Create the Wedding Cake of Your Dreams with Artisan Buttercream

Artistic Delights

Karen Williams crafts the cake of your lifetime

By Giuseppa Nadrowski   |   Photography by Julie Page, Collab Creative

For Karen Williams, the owner and self-taught artist behind Artisan Buttercream, her delectable, luxury desserts are “an unforgettable experience.” Known for her one-of-a-kind wedding and celebration cakes that feature her custom, divine flavors and her painterly decorations, Williams seeks to create lasting memories with every bite.

So, it’s surprising to discover that it wasn’t always about cakes for Williams — or any type of cooking. “The kitchen was just the room that I had to pass through to get to the rest of the house. It was never something that I was interested in,” Williams says.

Before launching her Lathrup Village-based cake business, Williams was a financial manager at Ford Motor Co. It was only by happenstance that Williams got a taste of what her future would hold.

Randomly, she was asked by a family member to bake a cake for a birthday, and much to Williams’ delight, it was a smashing success. A year later, she was asked to bake for another event — she created a pound cake that decidedly won over a host of guests. Not only did they rave about the cake’s flavor, but they continued to order more over the next month. More events and requests for her cakes followed, and soon Williams was crafting her original masterpieces every weekend with a steady clientele, all while balancing her full-time corporate job — until layoffs swept her office.

“I had never not been employed and was like, ‘Oh my, what am I going to do,’” Williams says. “I talked to a couple people, and they were like, ‘You already have something! You’ve been working two full-time jobs. Just try it and give yourself the opportunity and the chance for at least a year, and if it doesn’t pan out, you can jump back in the workforce.’” Heeding their advice, Williams took the plunge into her true passion and launched her beloved business in 2017, creating artistic yet delicious desserts for weddings and events.

From exquisite flavors like her classic vanilla bean, delightful red velvet, and refreshing lemon to her “light and airy” buttercream that “people rave over,” Williams’ bespoke cakes are a picture of edible artistry. Using only the highest quality ingredients, each cake is “scratch made with love and dedication,” says Williams, who prides herself on her customer service. “You are getting a dessert that is customized to your liking but that is going to be made with passion and love.”

For weddings, expect nothing short of extraordinary. “I take into consideration the couple’s desires in terms of their design and the ambiance that they’re going for, but also trying to make sure that they incorporate flavors that are going to pair well.” The goal? To create a cake that the couple’s guests will not only remember but will continue to talk about.

“This is the cake of your lifetime, right? This is the showstopper — the centerpiece of your reception,” Williams says. “When I think about wedding cakes, I try to incorporate something that’s going to give your guests the oohs and the ahhs that you deserve.”

To learn more visit artisanbuttercream.com.