Brides, parents and party-planners across North Texas will tell you: If you want a dream-come-true cake or other spectacular confection, turn to Heidi Allison and her team at Sugar Bee Sweets Bakery in Arlington. Now Heidi's wildest creations - and wildest dreams - will be making their debut on the Food Network's newest extreme baking show, Dallas Cakes.
Our partners at the Downtown Arlington Management Corporation recently shared this feature on Sugar Bee Sweets.
Since its launch on April 30, Dallas Cakes has been following "the best Dallas-area bakers as they transform their clientele's wildest imaginations into extraordinary customized confections," according to its press release. "In each of the 10 half-hour episodes, three outrageously talented bakers conceive, create and deliver incredible, edible works of art using cake, frosting, incredible imagination and skill."
Sugar Bee Sweets, which makes its home in Downtown Arlington, will appear in their first of several Dallas Cakes episodes on Monday, May 28 at 10 p.m. local time.
Pursuing Her American Dream
Arlington prides itself on being a city alive with the American dream, so when Heidi Allison decided it was time to transform her long-time hobby into a career, she returned to the place it all began. Her hometown.
She launched Sugar Bee Sweets in 2010, and in just a few years, the business had outgrown its original location. In 2017, Heidi moved her bakery to its current location, a 4,500 square-foot, re-imagined car dealership in Downtown Arlington's hip new mixed-use development, Urban Union. Thanks to the Food Network, Sugar Bee Sweets is now being introduced to a national audience.
"Growing up here and now having a business here is truly a blessing," said Heidi. "I'm proud to represent our American Dream City!"
Defying Gravity
While the criteria for a cake to be "extreme" may be in the eye of the beholder, Heidi recollects the first time she and her team were asked to go well beyond their prior 3D creations. "We were asked to make our first extreme cake in 2011," Heidi recalls. "We recreated The Ballpark in Arlington for a groom's cake at a wedding. Prior to that, we had made cakes that somewhat defied gravity, but this was our first truly mentally and physically challenging cake. Did I mention I was 7 months pregnant at the time?"
Ready for Our Close-Up
Six years after creating that groom's cake, Heidi learned that she and Sugar Bee Sweets were being considered for a new television series. "We were approached about the show last spring," she said. "By January 2018, the show's pilot was approved by the Food Network. We were flattered about being selected as one of the six bakeries to be featured, but we were also a little scared about what to expect. But it's been a fun experience so far!"
The bakers featured in season one of Dallas Cakes represent shops and cities across North Texas, from Ft. Worth to Arlington to Dallas to Tyler. They include Heidi plus Bronwen Weber of Frosted Arts Bakery, Roshi Muns of Society Bakery, Jamie Holder of Creme de La Creme, Elizabeth Rowe of The London Baker, and Dylan Humphrey of Kool Kakes by Dylan.
Although she can't share even a hint about each episodes' content, Heidi hopes that Sugar Bee's story will both inform as well as entertain. "The only learning curve for us was to remember to narrate as we worked so the viewers can follow what we were doing and why!" said Heidi. "We hope everyone enjoys and appreciates the process - the love, sweat and tears - that goes into each extreme cake-building experience."
Heidi raves about the Dallas Cakes crew, especially their dedication to realism. "The crew has been very accommodating with our natural schedule, and they don't try to get us to fake anything," said Heidi. "They're all wonderful and have quickly become part of our team and people we love!"
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