying in the grand opening with the food drive.

Missy Johnson and Tori Marsh, both of Conway, sampled cupcakes.

Johnson was trying a chocolate cupcake with espresso icing.

"It's very good. It's unique to Conway," she said.

Marsh said her cupcake tasted like spice.

"It reminds me of fall. It makes me in the holiday spirit," she said."

Amy Tidwell is the business manager for Lisa's A Cake Boutique, and Mike May will be the in-house events coordinator.

Crafton said, "We're having our opening tomorrow, but we're not going to fill any orders until December, because that's when Mariella can be here. I'm going to do some baking, but Mariella is the real talent. I wanted somebody that was just phenomenal. I'm going to ride her coattails."

(Staff writer Rachel Parker Dickerson can be reached by e-mail at rachel.dickerson@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1277. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)