‘A place where every piece of cake tells a story’

Sue Grossardt

Contributor

August 5, 2024

WAUSAU – Every great story starts with a dream, and Anastasiia Reimus said hers is no exception.

With more than a decade of experience in the art of confections, Reimus – who immigrated to the U.S. from Ukraine – said she has always dreamed of owning her own pastry shop.

“Moving to America was the magical point where dream met opportunity,” she said.

Reimus, in partnership with her husband, Pasha Shuhailo – also originally from Ukraine – realized her dreams with the recent opening of Raspberry Cake (1707 Merrill Ave.).

Raspberry Cake, Reimus said, offers a selection of European desserts from mousses and holiday cupcakes, to classic cheesecakes and bento cakes – a popular no-share, mini cake.

Each dessert, Reimus said, represents a fusion of innovation and craftsmanship, perfect for both everyday indulgences and celebratory occasions.

“We wanted to create something special and reminiscent of home but with a sense of novelty as well,” Shuhailo said.

He said he credits Reimus with the idea of opening the confectionery.

“She always wanted to have her own confectionery where she could create on her own terms,” he said. “My idea was to make my wife happy. The desire was mutual, but overall, it was her idea.”

The location – right off of Highway 51 – Reimus said, has outdoor seasonal dining on flower-decorated bistro tables.

Customers can order custom-made cakes – for weddings, birthdays, corporate events, baby showers and holidays – in advance or stop by for ready-to-go slices.

Reimus said Raspberry Cake’s baking style is not ordinary.

“Our commitment to quality and innovation happens every day,” she said. “We use top of the line ingredients like Belgian chocolate and fresh cream butter, which we combine with Ukrainian traditions. (We believe) our mousse cakes and pies are not just delicious but are works of art, crafted with love and expertise.”

Reimus said the bakery’s cakes are different from American cakes.

“There are no artificial colors or flavors in our pastries,” she said. “We make (jams for our fillings) ourselves from fresh fruits and natural pectin, ensuring a rich and natural taste.”

For a balanced flavor, Reimus said they use three times less sugar than what is typically added to American cakes.

“This lets you enjoy every bite without feeling overwhelmed by sweetness,” she said.

Reimus said the saying, “you eat with your eyes first” is especially true when it comes to pastries.

“We want our customers to have not only the taste experience, but we want our presentation to be visually appealing to the customers so they can have the full experience,” she said.

Life-long baker

Reimus said the love of her work goes back to her childhood.

“My passion for confectionery art began when I was 14 years old,” she said. “Even then, I started making cakes and desserts to order.”

Reimus said she graduated from culinary school in Ukraine with a degree in pastry technology and arts – taking courses with world-renowned chefs such as Dinara Kasko, and worked in famous bakeries and pastry shops.

Shuhailo has also worked in the foodservice industry as a waiter, bartender and cook – and has assisted with the opening of several new restaurants.

Since immigrating to the U.S., the couple said they worked at Wausau’s Velveteen Plum in the kitchen and making desserts, as well as created desserts for Just Right: Cakes, Coffee, Gifts, also in Wausau, and owned by a Ukrainian family.

Ever-changing menu 

Raspberry Cake’s menu, Reimus said, changes each day, but some of their staple offerings include a Jagermeister wine cake, pistachio raspberry cake and blueberry lemon cake.

Pastries include mango white chocolate choux, pavlova with raspberry and peanut dark chocolate choux.

Shuhailo said they also offer meat and fish pies – which are traditional hearty Ukrainian dishes adapted with a twist.

“These pies, known as ‘kulebyaka,’ are typically made with yeast dough and filled with layers of fish, meat, vegetables and sometimes rice or buckwheat,” he said. “Between the layers of filling, we place pancakes to separate them and to prevent moisture loss and sogginess.”

Lemonades and coffees are available, too. 

Going well

Shuhailo said Raspberry Cake has been open for about a month, and so far, things are going well.

“Our opening went well,” he said. “Over this first month, we have received a lot of positive feedback from our customers. We have many satisfied customers, and this gives us great motivation to work harder and move forward. We hoped for this outcome, but it is always pleasant to see it in real life – people like what we do.”

Cooking, he said, has always been a part of their lives.

“Our passion for original ideas stemmed from our shared love of cooking,” he said. “We always strive to create something new and unique that brings joy not only to us but also to our guests. For us, cooking is a way of self-expression and creativity, and we love sharing this with our customers.” 

Shuhailo said that he and his wife make a good business team – as they share business responsibilities. 

“I handle the overall management, cooking main dishes and organizational issues,” he said. “Anastasiia deals with baking and creating desserts. We also work together on developing new recipes and ideas for the menu.”

Shuhailo said the Raspberry Cake name stems from Reimus’s love of raspberries, along with how popular this fruit is when paired with cake.  

“It (also) has a nice sound to it,” he said.

Though the bakery is still relatively new, Shuhailo said so far, the largest part of business has come from selling desserts in the café, and filling orders for restaurants.

“We also see great potential in online sales and delivery of our products,” he said. “In the future, we plan to develop other projects, not only related to desserts, but possibly opening new establishments.” 

Shuhailo said one of the issues they will face in the future is training new employees – especially culinary staff, which is a complex task.

Reimus said that they take tremendous pride in providing a wonderful experience for their customers.

“The most important thing we want people to understand is our passion for high-quality and unique products,” she said. “We are still learning, just starting our journey, and of course, there will be mistakes. However, we are motivated by our guests and strive to make sure everyone enjoys what we do.”

Future possibilities

Reimus said they look to the future with great optimism. 

“In the future, we plan to expand, possibly opening new locations in nearby small towns,” she said. “We want to develop our brand and continue to delight our customers with new and original ideas.” 

Shuhailo said they also dream about teaming up with schools and perhaps technical colleges to teach and mentor students in the art of creating pastries – as the European style of baking is unique and different from the process in America.

“We see our future as bright and ambitious,” he said. “Not just opening several pastry shops in Wisconsin, but also going beyond – Los Angeles awaits us. Our dream is not just a confectionery – it’s a place where every piece of cake tells a story, and every visit leaves memories for a lifetime.”

Raspberry Cake is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

For more, visit raspberry-cake.com.