Wah-Wah's Cakes, New York

For Khadijah Frederick, choosing a name for her confectionary business was a no-brainer. Wah-Wah's Cakes—pronounced "whoa-whoa"—was named after her mother, Carolyn "Mommy Wah-Wah" Frederick, who taught her how to bake and decorate cakes.

Khadijah came back to baking later in her life, using it as a creative outlet from her 9-to-5 job. She eventually decided to go full time, making custom cakes, cupcakes, and cookies and using a variety of flavors, including yellow cake, bananas foster, chocolate lava, and gluten-free chocolate and vanilla options. Her past work includes an Elmo birthday cake and a Mother's Day bouquet of cupcakes made to look like roses. She also crafts cakes that look like other foods, such as hot dogs or pizza, to send taste buds into existential crises.

Wah-Wah's Cakes is not a retail bakery. It is a custom cake and cupcake studio operating out of a private kitchen. They do not have products for retail sales, each order is custom made.