Shabnam Amini

Hi, I'm Shabi, which means "morning dew" in Persian. I was born in the beautiful city of Isfahan, Iran, and grew up in a family of five, surrounded by the flavours and traditions of Persian culture. I moved to Canada in 1995, but my love for baking and cooking, inspired by my Persian upbringing, always stayed with me. Though I spent many years working in technology, my heart belonged to the kitchen. Eventually, I took a leap of faith and followed my true passion—baking. My journey began with Fortune Cupcakes, a small home-based business, where I developed my unique style and recipes. With a Designer Cakes Certificate from Bonnie Gordon College of Confectionary Arts and a Floral Design Diploma from International Career School Canada, I brought my creative dreams to life. On my birthday, Valentine's Day in 2017, I opened the doors to Coconut Heaven Cake Shop and Café in Newmarket. While the shop is now closed, Coconut Heaven lives on through my recipes and this blog. My signature Coconut Heaven Cake, one of my earliest creations, continues to inspire my work and the name of my brand. This cake recipe book brings together my most cherished recipes, infused with Persian flavours and coconut goodness. I hope you'll enjoy baking and sharing these cakes as much as I enjoyed creating them! As Rumi beautifully said, "Let the beauty we love be what we do."