Baking cakes for charity

CREATIVE BAKER: Liv Glazebrook with one of her creations. Photo/Supplied

One girl's New Year's resolution has taken a tasty and inspiring turn as she plans to gift her baking masterpieces to different charities throughout New Zealand.

After creating cakes since she was a young child Olivia Glazebrook decided it was time to give back to those who help make the country a better place.

"I just woke up on January 1st and said to myself every month without fail I have to donate a cake to an awesome group of people. I love baking so thought why not."

In the last week of January the former Hawke's Bay girl got herself into gear and created her first cake for Ronald McDonald House in Auckland.

The 23-year-old whipped up a salted caramel and chocolate cake finished with plenty of drips and blooming pink and white flowers.

DELICIOUS: Dark chocolate and salted caramel cake.

"It was incredible. They were so grateful and kept asking me if it was for them, it was very cute."

The cake went to all those living in the house and the volunteers who work there.

Now into February Miss Glazebrook is planning the next charity she would like to thank.

She has decided to take everything as it comes by working in her cakes with charity milestones.

"I guess it works by gifting a cake to the Cancer Society on Daffodil Day, the Breast Cancer Foundation on Pink Ribbon Day and so on."

Ms Glazebrook comes back to visit her family in Maraekakaho on long weekends and has planned to tie in a cake and charity during one visit.

"I would love to do one for the Cranford Hospice as I think they are amazing. It is all about spreading the love around."

These cakes are no easy feat for the inspiring baker, taking her up to eight hours in the kitchen.

DECADENT: A layered banana cake, filled with whipped chocolate ganache, dripping with caramel and adorned with caramelised walnuts and vanilla bean macaroons. Photo/Supplied

Balancing a fulltime job at Lewis Road Creamery in Auckland she works to create her cakes on the weekends.

"I don't think people realise how time-consuming it is, as you have to mix, bake, ice, decorate and deliver."

Her love of baking stemmed from when she was little and grew during her time in Dunedin at university.

More and more people asked her to bake cakes and it soon became her responsibility to bake for their birthdays.

"At school I always doubted myself so it was great in Dunedin as I did it so often and had so much fun doing it."

Her ability to bake took another leap last year. She used it as her main fundraiser for the London Marathon in memory of her aunt who died while she was backpacking in Europe.

She raised $15,000 for the Cancer Society.

"I just hope this inspires other people to do the same with things they enjoy doing."