A Richmond baker will compete on Season 3 of Netflix’s “Is It Cake?”.
Raina Washington, owner of The Sweet Stop of RVA, is the second Richmonder to compete on the show, after Danya Smith, in which bakers create hyper-realistic cakes for a cash prize.
Washington, 43, began baking in 2001 with no background. She wanted to make her daughter’s first birthday cake.
“(Baking) for me was a way to make extra cash,” she said.
For years, baking cakes was a “side hustle” for Washington as she worked at a law firm. Eventually, she transitioned to baking full time, left the law firm and opened two brick-and-mortar shops around Richmond.
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But then she lost everything.
“The woes and the heavy burdens of business overhead kind of took over me,” Washington said. She no longer wanted anything to do with cake.
“Cake at that point had pretty much broken me,” she said. “And I was shattered from just the thought of talking about cake.”
Washington went back to work, this time for the government, for about three years. But her supporters tried to keep cake around.
“(My supporters) kept cake a part of my life, even when I didn’t want it,” she said.
In 2017, Washington returned to baking and opened The Sweet Stop, an online marketplace based on custom-ordered cakes (thesweetstopofrva.com).
“The journey back from 2017, for me, was honestly better than anything I could’ve imagined,” she said. “I’m actually happy everything happened to me because I wouldn’t be here now.”
At The Sweet Stop, customers can order wedding cakes (Washington’s favorite to make), celebration cakes or custom cakes for any occasion. The business also has a food truck that serves cakes in a jar and other goodies. Washington specializes in making hyper-realistic food cakes and purse cakes.
After three years and a little bit of “divine intervention,” Washington was asked by Netflix if she would be interested in participating on “Is It Cake?” She was interested and shocked that the company found her.
Washington said she had a very positive experience taping the show. From the film crew to her castmates, she said everyone was welcoming and friendly.
“I’ve never been in a situation where it was a competition, but it wasn’t a competition,” she said. “We were like a bunch of baking friends all baking in the same kitchen together. ... Everyone was just so helpful and so nice.
“When you’re working and doing something you love, you can just block all of (the cameras and the competition) out.”
While her experience on the show was positive, Washington admitted she had some challenging moments, especially when working with different mediums like modeling chocolate and tempered chocolate.
“Being on the show allowed me to use new mediums in the sugar world that I never would have used without going on that show,” Washington said. “I am excited, and was excited, to work with new mediums.”
The experience showed Washington that she didn’t need to be afraid of new things, she said.
“Don’t be afraid to be, possibly, the one person in the room that has the least amount of experience,” Washington said. “Because, at times, I absolutely felt like, ‘Why did I get chosen? How am I here? Why am I here?’ because the other cast mates were just so incredibly talented. ... You have to remind yourself that you are talented as well.”
The eight new contestants will compete each week to win $5,000 each episode and $50,000 as the grand prize. Season 3 of “Is It Cake?” will premiere all eight episodes on Netflix on Friday, March 29.