Dancer-turned-baker serves up made-to-order cakes

Dancer-turned-baker serves up made-to-order cakes

2023-11-09

Today we take you to meet Marina Medvedeva, a dancer turned baker. Initially when she moved to Taiwan, the Russian native taught dance. But after giving birth to her daughter, she began baking for her family and close friends. She even started an Instagram page as her cakes became more popular. Today she has a thriving business serving made-to-order cakes. FTV reporter Stephany Yang has the story.

She slowly spins the cake and adds two different icings onto the cake.

Then she adds tiny pearls made of chocolate. This is a bento cake, a small treat perfectly sized for one to four people. Originally from South Korea, bento cakes have taken the internet by storm.

Marina Medvedeva
Baker
This one is for our teachers. Thank you so much for having us at your school.

This one was handmade by Marina, a Russian baker. It’s a gift for her daughter’s teachers.

Marina Medvedeva
Baker
I wanted to make something special, not a regular boring cake for our teachers. I wanted to make something fun and special. Since bubble tea is just a very Taiwanese product it is very fun to make such a cake. Usually, most people like to put letters inside. Like "I love you" or something like that.

Another signature treat is cheesecake placed in a cup, so that it’s perfect for a quick afternoon snack.

Marina Medvedeva
Baker
No need to have a special decoration if you don’t want too much frosting. Some people they don’t like frosting. People are so different so it is very good to make them something for their special request.

Marina is originally from Russia. She moved to the U.S. and worked as a dance teacher. Due to her husband’s job, she moved to Taiwan eight years ago. She taught dance for a while, but after giving birth to her daughter, began exploring a new passion: baking. As a self-taught baker, she worked hard to master her craft, experimenting with lots of techniques. She started her own Instagram page, where she features all kinds of cakes. She even makes her own cottage cheese.

Marina Medvedeva
Baker
I asked people everything. The feeling, decoration, and delivery, it is absolutely customized. I started to make very simple cakes. It was a honey cake with no decoration and nothing special. Now, my passion is to make some figures.

Having lived in Taiwan for eight years now, she calls Taiwan her second home. She has a daughter and son, who both grew up here.

Marina Medvedeva
Baker
We just couldn’t believe how convenient everything is here. Everything made for people. Everything. MRT, these bubble tea shops, every breakfast shops, everything so good. We just want to live a happy life. As far as baking, it brings me so much fun and so much joy. I like it when people send me pictures back with nice words, very kind words of my jobs.

Marina hopes to continue to bake tasty treats for people and bring joy to those around her.

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