Exchanging torts for tortes, Warren Errol Brown left the limitations of the legal profession behind to pursue a lifelong creative passion: baking cakes. the 31-year-old bachelor — one of the “most eligible,” according to People — put away his law books, picked up a “how-to” tome on cake baking, secured a $125,000 Small Business Administration loan and in March opened Cakelove, a walk-in bakery on U Street. It appears to be a good move: He and his staff of 12 are now churning out cakes at a rate of 150 a week, plus hundreds of cupcakes.
Since all of his all-natural cakes are made from scratch, he’s free to try some interesting and different combinations. Depending on his mood, he’ll whip up a distinctive creation such as a Citrus Vegan (an eggless cake with fresh lemon and orange), Coffee Buzz Balls (like éclairs, with coffee pastry cream and chocolate pastry cream filling), Crunchy Feet (miniature Bundt cakes), a Sassy (mango, orange, vanilla and cayenne) or Neil’s Hat Trick (white and dark chocolate layers with vanilla buttercream and fresh raspberries under a chocolate ganache glaze). Cakelove, with its bright yellow walls, inviting display cases, eclectic loud music and home-baked aroma, reflects Brown’s upbeat personality. “This is about memories,” says Brown.
As a child in Cleveland, he looked forward to visits to the neighborhood bakery, not only for treats, but to watch cakes being made. “I have a passion for making baked goods and for making memories,” says the former government lawyer. “We’re selling a good time and good vibes.”
After graduating from Brown University as class president, the aspiring attorney attended George Washington University Law School, where he earned dual degrees in law and public health. He moved on to a $48,000-a-year stint as a lawyer in the Inspector General’s office at Health and Human Services. In a matter of months, Brown realized his work wasn’t working for him. “I wasn’t pushed enough,” he says. “I liked the litigation, but most of the job was administrative hearings. Following law by the book didn’t give me a lot of room for creativity.”
|
BATTER UP! > Cakelove (1506 U Street NW; 202-588-7100; www.cakelove.com) is open 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday; noon – 6 p.m. Sunday.
|
In an effort to fit into the world of government, Brown had modified his style, even cutting his hair. “I won’t do that again,” he says as he proudly shows off his cascading dreadlocks. “This time it’s for me. It’s a personal choice.” Brown compares his dreadlocks to an “antenna”: “They draw people in and convey warmth and friendliness.” As for his black-rimmed glasses with their yellow and green backs, “I like color and visual stimulation,” he says. “In law, briefs were black and white, and suits were blue and gray. There aren’t any limits in a cake shop. It’s festive and there are no rules.”
Brown baked his first cake, which he calls a “catastrophe,” in January 1999, then practiced for nearly two years before going into baking full-time. In the process, he has found a creative way to use his law training. “You have to analyze a cake recipe,” he explains,”[It involves] issue, rule, analysis and conclusion.”
Brown says of his lawyer-to-baker metamorphosis, “I’m happy with the choice I made. There aren’t a lot of opportunities to share something made by you.”