In 1991, she opened Isn't That Special Outrageous Cakes, a cake art gallery in Hoboken, N.J., where she puts samples of her cakes on display. Twice a year, Jones hosts a cake-tasting party at her gallery to educate her clients - to give them an opportunity to see and taste her assortment of special cakes. "Afrocentric cakes are a combination of a little American and a little African," Jones explains. "It's not all tribal." The colors white, gold and purple are typically used for decorating because they were historically associated with royalty in Africa. But the Cake Diva's Afrocentric cakes have evolved to include other African motifs. "Through trial and error, I was able to develop an icing that has the same texture and color as mud cloth," she states proudly. This new icing has made it possible for her to design African symbols and masks.

Jones' cakes extend beyond the Afrocentric. Her credits include a bust of Michael Jackson with Lisa Marie on his shoulder for the 25th Annual Celebrity Couples issue of People magazine, in addition to cakes for Jay Leno, Geraldo Rivera and Michael Jordan and for the daytime soap opera All My Children.

But it's the wedding cakes, not the other special-occasion ones, that drive her enterprise, and the cake-tasting parties generate enough business for the wedding season, from May to October. It is not unusual for her and her staff of eight to produce 15 to 20 cakes a month during that time. A three-tier cake for 100 people can cost $500, and the more ornate the decorations, the higher the price. "You have to give the client a product that looks like more than what they paid for," Jones says. "Initially they'll think the price is too much, but once they see it, the price is the last thing they think of."
"I didn't have any formal training," adds Jones, whose mother was a French pastry chef. "I worked with my mother, and I had to learn everything that she knew. I have taken classes here and there, but much of what I do is a combination of what some of the older decorators have done and what I want to do." Now all Jones thinks about is cake. Aside from practicing every day, she studies other bakers' work to determine what she doesn't want to do. "If I am not decorating a cake." she says, "I'm thinking about decorating one. When I see something unusual, I try to visualize how this will look as a cake."
Her creations are evidence that she can do anything, but she needs adequate time to produce a memorable cake. When she turns clients away, it's for one reason: They did not give her enough time. She requires at least one month's advance notice for her cakes. "When people look at my cakes, I want them to be awestruck, totally speechless." Jones says.
Considerations for the Bride-to-Be

* Determine what type of cake you want - what flavor, what color icing, what type of icing (rolled fondant, butter cream or sugar paste), what sort of edible and nonedible decorations.
* Compile choosing a baker, get references from previous clients, meet with more than one baker, and ask each baker for pictures of his or her previous work.
* Choose a baker who is willing to give you what you want, as long as you are willing to pay for it. (The average price of a cake is $200 for 50 people.) Ask what's included in the price. Make sure the baker knows what you want before you end the discussion. Don't make any agreements over the telephone.
* Briefly describe the type of wedding you want - its theme, the number of people, etc.
* State whether, in addition to the wedding cake, you want a small cake to take with you.
* Don't ask the baker to duplicate someone's else's work unless he or she has pictures or has seen the work.
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