About Us

Image by Stephen Ludwig Photography

cakelava is a Las Vegas custom cake design company owned by the husband and wife team, Rick and Sasha Reichart. The Reicharts are also the authors of a fun and crafty cake book, EXTREME CAKEOVERS (2013 Clarkson Potter/Publishers). cakelava opened in March 2005 on Oahu, Hawaii and had a custom cake studio located in the beautiful beach town of Kailua. After 10 years of business in Hawaii, Rick and Sasha relocated cakelava to Las Vegas in 2015 and will be opening their cake shop later this year.

Rick Reichart is an Internationally known cake designer who has been making cakes for over 20  years. His unique and artful wedding cakes, sculpted cakes and celebration cakes have generated a loyal following since cakelava opened. Having a background in both pastry and fine art, Rick's distinct artistic style has caught the attention of television, print and internet media. cakelava was showcased as a "Stories of Success" in American Cake Decorating Magazine in 2007, just two years after opening. Rick's cakes have been in People Magazine, The Bride and Bloom, Get Married, American Cake Decorating, Cake Central Magazine, South Asian Bride Magazine, Your Wedding Day (YWD), grace ormonde Wedding Style, Honolulu Magazine, Midweek, Pacific Edge Magazine, The Honolulu Advertiser and The Star Bulletin. cakelava is regularly featured in top wedding sites on the internet, and a member of the TLC Cake Crew, an exclusive group of baking bloggers invited by the network to participate as an authority in their field.

While he currently calls Las Vegas home, Rick is originally from New Jersey. He received his formal pastry training at Baltimore International College School of Culinary Arts. Working first as a Pastry Chef and then as a Cake Designer, Rick's most valuable training happened on the job. He has worked next to some of Los Angeles' most famous cake designers, including Elin Katz at Rosebud Cakes and Joan Spitler at Cake Divas. In Seattle, Rick worked with cake designer, Anne Welch, before moving back to Los Angeles and and Hawaii, and finally, Las Vegas.

Sasha Reichart lived on Oahu until the age of 18, when she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to attend college. After college she moved to Seattle, where she and Rick met and then moved together to L.A to further their culinary careers. Sasha is in charge of all the marketing, public and customer relations for cakelava. Before cakelava, she spent 8 years cooking professionally on the savory side in top restaurants in Seattle and Los Angeles and was on her way to becoming a chef. Prior to her culinary career she held jobs in Marketing and Public Relations. She writes our "cake 5-0" blog and was the interviewer in our "Interviews from Cakeland" series.

July 9, 2013, Clarkson Potter/Publishers

EXTREME CAKEOVERS:  One of cakelava's proudest accomplishments is a cake book published in by Clarkson Potter/Publishers (Random House), America's largest cookbook publisher. Extreme Cakeovers: Make Showstopping Desserts from Store-Bought Ingredients was released in 2013. Rick and Sasha authored the book together, with Rick designing and making the cakes and Sasha writing the text. For more information about Extreme Cakeovers, you can visit the book's official website, extremecakeovers.com and "The Book" page on the blog. 

Rick and his assistant Annie at "Spongebob Birthday Cakes" Challenge, Dec. 2009

Food Network Challenge!

After frequent invitations to compete on Food Network Challenge, Rick took the plunge in 2009 with the "SpongeBob Birthday Cakes" Challenge, competing against Challenge veterans.

upcoming air dates for "SpongeBob Birthday Cakes"

Classes:  In March 2011 Rick launched his teaching career in Canada. His first two Canada classes were so successful that Rick was invited to teach at other locations and has traveled around the world sharing his craft. Rick is not currently offering any classes so he may focus on making cakes for cakelava's clients and working on other side projects.

Curious to see more? We have an extensive website at cakelava.com with hundreds of cake photos, press, flavors and so much much more!

Thank you for visiting our blog!

Aloha!

Rick and Sasha