Interview with Buddy 'Cake Boss' Valastro about his triumphs and disasters

 We got an amazing opportunity to meet and interview Bartolo “Buddy” Valastro. He is a reality TV show host, and owner of Carlo’s Bake Shop in Hoboken, New Jersey, and other locations. He also has several TV shows, such as “Cake Boss,” “Bake You Rich,” “Bake It Like Buddy” and “Bakers vs. Fakers.” If you have seen his show or have been lucky enough to try some of his delicious treats, you know he is a very talented baker.

One of the first questions we asked him was how did you get the nickname Buddy? His answer was that it came from his father, who had immigrated from Italy. When his dad (also named Bartolo) made friends in America they decided that he needed an American nickname, so they named him Buddy. Because of that, he (the son) also was named Buddy.

We wanted to know if it is it tough to have your entire family working for you? His response was that sometimes there are good times to work with your family, and sometimes there aren't as good moments to work with your family. A good thing is that you can always trust them. Also, your family means the most to you.

One of the bad things is it gets a little stressful when family members argue, but, the good part is in the end, they always make up.

Buddy is so well known in Hoboken, we wanted to know how it felt being so famous. Buddy said, it feels great, but always remember to give back to your community. An example of this is when Buddy had a lot of leftover food on Thanksgiving Day, so he took a lot of the leftover cakes and other baked goods to a community cupboard.

We like his new show, “Bake You Rich,” and wanted to know more about it. He said bakers with million-dollar ideas come on the show, four at a time. They at first make a baked good. Then someone is eliminated. In round two, they bake out dozens of their million-dollar ideas. Someone is then let go from the show. Then, the last two contestants take their products and sell them in Carlo’s Bakery for a day. Buddy observes how well everything is put together, keeping in mind the price of the treat, their marketing skills, and their way of entrepreneurship. A winner is soon chosen, and then with the help of Buddy, they sell their treat in his bakery.

We asked him about the biggest cake he has ever made. He said it was the Statue of Liberty cake, standing tall at 14 feet! He was very proud of that one because being a resident of the area, he can represent his community in a special way.

We asked what he would have become a baker. He said that he loved his job and loved baking, which has been in his family for a long time. He would have been a lawyer but, he doesn’t like to read.

With so many family members involved in baking we were wondering if his kids would end up running things. Buddy said that he would definitely love to see his kids run the bakery one day. But, he added, they all have different characteristics. They do show an interest in baking but, he wants them to follow their dreams and do what they love the most.

Finally, we had to ask about his chandelier cake. If you recall, Buddy was asked to make an elaborate chandelier cake for an artist’s 50th birthday, and it was amazing. But as Buddy was lowering the cake from the ceiling so it could be cut, the rope slipped through his hands, and the cake hit the floor and splattered everywhere.

It was an unforgettable moment, but we wanted to know if he can now look back on it and laugh? Buddy said yes, he said that life is too short to focus on the bad things, so when something goes wrong you just have to move on and not make the same mistake the next time.