Mom builds home business Zayans Dessertz to design creative sweets
Nabeela Ahmed moved to Michigan five years ago from England, after she got married. She taught kindergarteners and then middle schoolers at Oakland International Academy in Detroit for a year. She also worked with students in afterschool programs through the social service agency ACCESS.
Then she had her son.
During his first birthday celebration in November 2018 she decided to look up some recipes on Google to add desserts to spruce up the dessert table. She wanted to have more than just Bangladeshi sweets and a cake.
“I’ve never even baked before. I just wanted to do something a little extra,” she says.
The dessert table added a nice touch to the party. Then she was asked to decorate a dessert table for a cousin’s bridal shower.
“Since then I had just been uploading it on IG not really with the hope of it being some kind of business venture,” she says.
She realized she enjoyed baking. She kept practicing. Ahmed shared treats with friends or family. “I guess I’m never buying desserts anymore,” she laughed.
“In my household, none of the people I live with, my in-laws or husband, have a sweet tooth says Ahmed.
After posting her concoctions on her Instagram page, she started getting requests to make more dessert tables, giving birth to Zayans Dessertz. The page is named after her son.
Now Ahmed has curated about 10-15 dessert tables for weddings, parties, bridal showers, and baby showers.
“I like to be part of peoples’ celebrations and big days. Friends and family can always count on me to make desserts,” she says.
Although Ahmed caters, decorates, and delivers, she also takes orders for pick-up. She likes to be flexible in her work. “Being a mother is full on itself,” she says.
Ahmed enjoys baking “anything that looks pretty” such as cupcakes with sprinkles and frosting, macaroons, meringues, shot cups, colorful truffles, and cake pops.
“I prefer more visual things with a pop of color that looks pretty,” she says.
Ahmed says her skills have gotten better with practice, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have to start all over again sometimes. “I can’t deliver something I am not happy with,” she says.
“Baking is like one mistake… you just messed up the whole thing,” she says.
For orders contact her via Instagram or email zayansdessertz@gmail.com.
Bonus: For Nabeela Ahmed’s milk chocolate chip recipe, click here.