Share This Article
At 36 years old, Khairunnisa Koorowlay is living proof that it’s never too late to chase your dreams.
From her childhood home in Eagle Park, Cape Town to her bustling home-based bakery in Parow, she’s followed a winding but purposeful path, one that’s taken her from the legal world straight into the heart of pastry.
Koorowlay’s passion for baking sparked early. “I started baking at the age of eight,” she says with a smile, a passion that would smoulder quietly for decades before finally being allowed to flourish.
After finishing matric, Koorowlay initially trained as a paralegal. “My marks never allowed me to attend university, and though I always loved pastry, I just didn’t have the funds to pursue it,” she explains.
Life carried on, but the dream never faded.
Then in 2023, at the age of 34, she made the bold decision to finally follow her heart and enrol in a Professional Patisserie course at Capsicum Culinary Studio’s Cape Town campus.
“It has always been my dream, and I believe in going after what I want. My heart was in this,” she says.
After graduating last year Koorowlay immediately started turning her passion into a profession and today, she runs a small but thriving home bakery, crafting made-to-order cakes, pastries, desserts and treats and regularly selling at local markets.
You might also have seen her on television, having appeared on both the cooking show Proe – where she made her delicious eclairs – and, more recently on the Expresso Morning Show on SABC3 where she demonstrated how to make and decorate cupcakes. (Watch here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJfhys7LZ6k)
Koorowlay’s days are full and fast-paced, blending the demands of motherhood with the creativity of baking. “I start my day getting the kids ready for school, then sit down for a good breakfast; maybe oats or eggs or sometimes a sweet treat,” she laughs.
With a daily prep board as her guide, she sets to work prepping ingredients, whipping up icings and baking to order. Early afternoons are for family – lunch with her children, school runs and a treat or two shared around the table. Then it’s back to the kitchen to finish up the day’s orders. Dinner is a family affair, usually something hearty with rice or pasta and plenty of vegetables.
While she’s constantly experimenting and learning, Koorowlay already has a unique signature: her very own invention, the Sweetiepie Brownie- a decadent fusion of nostalgia and indulgence.
And she’s not done yet. “I’d love to master croissants and entremets, and I definitely want to attend some chocolate workshops,” she says.
A peek inside her fridge at home reveals it is always stocked with the essentials: eggs, cream, cream cheese, plain yogurt and fresh fruit. But if she had to choose a last meal it would consist of buttered croissants with fried eggs, baby spinach and avocado. “It’s simple, but perfect.”
Asked who she’d invite to a fantasy dinner party, Koorowlay doesn’t hesitate. “I’d feed the children of Gaza. A simple meal is all they need.” But true to her pastry-loving heart, dessert would be the star: San Sebastian cheesecake, crème brûlée, sweetiepies, brownies and éclairs.
Her culinary hero is French Tunisian pastry chef Karim Bourgi. “If I could work in his kitchen, it would be one of my biggest dreams come true.” And as for her most treasured kitchen tool? “My KitchenAid. I couldn’t live without it!”
Koorowlay’s story is a reminder that passion, when pursued with courage and determination, can reshape a life. From law books to layer cakes, she’s proof that sometimes the sweetest success comes later, and tastes all the better for it!
Note: Anyone wanting to order one of Khairunnisa Koorowlay’s bespoke cakes, pastries or desserts – for any and all functions from weddings to birthday parties and baby showers – send a WhatsApp message to 0736022349.