Transforming lives one cake at a time

Not all heroes wear capes especially for Laura Casey, who wears an apron. When a desperate foster carer needed a birthday cake for their child, Laura stepped in. She delivered a Spider Man birthday cake, saying it planted the seed of The Cake Detective.

Laura reached out to Linda who worked at a charity called Kids at in Need Waikato. “A lot of the kids were in state care or living with their grandparents, so I started baking cakes at home”. Laura stated that the need for cakes kept growing and in 2019, so they decided to start The Cake Detective, the charity.

“I started baking when I was 3 with my Mum. We would bake everything from cookies and Afghans to pavlovas and banana cakes. A lot of my childhood was spent baking”.
Laura has now carried that tradition on, and bakes with her sons at home.

The Cake Detective founder spends 20 hours a week in the kitchen decorating cakes, plus an extra 20 with background administrations, building relationships with funders and seeking donations. Although operating the Cake Detective is time consuming, it is well worth it for Laura.

“We bring a moment of joy. Lots of charities out there do incredible work that is absolutely needed, and we come along and put the cherry on top of what they do”.

Laura mentioned that it’s hard to choose her most meaningful cake. If she was to pick, it would be a gravity, defying Minion cake that was flying up to space like ‘Superman’. This was for a young boy who had finished his chemotherapy at the hospital.

“His face was priceless; anytime I see the kids and their faces it makes it all worth it”.

Laura said the quotes on the wall by the kitchen fridge are tokens of gratitude for the Cake Detective. “That is why we have placed them there; it keeps us all motivated”.

The future goal for The Cake Detective is to stay sustainable, financially, and to continue to have an amazing group of volunteers.

The Cake Detectives’ motto “Every child deserves to be celebrated” aligns well with their goals. Even though it may not be a special age, each birthday is still of significance.

“The best part is seeing the kids and their parents’ reactions to their cakes. That raw emotion, especially from the parents, that they don’t expect themselves. They’re just so grateful and so pleased to be able to celebrate their child”.

With her dedication to The Cake Detective, there is no doubt that Laura’s a superhero, especially to the families she has helped.