Cape Town - Meet the Cape Flats’ very own “cake boss”.
This self-taught master baker takes the cake when in comes to elaborate designs. From cartoon characters to musical instruments and even items of clothing, there is no limit to what he can create.
Donovan Brinkman says he is as good, if not better, than Buddy Valastro, the star of the US TV show Cake Boss. “The Cake Boss has a team of people who help him create one cake, where I make the same cake alone or with just one person helping me,” boasts the father of two.
Donovan, 41, of Kleinvlei, gave up his job as a material cutter eight years ago.
“After I gave up my job, I stayed at home taking care of the children while my wife went to work,” he says. “All I did was cook, clean and lie and watch TV. I would watch programmes like the Cake Boss. On my eldest daughter’s birthday I made my first cake.
“She asked me to make a cake so I tried my luck. It was just a boring cake to which I added lollipops.”
And that’s how Donovan’s cake business, called, Don’s Ovan Cakes, was born.
“After the cake I made for my daughter, neighbours asked me to make a cake for them as well,” he explains.
“One neighbour told the other and the word spread that I make cakes. Then people started asking me to make birthday cakes, confirmation cakes and not long after, someone asked me to make their wedding cake.
“I had never made a wedding cake, I didn’t even know how to make one but I didn’t tell my clients that.”
Now Donovan is a full time baker and to date he says he’s baked more than 1 000 cakes from home.
“I made a cake for [Heart 104.9’s] Lunga Singama and after that I had the privilege of baking a cake for Jonathan Butler on his 53rd birthday,” he says.
“The one person I would love to bake for is President Jacob Zuma and his family. He has a very big family and if I bake for him, I know they’ll come back for more.”
Ironically, Donovan does not have a sweet tooth.
“I don’t like cake,” he says.
“I will eat one piece of cake a month if I have to and you won’t find cake in my house for visitors,” he adds.
Donovan’s long-time friend and assistant, Donald Williams, says he has also lost his craving.
“I used to love cake until I started helping Donovan with his cakes.
“It’s too much cake,” he laughs.
Daily Voice