10 Quick Questions with Juliana Murace of Sugar Baby Vegan Cakes

10 Quick Questions with Juliana of Sugar Baby Vegan Cakes

Having recently hit the 5-year milestone of running Sugar Baby Vegan Cakes, Juliana Murace was kind enough to share her journey and some of her favourite vegan spots in Sydney with us!

We hope you enjoy the chat and if you are in Sydney be sure to visit her at one of the many markets Sugar Baby Vegan Cakes serves!

1. How did your vegan journey begin?

It was a regular day in 2014, scrolling through facebook when a video piqued my interest – “how chicken nuggets are made”. Of course out of curiosity I watched it and saw baby chicks on a conveyer belt, moving along until they eventually fell into a macerator (basically an industrial meat blender) and were blended ALIVE. Needless to say after that I did my research and became vegan overnight.

2. How did your vegan cake making begin?

I always loved to make my meals look pretty (and tasty) but I was never one to bake. Often I would even fail using a packet cake mix!

It wasn’t until a family lunch in 2018 and I was determined to make a delicious vegan and gluten free cake that the whole family would enjoy. I eventually found some recipes online and they turned out incredible – which is when my family and friends started to hint that I should start selling them, which initially I laughed at.

Months go by and the seed was well and truly planted. What would I have to loose by starting up a business? Could I use my newfound skill of baking to create a business and show the world how delicious (and “normal”) vegan food can be? I am only 19 at this point, with almost a naïve innocence of the world – running a business and making cakes for a living, that sounds too good to be true?!

I started off baking from home with orders mainly from family, friends and my hospitality co-workers at the time. It only took about 6 months for word of mouth to get around and I was doing regular weekly cake orders. Soon enough the pile of dishes got too tall for our sink & my oven was starting to feel tiny, which is when I made the switch to a commercial kitchen which I now bake at every week. I just celebrated 5 years of Sugar Baby Vegan Cakes in April this year!

3. What is your best seller and why do you think it is?

Probably my “Ferrero Rocher” inspired cupcakes. It’s a deliciously moist chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream, decorated with toasted hazelnuts and edible gold glitter. And the best part – a surprise filling of VEGO hazelnut chocolate spread (its literally just like Nutella). It sells out EVERY single market.

A close contender would be one of my newer flavours, Golden Gaytime inspired by the release of the plant based ice-cream in 2022. It’s a vanilla cupcake with chocolate chips baked inside, with a lush vanilla buttercream icing, dollop of salted caramel, chocolate and crushed honeycomb crumbled biscuit. It’s one of my favourites to date!

4. Where do you hope to be with Sugar Baby in 3-5 years time?

Over the next few years I hope to continue doing markets and expand to more areas over Sydney. It would be super exciting to hire staff to eventually take over at the kitchen or at market stalls so the business can reach other people.

I also think we will still be creating cakes, there’s potential for a little bakery to open but that’s still very much in the thinking stages.

5. You are from Sydney, where’s the best vegan in the city?

This list might go on for a while, in true foodie style!

A spot I constantly visit over the years and it hits the spot EVERY time is Golden Lotus in Newtown. I can’t go past their Vegan Chicken Pho – the broth, the noodles – it’s an experience.

For a dinner a little more fancy (and a wonderful date spot) is Vandal in Newtown. Their set menu is BOMB – I highly recommend finishing on their churros drenched in dulce de leche.

For a delicious and hearty wholefoods brunch, I can’t go past Buddha Bowl Newtown.

I LOVE the vanilla custard cannoli’s at Gigi’s Newtown. It’s probably my favourite dessert in the world.

Or, if you’re lucky enough to hit up markets – Ard Sydney makes the most INCREDIBLE mouth-watering baklava, and Rude Boy Doughnuts makes donuts that will make you go back for seconds, thirds, maybe even fourths.

6. Who inspires your vegan journey? Anyone you think new vegans NEED to follow? 

I think at different stages of the vegan journey, it flows and changes. Different people will resonate at different times. For example, when I first went vegan 9 years ago I LOVED outspoken activism, people doing street interviews, or people who really got you to think outside of the box. This includes people such as Earthling Ed, Gary Yourofsky, Joey Carbstrong.

Whilst I still love these creators & activists, I also find it helpful to follow food bloggers/influencers to help you to be practical about your approach to veganism. So many awesome people to mention – BOSH!, @schoolnightvegan, and the ever-incredible Gaz Oakley.

I think it’s a personal choice who to follow and what creators/activists you feel called to look at. It will help you stay on your path if you stay by what you are naturally drawn to.

7. Best vegan book / doco or podcast for those wanting to learn more? 

The documentaries I found most valuable (and honestly – watch them ALL, they all have something unique to offer) – Earthlings, Dominion, Cowspiracy, What the Health, Game Changers. Also, The Food Matrix – 101 Reasons to Go Vegan on youtube – it’s one of the videos that made me go vegan overnight.

8. Favourite vegan brand?

I love YAY foods! They’re an awesome small business that’s 100% vegan. Their feta cheese will literally blow your socks off. It’s marinated in the perfect amount of herbs and garlic and tastes amazing on just about anything. Their bakery range is also incredible, you MUST try their sausage rolls!!!!

9. My lazy vegan dinner is….

Rice paper rolls! Whenever I’m unorganised or just not feeling like cooking, I’ll find whatever veggies are in the fridge (cucumber, carrots, cabbage & coriander is great), then panfry some tofu with soy sauce & garlic. Chop everything up, wrap it up and eat. Couldn’t get easier and it’s a filling yet healthy meal too!

10. Who should we interview next?

Ard Sydney. They’re a newer business on the block and I am just constantly inspired and in awe of how they not only run their business passionately with so much love, but also create such quality sweets I am always blown away. They’re growing quick and I don’t think it will be long until they are all over Sydney!!

Final Thoughts

What an incredible business Sugar Baby Vegan Cakes is! Just look at those amazing cupcakes! We hope you will go and support Juliana and her fantastic vegan business. You can catch her at markets around Sydney or online at her website here.

To see more fantastic 10 quick questions interviews just like this one, take a look at our interview section here.

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LGV!