Amirah Kassem’s world is all rainbows and sprinkles. The Flour Shop founder is the most colorful and upbeat person you will ever meet, and she passes that feel good attitude to others through her explosion cakes (you’ve all seen the viral videos of people cutting into cakes and having sprinkles and candy fall from the middle), books and now homeware collection with Pottery Barn. Since leaving her job in the fashion industry in 2012 to pursue a career in baking, the Mexican-born entrepreneur has surpassed her wildest dreams. Not only has she accomplished her ten-year plan in the first year, she has a built a loyal following that includes Kim Kardashian, Kate Hudson, Anna Wintour and even Barbie and Mickey Mouse –two of her childhood icons.
Growing up in Juarez, the Los Angeles resident also always had a love for piñatas, which is the inspiration behind her cakes. “It was like the most fun thing you could have at a party,” she tells HOLA! USA. “I wanted to bring that joyful and colorful experience back into birthdays.” And although her cakes are not shippable (they are heavier than you’d expect!), families can gather in the kitchen to create the magic themselves thanks to her Williams Sonoma kits.
Beyond birthdays, Flour Shop recently released their first holiday kit with the global brand. “It’s a little more fun than a Gingerbread house because you can actually eat it,” Amirah, whose dad is from Kuwait, admits. “My mom and I would always bake around the holidays. It was the most fun ever to have a decorating party. We would bake everything from a Mexican pastry to literally trying to figuring out how we could make cookies more colorful and cakes.” In fact, Amirah credits her mom for being the “Pinterest mom before Pinterest existed.”
Watch the video above to see what else inspires her, why anyone can become a baker and how Flour Shop is so much more than a bakery, it’s a lifestyle.