Ayaka Mastandrea layers a strawberry shortcake with fresh berries and edible gold flakes. “Everything edible,” she says, describing her Bozeman Cake motto. Photography by Sara Gilman.
An Innovative Japanese Pastry Chef Crafts Mouthwatering Sweets for Bozeman
Pastry chef Ayaka Mastandrea is one creative, warm-hearted, enterprising mother, pioneering a business that invites an explosion of global ingredients. Having emigrated from Japan, Ayaka marries traditional Japanese flavors and European techniques to create masterfully curated, made-to-order confections under the business name Bozeman Cake.
Following her heart since childhood, Ayaka has found herself here, in Bozeman, building community yet again, one cake at a time.
Ayaka grew up in Kobe, a vibrant port city in Japan. Known for its cosmopolitan atmosphere and diverse international population, the city is a melting pot of food and culture. Embracing the international influences that flooded through their ports in global trade, Ayaka was steeped in the value of blending cultures. Kobe has an abundance of patisseries; streets proudly tout many artisanal bakeries. Her mother would take her to different shops as a child, tasting bright flavors and decadent textures, the colorful display cases a feast for the eyes.
“I started getting curious about how to make [desserts],” Ayaka says. “I got lots of recipe books and I started trying to make cakes at home.” She would gift them to friends and family, and even though they weren’t perfect, recipients loved them. “I loved feeling this … people being happy, enjoying [my desserts].”
Inspired, Ayaka enrolled in pastry school, learning from both French and Japanese masters. “It was really, really hard work,” she says. Everything was written in French, and students needed dictionaries. After graduating, she trained for three years at the highly prestigious AKITO Patisserie in Kobe, run by master pastry chef Akito. She spent endless days piping until her hands knew no other motion, cutting strawberries hour after hour. Perfection was the goal. Akito was very strict. With much tenacity, Ayaka became swift, skilled, and trusted.
She was charged with the opening of a new branch in Kobe.
She learned everything about the business from top to bottom.
And she took it to Hawaii.
Vacationing in Hawaii as a young person, Ayaka realized that contemporary Japanese confections were hard to find abroad. She wanted to share these decadent treats in the United States and became a sous chef with a patisserie in Hawaii. Within five years, she met her Montana husband, Saul; they began their family and were soon headed to the mainland.
The courage it takes to leave the familiar with hope to experience something different is a sentiment many of our ancestors knew. Emigration takes a resilient, adept, sovereign spirit. Ayaka remarks that moving to Hawaii was very lonely. Even farther from her homeland, she began again in Montana, using the magic only food has to connect others.
Modern Japanese pastry blends European styles to make its own unique twist. Known for their connections to land and seasonal flavors, these pastries are often only lightly sweetened, use natural ingredients, and are composed of more egg than flour and oil, resulting in lighter, fluffier textures. Ayaka’s favorite is strawberry shortcake, a beloved for all occasions in Japan that features expertly whipped cream, berries, and a light sponge texture in contrast to the denser biscuit-like varieties. Japanese cheesecake, or soufflé cheesecake, is composed of whipped meringue and less cheese, resulting in an airy texture. Ayaka masterfully crafts tarts, cream puffs, éclairs, and cookies, all with light custards and creams floating in heavenly clouds of vanilla bean.
When she moved to Bozeman, Ayaka met a few Japanese friends. They would ask her to make Japanese cake, describing how much they wanted to taste the flavors of their home. So she started making cakes for friends. Her sweets spread like powdered sugar in the wind, finding their way into more and more homes as friends shared their common love of food and culture.
People began to talk about it.
More orders came; deliveries began.
A new business was born, and shortly after, her second child.
Bringing sweets from her homeland to America was not so much a part of the plan, but a part of the path. Ayaka grew up in a diverse city that embraced different cultures. She knew no other way than to continue baking with courage and creativity, pairing her past with her present and sharing it with others.
Japanese desserts are often adorned with a variety of seasonally available fruits due to Japan’s mild climate. Beautifully designed and paired with edible decorations such as ganache butterflies and flowers or edible gold flakes, Ayaka’s cakes serve up flavor bombs from all over the world. Just surf her Instagram feed, @bozeman_cake, to salivate over the incredible mashup of flavors: matcha green tea tiramisu, yuzu (an Asian citrus) tarts, Earl Grey macarons, sakura (cherry blossom) mochi, and more.
She uses organic ingredients, sourcing locally when possible. Her colors are typically derived naturally from plants. Raspberries are used to make pinks, matcha for greens, blueberries and blackberries for blues and purples. She plays with seasonal infusions, such as sakura in spring, tropical fruits in summer, chestnuts in fall, and rich chocolate in winter. Many of her confections are naturally gluten free and are made from imported Japanese rice flour, and tart crusts are easily made gluten free with quinoa or almond flour.
Today, Ayaka enjoys her brand new commercial kitchen, an expanding business, and a strong community. “I love making, I love sharing,” she says. “That’s how I still keep doing this after 20 years, because everyone is so happy. My cake connects other people.”
In Japanese, there is a saying: Itadakimasu (いただきます) or “I humbly receive.” Ayaka says, “It is used before a meal to show gratitude for the food, the ingredients—both plants and animals—and the person who prepared it.” What if one paused to honor this long line of souls, varying cultures, and precious lands, that touched each beautiful confection? What gratitude would grow if one considered the toil, resilience, and love carried in each delicious bite?
Meshiagare (召し上がれ). Enjoy.
