Duff’s Cakemix Hosts Daily DIY Cake Parties in Tarzana

Cookie Monster, a fox and a unicorn walk into a shop. No, this isn’t the setup for a joke. Instead, the unlikely trio is part of the cake inspiration lineup at Duff’s Cakemix, the new DIY cake decorating studio from longtime Food Network star Duff Goldman.

“I am super-excited to share my love of cake decorating with the people of Tarzana and surrounding areas. I can’t wait to see the inspiration and creativity that happens here,” Duff says.

Duff’s Cakemix first opened in West Hollywood in 2012 and recently expanded to Pasadena. The studio is a popular interactive option for birthday parties, corporate team building, bachelorette parties, wedding showers, baby showers and dates. Duff’s Cakemix is kind of like Color Me Mine—but with cake instead of pottery.

Start by choosing a 6-inch cake ($36) or set of six cupcakes ($28) using two different Duff recipes: confetti cake with vanilla filling or chocolate with chocolate filling. Each cake’s draped with fondant in any color of the rainbow. Fondant is basically vegan “Play-Doh” that tastes like chewy marshmallows.

Choose any five “goodies” from the cafeteria-style line, including different fondants, frostings, colored sugars and candies. There is a $12 per person charge to decorate at long, paper-covered tables. Guests get one hour of decorating time, but it is okay to keep going if nobody’s waiting for a table. On weekends reservations are strongly suggested, but feel free to walk in during the week.

Courtney Fredericksen, who’s been with the company since the beginning and freely shares that she eats “a cupcake every day I’m on duty,” guided our experience, which resulted in a koala-shaped cake. Generally, staffers are pretty hands-off, but if beckoned they’ll gladly provide advice or suggest tools. A wall of bins holds cutouts of different shapes, numbers and letters. Scissors, pizza cutters, rulers, Q-tips and toothpicks are other tools on hand.

Duff is best known for starring on Food Network’s reality show competition Ace of Cakes and as a judge on their Baking Championship series. He founded Duff’s Cakemix with COO/designer Katelyn R. Fisher, restaurateur Richard Drapkin, Diane Duarte and investor Steve Rader. Katelyn says, “Diane had the ‘aha’ moment when watching an episode of Ace of Cakes. She thought people would love to decorate cakes like the artists in the show.”

Duff’s Cakemix also serves as a mini-bakery. Customers can buy pre-made cupcakes, cake in a jar and home cake (or cupcake) decorating kits. It also provides off-site cake catering services at private homes, offices and parks.

18734 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, 818-626-3344