By Raci Levine
Executive Features Editor
Junior Gemma Burstein kickstarted her baking company, ‘Gemstone Cakes’ during quarantine in 2020, but was able to expand her sales this year by getting clients outside her friends.
Burstein came up with the name ‘Gemstone cakes’ as ‘Gemstone’ has been her nickname from her family since she was a child. Burstein began baking for the first time when she was 8 years old and would make cakes for her family’s birthdays.
“I’ve been baking for as long as I can remember,” said Burstein. “I grew up in the kitchen helping my mom, and began going to cooking camps when I was 8 years old”
Gemstone cakes sells a variety of baked goods including cakes, cupcakes, and cookies. To add on, Burstein takes custom orders and offers themed cakes for children’s birthday parties. According to Burstein, her favorite part about her business is decorating the cakes.
“My favorite part is decorating. Baking is actually very precise and I enjoy the precision” said Burstein. “I love the creativity of using different colors and techniques when I decorate a cake.”
Before Burstein launched Gemstone Cakes she hosted a Zoom program where she would teach kids how to bake online. Her online lessons called Bake-along-with-Gemma created her business model and it was her first step in starting Gemstone Cakes.
“While I really enjoyed hosting those classes, when in-person events resumed, that business model became less relevant,” said Burstein. “ I [decided] to pivot into selling cakes”
Burstein runs her business all by herself and focuses on the South Bay for local clientele. Each cake takes Burstein hours to bake and decorate to perfection. According to Burstein, the only downside of her business is the stress that comes with meeting my clients expectations.
“There is a lot of pressure to bake for someone else’s celebration,” said Burstein. “A client has put their faith in me and I certainly want to deliver the best cake that I possible can, it is a much greater responsibility than simply baking for one’s own family”
The most complex item that Burstein bakes is a vanilla bean chiffon cake and her favorite item to bake is a double chocolate cake because she has been baking it the longest. In addition to custom orders Burstein also sells her baked goods at Costa’s biotech programs and during club day.
“I am always baking something. I love to contribute baked goods to the Costa clubs and programs I am a part of” said Burstein. “As I continue to grow and take on more orders, the need to streamline the process is becoming more evident”
In the future, Burstein wants her proceeds to go towards philanthropic groups like the Friendship Foundation. She has also in the past donated profits towards a special needs hockey team named the California Condors.
“As a volunteer with the friendship Foundation I have come to truly appreciate the importance of programs which support individuals with special needs” said Burstein. “My involvement with the foundation has become a very meaningful part of my life and has spurred my interest in supporting similar services.”
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