The answer was always yes, but all grins were off until the ‘treat’ was revealed. There were those parents who thought that a pre-peeled orange or a beet-flavoured oat bar was a treat. Nope. There were those who offered up digestive cookies or puddin pops. Okay.
But, ever so rarely, there was that parent who would pause for the reveal – creak open the fridge, reach into the secret cabinet – then pull out a gloriously sweet, homemade creation. Pink striped cupcakes baked into chocolate dipped ice cream cones. Doctor Doolittle animal cookies blessed with pin drop eyes and multi-coloured swim trunks.
You knew that these lovingly created uber-treats were going to taste good. Had to. But, even more importantly, you knew that this was a house where you were truly welcome, where the conversations would be lively and sincere and where visitors would linger for as long as they could.
This is the feeling that Lyndsay Sung recreates with her enormously popular blog: Coco Cake Land.
Eyes bug at the sight of these deliciously special uber-treats: Cheery Cherry Rainbow Cake Dreams. Can I Get A Noot Noot: Pingu Cake + Cupcakes. Vegan Chocolate Ganache Pie With Raspberries. Happy Chappy Catbus Cake. Peppermint Chocolate Cake with Stressballs.
In the face of all this loving effort, you stay for the conversation and you are rewarded. There are recipes, of course. But, there is also talk of Sung’s family – her beloved young son in costume, her husband graduating from med school, the celebration of her mother’s 70’th birthday and the passing of her Grandmother Poh Poh.
In February of this year, Sung came to her readers with a jarring post. She was going to Disneyland for her Mum’s 70’th birthday and she had breast cancer.
The Coco Cake Land community jumped in with encouragement and support. Some just wanted to send their love. Others told stories of their own family battles with cancer. As ever, Sung responded graciously to each of their posts.
Sung’s cake and blogging life has been full of twists, bumps and wonderful surprises. What advice would she offer to others looking to pursue creative working lives?
1. “Work hard and create something of quality.
2. Come up with ways in which you could monetize it if you like. For example, if you love making crafts, start an online Etsy shop and sell them.
3. Never stop reading or exploring or learning.
4. Try out different things if you’re able to, and see what you fall in love with. I’ve also had one million random jobs.
5. Be genuine and authentic.
6. Build a community around you, by reaching out to others in your field, whether it’s emailing a business you admire to say hi or commenting on their Instagram.