Laura says unicorn-themed cakes are one of the most commonly requested. Photo / Supplied
Laura says unicorn-themed cakes are one of the most commonly requested. Photo / Supplied
Hamiltonian Laura Casey, also known as The Cake Detective, is solving the mystery of missing cakes as she bakes up a storm for kids experiencing hardship.
Now One NZ (formerly Vodafone) is on her case, featuring her in this month’s One Good Kiwi list of 10 charities in line for a share of $100,000.
The nationwide initiative profiles 10 charities every month and Kiwis are invited to help share that money with the charity or charities they love most via an app.
The Cake Detective’s journey started after Laura came across a Facebook post where a foster mother was looking for a birthday cake for her foster son.
“Every kid deserves cake. Our mission is to make sure every child feels celebrated on their birthday, regardless of circumstance,” Laura says.
In 2019, after two years of “randomly” making birthday cakes, mostly for kids in foster care, she decided to commit full-time and open up the scheme to all children experiencing hardship such as neglect, abuse and illness.
She now makes an average of 65 cakes a month and moved the operation from her home to Sweet Pea Parties in Hamilton’s Rostrevor St, which let her use its kitchen for free.
Laura also teamed up with organisations including Waikato Women’s Refuge, Oranga Tamariki, Kids in Need Waikato and children’s hospice Rainbow Place, which refer cake requests for specific children to her.
Laura Casey, founder of Hamilton-based charity The Cake Detective. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer
“Making cakes for kids at Rainbow Place is most heartbreaking. I just did a cake for a kid who celebrated 100 days, because they weren’t gonna make it to the next birthday,” Laura says.
Referrals include a cake theme and flavour so that every kid gets a cake unique to them. The top three theme requests are unicorns, Disney’s Frozen and Paw Patrol.
“I also made a gravity-defying Minion cake once for a boy who just finished his last day of cancer treatment at Waikato Hospital. He was the cutest kid and the look on his face when I delivered the cake – he just smiled and stared.”
Big smiles and stares are the most common feedback she receives, but one message from a recipient made her realise her cakes have a lasting impact.
Laura says she makes about 65 cakes a month. Photo / Supplied
“I made a birthday cake for a 17-year-old girl whose parents never celebrated her birthday. A year later she sent me a message saying how she finally felt seen ... I feel grateful ... that I can bring joy to the day and that my cakes make a difference.”
Of all festivities, she thinks birthdays are particularly special.
“It’s a day just about you. Even if times are tough, when families stop for a moment, light the candles and sing Happy Birthday, that makes a child feel special.”
For the One Good Kiwi initiative, Laura hopes to get the message out to more people who may not have heard of her yet. The money she receives will go directly towards creating memories for kids.
To support The Cake Detective with the One Good Kiwi initiative and find out more, visit the dedicated website to show your support.
