Is It Cake? It’s Kimberly Adams: Milwaukee’s Netflix Star

Netflix loves a good reveal — but Kimberly Adams has been living in the world of impossible-looking cakes long before the streaming spotlight.

With national audiences watching her compete (and create) under the pressure-cooker pace of set life, the Milwaukee-based founder of Signature Sweets is showing what it really takes to make illusions hold up: vision first, engineering second, artistry always.

In this Q+A, Kimberly shares what surprises her about being on set, what the cameras don’t show, why decision-making is the hardest part once the timer starts, and how Netflix is shaping her next chapter, and her “dream” Milwaukee cake project.

Kimberly appears on a special Valentine's edition of Is It Cake on Netflix starting on February 4.

What’s the origin story of Signature Sweets? what problem were you trying to solve when you started?

I started off baking as a hobby but I worked full time so I had to navigate quitting my full time job to bake full time. 

Was there a single “I’m doing this for real” moment when baking stopped being a hobby and became a mission?

Yes when I opened my first bakery it was the moment I realized people were paying real money, had real expectations, and I couldn’t just “vibe it out” anymore… and somehow I still loved it.

Your work lives at the intersection of engineering and art. When you start a 3-D cake, do you think like an artist first or a builder first?

 I think like a artist first once I see the vision I lock in on the builder, structure, balance, and gravity so the cake can exist, then I switch hats and let the artist take over again after the engineering is secure

What’s a cake you made early on that makes you laugh now… and what did it teach you?

A baby under a blanket for baby showers. It’s kinda creepy for people to cut it!

What’s harder: making something that looks impossible, or making sure it tastes incredible after the cameras stop rolling?

Both are important because you absolutely want it to taste good but then you have to get the details so it looks real lol 

How do you approach structure—internal supports, weight, balance—without sacrificing the “wow” on the outside?

I make sure my internal structure is good first that’s very important everything would collapse with out it so essentially it would kill the wow factor 

What’s the most underrated skill in cake artistry that people don’t realize until they try it? 

People think cake artistry is about talent, creativity, or steady hands and it is, but the skill you don’t truly understand until you’re in it is the ability to stay calm while everything is actively going wrong

What’s your personal “signature” that shows up in your cakes even when you’re trying something totally new?

My signature is confident, intentional control, no matter the style, my cakes always look purposeful, structurally sound, and like I meant to do exactly that.

On the Netflix set

What does a normal week look like when you’re juggling custom orders, contracts, classes, and creative development?

A normal week for me looks like controlled chaos with purpose lol. Balancing client deadlines, contracts and emails between bakes, teaching and mentoring students, squeezing creative R&D into the margins, and still carving out time to build what’s next, not just what’s due.

What’s been the biggest shift from being a cake artist to being a business owner with systems, schedules, and standards?

The biggest shift has been realizing that talent no longer carries the business…structure does: systems, schedules, and standards now protect my creativity, my time, and my income instead of me constantly hustling to hold everything together.

What’s the most high-pressure delivery you’ve ever done… and did you sleep the night before?

The Bucks Trophy when they won the championship I was so nervous and I literally did not sleep the night before 

You’ve taught kids and worked with schools—what does it mean to you to pass the craft forward?

Passing the craft forward means turning my skill into access and showing young people that creativity can be disciplined, profitable, and life-changing, and making sure the door stays open, wider than it was when I walked through it

You’ve competed (and won) on major Food Network shows. How has competition changed your creativity—did it make you bolder or more disciplined?

Competition has definitely made me both bolder and more disciplined. Bolder in my ideas because I trust my instincts under pressure, and more disciplined because I’ve learned how to execute cleanly, decisively, and on time when there’s no room for hesitation.

After so many appearances, what still surprises you about being on set?

Well every show is different but I still get surprised at how quiet the pressure feels once I’m in it, the chaos fades, the cameras disappear, and it becomes just me, the clock, and my hands doing what they already know how to do

What’s one -the-scenes reality of baking TV that viewers would never guess (that you can share)? 

No one eats the cakes we create. The tastings yes, but the actual cake no.

What made you say yes to doing “Is It Cake?” together as a couple?

I said yes because my husband brings humor, calm, and quick instincts into any room he’s in. He learns fast, keeps things light when pressure is high and I do the same for him. In any setting we mesh well. The two of us work in sync, making any experience feel fun so I knew he would make this feel less like competition and more like a fun team project. 

What’s the hardest part of creating under a timer: decision-making, execution, or staying calm?

The hardest part is decision-making, once the clock starts, every choice has consequences, and the real skill is committing fast, trusting your instincts, and not second-guessing yourself while everything else depends on that first call.

Did the competition environment change your communication as a married couple—better, worse, funnier?

It made our communication better and funnier, we literally said fewer words, because he knows me and he trusted my quick cues under pressure, and he kept me laughing through the stress.

What’s a moment on set where you thought, “This is either going to be iconic… or we’re going to laugh about it later”?

When we decided on what we were going to make, I was nervous because of the structure I had to build but thought if we can pull this off it’s going to be amazing. 

What do you hope a young artist in Milwaukee feels when they watch you on Netflix?

I hope they feel seen and possible, like someone who looks like them, comes from where they’re from, and started with their same doubts just proved that Milwaukee talent belongs on the biggest stages

After Netflix, what changes—if anything—in how you want to grow the business?

The goal isn’t to do more, it’s to grow smarter: building scalable programs, stronger systems, and lasting opportunities that extend my impact beyond custom cakes and into education, mentorship.

If you could design your “dream project” cake with unlimited time and budget, what would it be?

My dream project cake would be a fully immersive illusion installation for the Milwaukee Art Museum. Part sculpture, part architectural set. where nothing reads as cake at first glance, the scale feels impossible, and every element tells a story about craft, culture, and precision, not just shock value.