Jamie "Pinky" Springer's Job is Sweeter than Your Job

Not so long ago, I was involved in a conversation with a good friend about art. My friend was of the opinion that the word "art" has become too vague and society needs better curators to help define what art is. Obviously, this led to a lengthy debate, but we eventually came to some sort of agreement that art takes on many forms and many different mediums. Take, for example, Jamie "Pinky" Springer. "I'm an artist," she explains. "My medium just happens to be sugar."

Springer, 43, has a long history in her chosen art form. Having been a cake decorator, or "sugar crafter," for over 20 years, she has worked all over the state. She ran Creative Confections in Kalamazoo and worked in the culinary department at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. Springer has now settled down and works at Connie's Cakes (7081 South Division) on the south side of Grand Rapids.
Since joining Connie's last fall, Springer has made cakes for all kinds of different occasions. From weddings and graduations to corporate functions, Springer has made amazing cakes for everything.

One of her more ambitious undertakings of late was to design a cake for the Ferris Library for Information, Technology, and Education (FLITE) building's 10-year anniversary. Springer's challenge was to design a cake that would be able to serve more than 300 people, which would also be an edible replica of the architecturally impressive Ferris State University library commons. Springer said that between the designing and baking, the project took more than 40 hours of work.

One of the most challenging aspects of any specialized cake design is transportation. Springer has a couple of stories of cakes being during delivery. However, in those rare instances, the cakes have still been fixed in time for the event. "If you have a tiered cake, pay for delivery," is Springer's philosophy. "Leave it to the experts to deliver."

While those rare instances are among the hardest parts of the job, Springer receives no greater honor than when one of her creations is enjoyed.

"I (love) when I go to an event where I've done the cake and I get to hear the comments," she says. "I love when people eat the cake. I don't consider it destroyed."

Despite working and creating these sugary masterpieces for fancy events, Springer is all rock & roll, and a roller derby girl. Her bleached blond hair and heavily tattooed arms go along with her "Do-it-Yourself" attitude. "I never went to culinary school," Springer says. "(You) can go to the library and learn how to design a cake yourself."

Due to the rise of Food Network shows like "Ace of Cakes" and "Cupcake Wars," there has been a significant increase in people looking for bigger, better and more complex cakes. Certainly this is good news for Springer and the rest of the crew at Connie's Cakes. It also means that Springer gets to apply her intricate design process on a regular basis.

If you want a Springer-designed cake for, say, your wedding, the process typically begins months in advance. When you meet with Springer, she will want to know about practically every single detail. Some of the most basic elements include things like how many people the cake will serve and figuring out how to create the different tiers. However, Springer still wants to know more. As far as she is concerned, the cake should coincide with other elements, such as the bride's dress and the centerpieces on the table. In the end, Springer looks at cake design as a progressive art form. "I just want people to know, don't be afraid to go outside the box," she says. "It's your event."

Another element that sets Springer and Connie's Cakes apart from other cake shops is dedication to using the best possible ingredients. For instance, fondant, the icing-like substance often used to sculpt cakes, tends to get a bad rap Springer believes -- "a lot of people complain it can be chewy," she says. However, Springer thinks that with the right recipe, good fondant can be made. "I make my own fondant here, I don't pre-buy," she says.

Essentially, Jamie "Pinky" Springer and the rest of the crew at Connie's Cakes lead the dream lifestyle. Cake is their passion and it's how they get to spend their days.

"20 hours of my day is devoted to cake," Springer says. Once you meet her and discuss your personal cake for your special event, you can decide whether that is hyperbole.

When you're the best at what you do, humbleness is not always the best policy. If Michael Jordan had just said, "Hey I'm a good basketball player," would he have become the iconic figure he is today? Probably not. Springer is not much different. She is constantly looking for new challenges and opportunities to make creative cakes. In the end, Springer sums it up perfectly. "Come to Connie's Cakes; talk to Pinky. I'm the Rembrandt of the cake world!"

Nick Manes is a freelance writer and journalist based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His work has appeared in Revue Magazine, Rapid Growth Media and The Rapidian. He blogs occasionally at www.NickManes.com and twitters quite frequently at @nickmanes1.

Photographs by Brian Kelly Photography & Film - All Rights Reserved