Auckland, February 9, 2024 — Kiwis are prepared to pay top dollar for a slice of Victoria Roebuck’s cakes. The 24-year-old Aucklander’s creations aren’t just desserts; they’re an experience, and industry leaders are taking notice.
From Lockdown Baking to Industry Buzz
Roebuck launched Baby Buck Baking during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, turning a solitary hobby into a thriving business.
Roebuck started baking alone during her second year of university in 2020, when classes moved online. Without a traditional sounding board, she relied on honest feedback from her boyfriend and the company of television. Now, the Taiwan-born baker is collaborating with renowned chef Sean Connolly on a limited-edition high tea experience launching at Esther restaurant on Valentine’s Day. Just a month ago, she teamed up with Waiheke Island’s Island Gelato to create a flavor inspired by her popular “Baby Bruce” cake—a nod to the famously devoured chocolate cake from Roald Dahl’s Matilda.
A Cake That Stops Scrollers
The buzz isn’t just online. In November, former MasterChef NZ judge Josh Emett publicly raved about the “Baby Bruce” cake on social media.
“Picked this little nugget of a cake up today, and oh my God, it is spectacular … It’s actually not that sweet, which is a great thing. It’s absolutely delicious,” Emett said in a 41-second video clip shared with his 249,000 Instagram followers. “Quite heavy, quite rich … amazing. Kids are just so fired up, it’s not funny.”
The “Baby Bruce” cake costs $36.50 for a 750g slab that feeds around four people and contains approximately 250g of Whittaker’s chocolate. Roebuck justifies the price, explaining, “You have to experience it to understand it.” She emphasizes the homemade quality, the cost of ingredients, and the labor involved.
A Childhood Rooted in Ingredients
Roebuck’s passion for baking stems from a childhood spent surrounded by ingredients, thanks to her Taiwanese mother and New Zealand father.
Growing up on the North Shore after moving at age three, Roebuck’s household prioritized cooking from scratch. “We had lots of ingredients at home, but never ready-made snacks just to eat,” she recalls. Despite studying marketing, information systems, and film at university, baking always felt essential. She was the friend who baked birthday cakes, the child who made scones instead of complaining of hunger, and a self-taught culinary enthusiast. Her go-to resource? The Edmonds cookery book.
She remembers being eight years old and waking up early to bake when her parents were still asleep. Faced with an empty kitchen, she’d improvise, using the Edmonds cookbook as her guide. “I would just have… raw materials,” she says. “So then I’d make pancakes, scones. Stuff that is very entry-level. But then I would look at that and be like, oh, I can make this work… if I didn’t have [ingredients] in the kitchen, then I would add other things to try and replicate what the recipe was.”
Building a Team and Facing Challenges
Roebuck acknowledges the struggle with imposter syndrome, despite her success, and values the support of her family and growing team.
Roebuck, who now operates out of a Newmarket shop space, has two employees—her father and a part-time assistant—and hosts cake decorating workshops. She admits to feeling overwhelmed at times, especially after an unsettling incident last October when a stranger entered her shop and began eating cake directly from a bowl with a spatula. Thankfully, she wasn’t alone, and the individual was apprehended.
The name “Baby Buck Baking” is a tribute to her relationship with her older sister, who provides invaluable support with photography, event setup, and encouragement. “She takes photos for me. She helps me set up for events. She comes in to see how I’m going and drops me off food… I talk to her about everything. This wouldn’t be what it is without her,” Roebuck says.
Looking ahead, Roebuck aims to create a stable work environment and expand her product line beyond vintage-style cakes, making her creations more accessible to a wider audience. “Vintage cakes are quite intricate,” she explains. “I want to make cakes that are a bit more accessible, so everyone can try a Baby Buck cake.” For Roebuck, baking isn’t just a job—it’s a passion she can’t imagine living without.
