THE SWEET LIFE WITH 'THE STYLISH BAKER', FAAIZA OMAR
Learn the art of home baking with The Stylish Baker, Faaiza Omar, and celebrate her recently launched cookbook, My Sweet Life.
Passionate self-taught baker, Faaiza Omar has spent the past 20 years honing her craft and passion for all things sweet. Affectionately known as ‘The Stylish Baker,’ Faaiza has grown her brand from a small side-hustle to a successful online pastry supply store. Recently, Faaiza published her very own cookbook, My Sweet Life. The Insider SA takes a peek into her kitchen and closet to learn more about this inspiring achiever.
Starting her career in beauty therapy, Faaiza always had a passion for sweet treats, a love for baking, and a keen sense of fashion. “I initially started posting my general baking, things I learnt in masterclasses, my style, and some travel posts,” explains Faaiza. “But, there was a huge interest! People wanted me to share my recipes. That’s how my blog, My Sweet Life, began!”
Surprisingly, Faaiza admits to not being the biggest fan of the kitchen when she was younger. Instead, she enjoyed playing outdoors. But Faaiza couldn’t help sneaking into the kitchen to help her mum and granny bake for Eid. Soon after that began her affinity for the sweet life.
Today, Faaiza documents her creations and shares all of her latest recipes and baking tips with her loyal online fanbase of more than 50,000 followers on Instagram. But while baking is her passion, there is a reason Faaiza been named the most stylish baker of them all.
Living up to her name, Faaiza is a fashion fanatic. In her home studio, she records YouTube videos and TikToks where she shares her styling tips and tricks with her online audience.
Faaiza shares how her love for fashion began, explaining, “I grew up in a house where my mum was a trained fashion designer. In my school holidays I would work at my grandfather’s fabric store. That’s where I learnt about different fabrics, trimmings, and designs. You could say that style and fashion is a huge part of my DNA.”
Recently, Faaiza’s long-term dream of releasing her own recipe book was finally realised. Titled My Sweet Life, the recipe book is a culmination of Faaiza’s 20-year-long career. It features an array of her favourite sweet treats and beautifully decorated cakes that burst with colour on every page.
Naming it one of her proudest achievements, Faaiza shares how the book was truly a “labour of love.” “The recipe book bridges the gap between the home baker and the pastry chef. Most importantly, it’s a reflection of me”, says Faaiza.
Finding balance between her work and personal life, Faaiza managed to finish the book whilst still running her own business and raising her teen daughter, Ameerah, who also happens to be one of her biggest fans.
Ameerah comments, “What inspires me and what I love most about my mum is that, although she’s a big social media personality, she’s never lost herself. She’s always stayed true to who she is. I think it inspires me for when I go out into the ‘big world’ to stay true to myself, just as my mum has.”
Together, mum and daughter effortlessly whip up a Saffron Tres Leches, otherwise known as a Three Milk Cake – a popular teatime treat from Latin America. Faaiza shares that the secret to ensuring your cake is light and fluffy, is to beat the egg whites on a high speed until they’re soft yet show stiff, white peaks. With a generous pinch of saffron, their teatime treat is made all the more luxurious. It’s known that saffron is more expensive than gold per gram.
Around her summer afternoon spread, Faaiza shares her advice for budding bakers, saying, “I would encourage people to follow their passion and just practice, practice, practice. Baking is a great stress-reliever, a way to get creative, and I must say, it brings so much joy to share baked goods with your neighbours and friends.”
