Dalana FlemingPhoto: Courtesy of The Cake & The Giraffe
How she got her start: "My first foray into the event world was in decor, working for Design Network; I worked with them on and off for about 15 years. I also spent a few years working with Debut Event Design. During that time, I met many amazing vendors within the event industry and built relationships that were instrumental in helping to grow my business.
"I take a lot of pride in my attention to detail and my commitment to creating beautiful cakes for my clients," says Fleming.Photo: Courtesy of The Cake & The Giraffe
While in attendance, I got my first food industry job with Savoury Chef. There, I worked under chef Taryn to experiment with new recipes, often working with flavors I had never tried or heard of. It was a rewarding job that made me even more curious about the world of cake and its limitless possibilities.
Even after years in the business, I love learning about new-to-me ingredients and getting to play around, figuring out how to incorporate them into new cake flavors—which probably explains why my menu is a little excessive with 24 flavors!"
Fleming's process? "Letting myself be inspired by fashion, something in a store window, a painting, beautiful architecture—and then figuring out a way to convey them with cake," she says.Photo: Courtesy of The Cake & The Giraffe
What innovation means to her: "I love seeing the new designs and techniques popping up all over the place but have never been too concerned with staying on top of trends. When it comes to a client’s cake, I like to draw from elements of their special day: custom stationery, favorite colors, floral arrangements, wedding outfits, or even their pets. I want to make the cake as unique to them as possible.
My favorite projects to work on are when I get total design freedom, with few guidelines like servings needed and color palettes. Letting myself be inspired by fashion, something in a store window, a painting, beautiful architecture—and then figuring out a way to convey them with cake." 
Fleming designed a cake to celebrate the 100th episode of the show The 100.Photo: Courtesy of The Cake & The Giraffe
Memorable moments: "I have a few. The first was a cake for the 100th episode of the show The 100. It was supposed to be a huge party with hundreds of people, but the party date was also the same day everything shut down due to COVID. The cake was done and ready to go, but there was no party to take it to.
A last-minute decision was made, and I was asked to deliver it to the studio where they were finishing up the last day of shooting for the season. My husband and I stayed to serve the cake to the cast and crew. It was a joy to see people having a great time and enjoying the cake that so much love and effort was poured into." 
"This last year was full of really fun 3D cakes, including a piano, a record player, and a giant owl!" says Fleming.Photo: Courtesy of The Cake & The Giraffe
Her all-time favorite food: "Impossible to answer! But for the last year, I have been pretty obsessed with crinkle-cut dill pickle chips. And I would never say no to a good creme brulee or vanilla cheesecake."
