By Rachel Na
Liana Gerber is unlike any other artist at Collingwood School. While many wield pencils, paintbrushes, instruments or cameras to create their masterpieces, Liana’s tools are found in the common kitchen. She specializes in creating vibrant and delicious designs and her choice of canvas is the soft, fluffy surface of cakes and various other desserts.
At the young age of nine years old, Liana Gerber discovered her talents at a Michaels’ cake decorating class. She was a natural at her craft and enjoyed the challenges of working with such a unique medium. She fell in love with making cakes—each bigger, better and more complicated than the one before—and soon she began baking for causes larger than herself. Over the years, Liana has become invested in non-profit organizations such as Ronald McDonald House and Icing Smiles. She frequently participates in these charities’ food programs and every month, she bakes a birthday cake for a child at Icing Smiles. On top of that, Liana dedicates her holidays to baking for big charity events like Christmas and Easter. When asked why she bakes for these charities rather than starting her own business, Liana responds with “it’s never for the money, I do it for the fun of it”, she is deeply passionate about her work and a true altruist.
Liana Gerber is unlike any other artist at Collingwood School. While many wield pencils, paintbrushes, instruments or cameras to create their masterpieces, Liana’s tools are found in the common kitchen. She specializes in creating vibrant and delicious designs and her choice of canvas is the soft, fluffy surface of cakes and various other desserts.
At the young age of nine years old, Liana Gerber discovered her talents at a Michaels’ cake decorating class. She was a natural at her craft and enjoyed the challenges of working with such a unique medium. She fell in love with making cakes—each bigger, better and more complicated than the one before—and soon she began baking for causes larger than herself. Over the years, Liana has become invested in non-profit organizations such as Ronald McDonald House and Icing Smiles. She frequently participates in these charities’ food programs and every month, she bakes a birthday cake for a child at Icing Smiles. On top of that, Liana dedicates her holidays to baking for big charity events like Christmas and Easter. When asked why she bakes for these charities rather than starting her own business, Liana responds with “it’s never for the money, I do it for the fun of it”, she is deeply passionate about her work and a true altruist.
Thanks to the support of her parents, Liana has been able to cultivate her love for baking. Furthermore, she’s grateful for the opportunities that have arisen and the people she’s met through it. Liana reflects that “[cake baking] is probably one of the better things that came out of [her] injury, [it’s] like a silver lining”.
In the near future, Liana will be pursuing her dreams of becoming a paramedic but she hopes to continue baking cakes as a hobby.
To beginner bakers and aspiring cake bosses: “Baking doesn’t always go the way you want it to. It takes a lot of practice and it doesn’t always end well. You will fail every once in awhile but it’s important to not give up!” – Liana Gerber
More of Liana’s masterpieces can be found on her Instagram account @liana.baking
