BERNADETTE Raewyn Elliot Turner learned how to bake at a very young age.
Now she runs a small business from her home along Sandalwood Street in Lautoka.
Home is always filled with the sweet scents of chocolate, vanilla and freshly baked goodies.
Measuring bowls often line the kitchen counter, frosting bags are neatly arranged, and somewhere between the buzz of the mixer and the warmth of the oven, memories of her mother still linger.
For Bernadette, baking has never been just about cakes. It is about carrying forward a love that began when she was only eight years old.
“I was always with my mum in the kitchen whenever she baked,” she said.
“She would teach me every step and explain everything as she went along.”
One of her earliest memories is making a chocolate cake under her mother’s guidance, learning how to mix ingredients, bake the sponge and prepare the chocolate sauce that would become the finishing touch. It was simple, but for Bernadette, it sparked something lasting.
Over the years, that spark grew into a passion.
She fell in love with the creativity of baking, especially the joy of seeing the final design come together after hours of careful decorating and planning.
Today, that passion lives through her home-based business, Made with Love.
Every cake that leaves her kitchen carries traces of lessons her mother left behind, not only recipes and techniques, but values.
“My mum always said to do things with a good heart and attitude,” Bernadette said.
“You can do everything right, but if your heart isn’t in it, things will eventually fall apart.”
Those words became even more meaningful after her mother passed away.
Stepping into her mother’s role was not easy. Grief slowly stole her interest in the thing she once loved most.
For a time, the kitchen no longer felt comforting. The cakes, the frosting, even the smell of baking reminded her of what she had lost.
But healing came quietly, through the encouragement of her husband and family, who reminded her not to give up on the gift her mother had nurtured in her.
“With their support, I started to bake and create again,” she said.
“I always knew someday I would take over what my mum started.”
Now, every cake she decorates feels like a continuation of her mother’s story.
Bernadette still uses many of the same recipes and techniques her mother taught her years ago.
Chocolate cake remains her favourite, the first recipe she ever learned and the one she knows by heart.
Recently, she also reintroduced buttercream frosting into her business, honouring the way her mother first started decorating cakes before later moving into whipped cream creations.
Beyond cakes, Made with Love has expanded into pastries such as donuts, cream puffs, lamingtons and cookies. Yet custom cakes remain the heart of the business, especially for birthdays, weddings and celebrations.
Customers often admire the final product without realising the patience involved, especially for large two-tier or three-tier cakes that require precise stacking, balance and delicate decorating.
“You cannot rush big orders,” she said.
“If you do, the cake can be damaged, or it may not hold properly.”
Planning each design carefully is essential, from baking the right height layers to balancing decorations and deciding which side of the cake will face the customer.
Some custom creations take up to 12 hours to complete, yet Bernadette says many people underestimate the true cost behind baking, from rising ingredient prices to electricity, refrigeration and the occasional failed experiment.
Still, she continues because she loves the process.
“The most rewarding part is when your cake comes out exactly the way you imagined it or even better.”
Her business has also transformed her personally, pushing her beyond what she once believed she could handle. Each difficult order has sharpened her skills and taught her to work hard.
Today, Bernadette dreams of seeing Made with Love grow beyond a home-based business.
She hopes to continue learning new piping techniques, experimenting with pastries and creating fresh designs that challenge her creativity.
Through it all, she leans on faith, family and the strength her mother left behind.
“If I had to pull through tough times before, I could do it again,” she said.
“She (her mum) would be proud of me,” Bernadette said.
“She would tell everyone about how far I’ve come.”
And perhaps that pride already lives in every cake that leaves her kitchen, carefully layered and made with love.
