Once Upon a Batter – Elizabeth Bomford
Some kids grew up with cereal and toast. Elizabeth Bomford grew up with cakes. Big, wild, over-the-top cakes made by her dad that turned birthdays and weddings into edible art shows. Add her own love of art into the mix, and it was only a matter of time before she traded paintbrushes for piping bags. “Decorating cakes is kind of like art for me,” she says. “I love seeing what comes of it!”
Of course, her family’s leap into Café Olé back in 2018 didn’t hurt. Elizabeth was still in high school when they bought the café—jumping headfirst into food, coffee, and community with zero experience. “We just… figured it out,” she laughs. And along the way, she found her own sweet spot: cakes.
Not that it was perfect at first. She still remembers her first attempt: “an absolute disaster.” But where most people would’ve sworn off buttercream forever, Elizabeth doubled down. Practice after practice turned those flops into fabulous, and now she’s the one getting jaw-dropping reactions like:
“Oh my god, that is incredible!” (said with a full mouth before the cake even made it out the door).
Elizabeth builds her cakes from flavour up. Lemon + berry? She’ll never quit it. Citrus for brightness, berries for sweetness—it’s her forever fling. Floral and fruity vibes often make their way onto her decorations too, giving her cakes that “stop and stare” look before anyone dares slice into them.
For the Prairies to Badlands Dinner Series, she’s collabing with Siplicious Tea to infuse Earl Grey into one of her creations. Think classy, fragrant, and a little mysterious—like the cake equivalent of slipping on your grandma’s pearls with your favourite sundress.
She doesn’t dream of a massive bakery empire (no Cake Boss here). Elizabeth’s happy keeping her cakes local, a side passion alongside her next adventure—real estate. But ask her who she’d bake for if she could, and the answer is instant: her grandparents, both gone now, but remembered with every Black Forest bite they once loved.
“Anything tastes better with some love poured into it.”
Elizabeth herself? She’s a lemon raspberry cake—sweet, bright, with just enough zing to keep things interesting.
Rapid Fire with Elizabeth
- Cake or cupcakes? Cake
- Buttercream or ganache? Buttercream
- Fondant: friend or foe? Foe!
- Favourite local ingredient? Farmers’ market fruit
- Personality as a cake? Lemon raspberry — sweet with a little zing
Here’s to cakes that vanish before they hit the table, grandmas who knew the power of Black Forest, and bakers who prove disasters are just the first step to delicious. With Elizabeth in the kitchen, every slice feels like a celebration.
The Gallivanting Gals
About Cafe Ole
Café Olé is a family-run gem in the heart of Drumheller, serving up homestyle meals, fresh baking, and the kind of hospitality that makes you feel instantly at home. Since 2018, the Bomford family has poured love into every cup of coffee and every slice of cake, turning the café into a community hub where locals and visitors alike gather, linger, and leave a little happier than when they came in.