Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Thursday, March 31. I’m Justin Ray.
Even though Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is taking place thousands of miles away from California, it is still affecting the Golden State — and not just through rising gas prices; a Ukrainian bakery in San Diego has received an outpouring of support.
Daria Nadar, owner of Oh My Cake bakery in the Hillcrest neighborhood, says that at the start of the invasion, members of the community immediately reached out to see if her family was safe. But they were not; her loved ones were at the center of the war zone in Kyiv.
“I was freaking out. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t believe this is happening,” Nadar told me. She asked herself, “What on Earth is going on in the middle of Europe?”
But she decided that she wouldn’t sit idly by as the battle progressed. Recognizing that she has a business that could provide both financial support and awareness, she began raising funds for Ukraine, donating 25% of her profits to help those in her home country. She drummed up support for the donation drive through the shop’s Instagram account.
A certificate of recognition from the California Assembly. (Daria Nadar and
@ohmycakecali)
“Since I started the fundraising with my bakery, a lot of people didn’t just come to eat a cake, but also they donated cash,” Nadar said. “I’ve been able to send out over $10,000 in support of the army and humanitarian help.”
She has been shocked by the help from her community, but handling demand hasn’t been easy. She runs her shop with two other women. She says it has been “really intense” trying to keep her pastries and cakes in stock. “I would restock and then two hours and nothing is on the shelves anymore,” she said.
The California Assembly sent the bakery a certificate of recognition that reads:
“On behalf of the California State Assembly, thank you for your dedication, humanitarianism, and continued service to our Ukrainian friends and allies. The 78th Assembly District and the State of California are sincerely grateful for your compassion and commitment to upholding the values of our communities and two nations.”
How Oh My Cake began
A selection of pastries sold at Oh My Cake. (Daria Nadar and
@ohmycakecali)
It’s a lot of success for someone who moved to San Diego only six years ago. Her path to Oh My Cake began when the pandemic started. She had just gotten married and was looking for work but wasn’t finding a lot of opportunities. So she began making cakes and posting on social media, where crowds complimented her cake-making capabilities.
“The cakes I made were nothing like cakes you can find in San Diego. They were European mousse cakes that are really different from the cakes that you see. And people got interested in it,” Nadar said. “Basically, I kind of became a bit of a trendsetter for those types of cakes that we have in our store right now.”
She began making cinnamon buns because her husband really wanted them and couldn’t find them anywhere nearby. (“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I really don’t want to bake anything that’s like buns or whatever, but OK, I’ll make it for you,’” Nadar said, relating a conversation with her husband.) She began selling those cinnamon buns through pop-up stores and they were a big hit, selling out within an hour or two. One of her pop-ups was inside a coffee shop, a building where she now has a permanent location.
When asked why she called the shop Oh My Cake, Nadar says, “I don’t know, I feel like every time I like something I eat, I would say, ‘Oh my God, it’s so good.’ And then I was like, ‘Oh my cake’ — it’s almost like, ‘Oh my God,’ but ‘Oh, my cake’ is just so good, so amazing. You just have to buy it, or you just have to eat it, you know?”
She’s happy that her family has since left Kyiv, but she won’t be satisfied until the war is over because she thinks of everyone in Ukraine as a loved one. “I’m praying for my country and for my people every single day,” Nadar said. “I’m trying to support. I’m just trying to do whatever I can.”
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