Before managing cake shop Sweet Creations, Dulce Silva practiced crafting elaborate birthday cakes, including a princess's castle and Thomas the Tank Engine, for her children.

Once she began making cakes for other family members, she decided to enroll in cake-decorating classes at Make It Sweet, formerly All in One Bake Shop, where she learned how to use fondant, a sugar-based paste that can be molded and used in decorating cakes.

"I started taking classes and decided to focus on this kind of business," she said. "I really enjoy it."

Silva's uncle, Osvaldo, opened Sweet Creations in June as an avenue for his niece's creativity. Silva, whose first name means "sweet" in Spanish and is the inspiration behind the business's name, said that so far, she has not had a customer come in with a design she could not undertake. Silva said she has even managed to re-create the boot-shaped nation of Italy in cake form.

"They can bring in a picture, and I can pretty much do whatever they ask," she said.

Her creativity has produced a variety of cake designs, from Elmo of "Sesame Street" to a skull and crossbones girl's birthday cake. For the more elaborate cakes, Silva sometimes puts in long hours. Her son's Thomas the Tank Engine cake took all night to bake and decorate, she said.

The family ties at Sweet Creations extend to the kitchen, where Silva's older sister, Yadira, assists with baking and some of the decorating. One recipe for tres leches cake—Spanish for "three milk" cake, a spongecake soaked in evaporated and condensed milk and cream—was passed down from Silva's grandmother. Silva makes it in three flavors: chocolate, strawberry and vanilla.

"It's not too sweet, just how most people like it," she said.

That cake, as well as Silva's cheesecakes and chocolate flan, are served at Jardin Corona, a Mexican restaurant where Silva's husband works that is located in the same shopping center as Sweet Creations.

Silva, who grew up in Mexico near the town of Monterrey, has used her heritage for creating a niche in the market for making cakes for quinceaeras, the Latin American version of a Sweet 16 birthday celebration for a girl's 15th birthday. Parents often ask for multitiered cakes.

"Sometimes they get pretty big, like a 15-inch tier," she said.

Silva said she hopes to build off this niche and introduce her business to more Austin residents. Since the City of Austin widened Pond Springs Road and added sidewalks in 2011, Silva said traffic has picked up along the road, which she hopes will translate into more foot traffic for businesses like Sweet Creations and Jardin Corona.

"We're just working on getting a little more business," she said.

Sweet treats

Besides whipping up custom cakes, manager Dulce Silva makes cupcakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls and eclairs that customers can stop in and purchase. One big draw is the shop's funnel cake ($3.95), which is one of Silva's favorite treats.

"People find out we sell it here, and they get really excited," Silva said.

Funnel cake can come dusted with powdered sugar or topped with ice cream or strawberries.

Other treats available at Sweet Creations include Blue Bell Ice Cream ($2.25–$3.50) and nondairy smoothies in flavors such as strawberry, banana, guava and mango ($2.95–$3.95).

Sweet Creations, 13233 Pond Springs Road, Ste. 307

614-1447

www.sweetcreationstexas.com

www.facebook.com/sweetcreationscakesaustin

Tue.–Fri. 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Sat.–Sun. 9 a.m.–2 p.m.; Closed Mon.