VERMILLION, S.D. (KELO) – If you’ve ever been to Cafe Brule in Vermillion, than you’ve probably heard of or experienced Cakes by Monica.
“I love the cupcakes and sometimes when she has pies, I just love them,” diner Angela Helmer said. “I always come here for sweets.”
“My favorite dessert, oh my gosh, I’d say the Creme Brule is really good like with the torched sugar and stuff on top,” waitress Keara Peplinski said. “Everyone loves it. But I would say that or maybe the eclairs.”
“My favorite go-to would be chocolate stout cake. In fact, it’s my family’s favorite dessert,” diner Ilmira Dulyanova said.
Monica Iverson is the woman behind all of those desserts and part owner of Cafe Brule, which opened in 2011. However, before the cafe came along she had already been baking and decorating cake masterpieces for 17 years.
“I was, at one time, doing seven to nine sometimes weddings a weekend and having other people help me with deliveries, my mom included,” Iverson said. “It was a little much, so I cut back and I’ve been doing two to four pretty regularly.”
Her mom didn’t just help with deliveries though, she was the one who inspired Iverson.
“My mom, Bonny, she was my real inspiration,” Iverson said. “She made just the most amazing cakes for us like stand-up Barbies and Cookie Monster and all those other kind of cakes that you couldn’t find because they were shaped like that.”
This year, Iverson is celebrating a milestone — 30 years of Cakes by Monica.
“I don’t know how many thousands of cakes I’ve made over the years, but it’s a lot. We go through about 30 pounds of frosting, easily, a week,” Iverson said.
“I’ve just never seen so much talent in one person like for cakes or anything like that,” Peplinski said. “I’ll go back to the cake room and the wedding cakes are like five tiers.”
But with the milestone of three decades came a difficult decision — she’s retiring from specialty cake decorating so she can focus on her restaurants.
“I own this one, Cafe Brule, and then Dakota Brickhouse as well with my partner Jim Waters and our families and it is a lot of work, you know, running a restaurant,” Iverson said. “I’m in charge of, you know, front of house and scheduling and serving and things like that and the bakery and that all as well. So, it’s just a lot of wheels going and I’m getting a little older.”
Although Iverson is retiring from cake decorating, she’ll still be around at Cafe Brule helping make the beloved pastries and cupcakes. And for anyone looking to order a specialty wedding or birthday cake, don’t worry, she has a mentee trained and ready to go.
“She’s been with me for three years, her name is Skye Bartlett and she’s starting Skye High Cakes here,” Iverson said. “We’re going to start pushing her a little bit and she’s very capable. She’s been doing wedding deliveries and decorating with me for three years so she’s ready to go.”
The people who have enjoyed Iverson’s creations are thankful for her contributions to the Vermillion community and are happy to see her legacy continue through Skye.
“I’m not concerned about my next desert, what’s coming in the future,” Dulyanova said.
And Iverson just wants to thank anyone who has trusted her to be a part of their special events through the years.
“I just want them to know I appreciate all the love and support. And I wish I could give them a kiss back or a cake, you know,” Iverson said. “Just not enough thanks in me to spread it to everyone who deserves it.”
Throughout her 30 years of cake decorating, Iverson also competed in multiple cake decorating competitions. She has even met the ‘Cake Boss’ Buddy Valastro. You can find a picture of the two at Cafe Brule.
