Cari grew up in Honolulu and graduated from the University of Hawaii majoring in Electrical Engineering.  She enjoys the outdoors, from yoga at the beach to hiking in new areas.  She also loves to travel to learn about other cultures and try the local cuisine. Cari also likes testing new recipes to cook or bake. To keep Cari connected to her roots in Hawaii and stay healthy, Cari takes weekly hula dance lessons and occasionally performs with her hula sisters.

Who inspired your love of baking?

I was inspired to bake by my mom who loved baking, especially for parties.  Growing up, I recall she made a red velvet cake each year for the holiday gathering with her high school friends.  I then gained more in-depth knowledge in making cakes, cupcakes and cake pops thanks to my daughter who developed a love of designing cakes at a young age and is a professional cake designer today… and still teaching me new techniques!

What’s your favorite thing to bake?

I like baking mochi, a popular dessert from Hawaii.  I make various flavors such as coconut (called chi chi dango), butter, custard, and chocolate brownie.  It has an extra benefit of being gluten-free and dairy free.