Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristina Antic.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I moved to Arlington, VA from Serbia in 2015 and worked in the restuarant industry. In 2020 the restuarant I was working at closed because of COVID. I took the time at home as an opportunity to turn my favorite hobby into a business. My friends started ordering cakes for small gatherings, and soon after my friend Emiliya encouraged me to start an instagram page. Not long after creating the instagram account, it was hacked and I nearly gave up on it. However, I was able to get back in and the first reel I posted after two weeks of being logged off got over a million views! After that, things took off.
In 2023 I got pregnant with my son, Luka, and knew if I wanted this to be a successful business that I could raise my son with then I would need to change my approach to reach more people. I found my way to the Lubbe Run and Farlington Farmers Markets where I expanded my offerings to include cakes, cookies, cake pops, and brownies.
In late 2024 the owner of Simona Cafe stopped by my Farmers Market Stand, and his daughter Simona wanted a cake pop. We would go on to find out that we had many mutual friends, and Jad would eventually ask me to come to Simona Cafe Arlington to do pop ups on the weekends. Through this friendship and business collaboration I took a chance and tried baking traditional swedish cardamom buns. The popularity of these buns inspired me to experiment with new flavor combinations, leading to some of my most popular pastries to date: cinnamon buns, za’atar buns, goat cheese and wild blueberry buns, the list is always changing because I am inspired weekly at the farmers market when I see the seasons freshest produce.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My fiance and I separated wheb our son was born, so navigating single motherhood and a business in a country relatively new to me has not been easy.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I started out by baking cakes, but at the cafe I am best known for my variations on cardamom buns. At the farmers market my cakes continue to be popular, with my raspberry pistachio gnache cake and carrot cake being by far the most popular this summer. I am the most proud of my chocolate chip walnut banana bread that is only available at all three Simona locations.
Cake by Kika is different from other bakeries because I am always experimenting and trying new things. I find inspiration from my country, Serbia, and traditional flavors that I enjoy from back home. That usually winds up being savory, not too sweet. The farmers market always has the freshest produce that is in season and keeps me thinking about new fun flavor combinations.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Come to the Farlington Farmers Market! Come to Simona Cafe! My custom orders are always open, find me on instagram to do so.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @cakebykika
