Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
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NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 22 MAY 2019 CONTACT cakesbyerin.com time the Beverly native and current Haverhill resident has appeared on the Food Network. During this appearance, Erler and Barton cre- ated a chocolate and salted caramel cake that represented the way stand-up comedy makes you "laugh until you cry." eir piano-shaped cake and cake stage were set against a brick wall backdrop. e design also incorporated nods to some of the comedy greats that have graced the club's stage, including Robin Williams's striped suspenders, Joan Rivers's pearl necklace, and George Burns's cigar. e judges called their creation "inspired." Erler is a self-taught baker and cake deco- rator who has been making cakes for 20 years. At first she made cakes for her own family, including her son, who has severe peanut and tree nut allergies, and two daughters. Soon, Erler's coworkers started asking her to make cakes for them, too, and as interest in her work grew, she knew she wanted to make bak- ing her full-time job. She left her job as a teacher's aide in April 2010 and started making cakes out of her licensed home kitchen, but by October of that year she had received so many orders that she opened her first shop. What started as a small business in her home kitchen quickly grew, and now Erler has a team of talented cake art- ists working with her. She moved to a larger space on Broadway in Haverhill last year. She has also gained a reputation as a cake maker to the stars. She's created incredible edible art for a number of celebrities' celebra- tions, such as Kenny Chesney's live album release, the Red Sox's World Series win, an Adam Sandler's film Grown Ups 2. If clients can dream it, chances are Erler can create it. Sculpted cakes are Cakes By Erin's specialty. e company creates cakes shaped like guitars, Harry Potter creatures, R2D2 from Star Wars, wine barrels, unicorns, Christmas bulbs, and cowboy hats. Cakes By Erin is also still an entirely nut- free bakery, something she's proud to offer. She also often makes cakes for charities, especially those focused on children. On a re- cent afternoon, Erler was working on a child's Make-A-Wish cake in the shape of a treasure chest in the sand with a pirate Elmo on top. While the kitchen in her Haverhill shop offers relaxed vibe, competing on the Food Network is anything but that. e stage lights are hot, the clock is ticking, and TV cameras are inches from your face—and Erler takes it in stride. "I always joke that having three kids has prepped me very well to tune stuff out," she says. at's not to say she hasn't had her share of slip-ups during competitions. She has had a shaky hand while painting a decoration onto the breastplate of a Wonder Woman de- sign on a cake, has burned herself with poured sugar, and has cut herself. Despite the pressures, Erler loves compet- ing on the Food Network and is excited to do it again if she gets the chance. "I'm competi- tive with myself," she says. "I like challenging myself...but obviously it doesn't hurt to win." E AT + D R I N K Erin Erler and Christine Barton of Cakes By Erin in Haverhill had a big job ahead of them: Create an iconic cake to celebrate the 55th anniversary of e Improv comedy club in New York City and win over comedian Loni Love in the process. ere was one more added requirement. ey had to do it all within just a few hours, while competing against three other teams, and with the glare of Food Network cameras on them, too. Erler and Barton were more than up to the challenge, though, and crafted an incredible cake and that earned them the title of champi- ons of the Food Network's "Winner Cake All," which included the show's $10,000 prize and eternal bragging rights. Erler's "Winner Cake All" appearance, which aired in February, marked the fifth Erin Erler of Cakes By Erin in Haverhill wins big on the Food Network. BY ALEXANDRA PECCI TAKING THE CAKE E AT + D R I N K PHOTOGRAPH BY LESLIE BRIENZA Left to right, Erin Erler and Christine Barton of Cales by Erin.