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Cathy's Rum Cake Caterers |
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About Cathy Bua
Do you believe in magic? Cathy Bua
sure does. Hers has been an enchanting ride since 1975 when she opened Cathy’s Rum Cake Caterers out of her kitchen
pantry. She never thought she would cater parties, for legends like Vincent Price; The Princess of Austria; A Presidential Candidate – John McCain and bake her whimsical, rum cakes for Robert Mitchum;
Whitney Houston and Cher. The magic:
– everyone Cathy who comes in contact with Cathy is a legend or celebrity to her, and that develops many wonderful fellowships.
This is Cathy’s most endearing accomplishment. It all started in the early sixties when Cathy’s husband Tony was a Lieutenant in the Air
Force. A few times while on Parade March, Tony noticed Cathy parking the family car in the General’s
space. Thinking that his wife would never breach such a strict protocol, Tony thought it must be someone else with the same
model vehicle. It was soon confirmed that it was Cathy, as Tony tripped over himself on march seeing her socializing with
the wives of Colonels and Generals. This was not the best moral booster for Tony’s flight squadron when Cathy is seen
hobnobbing with the Senior Officers Spouses. Tony confronted Cathy on the rules of military fraternizing. But, the General’s
wife had more pull than Tony, and Cathy was right back at it. Again, parking in the General’s spot, picking pecan pods
on the ladder with the General’s wife for centerpieces, and generally having more of the run of the base than most colonels.
What hurt Tony more, was being on a paltry military salary, and getting his hands slapped for picking at the Prime Rib, and
finding out it’s wasn't for him, but for the Commander’s cocktail party. Tony could do nothing about it,
except watch his non-commissioned wife being promoted before he did. The day that
Tony received his order for duty overseas, the General’s wife called her husband on the golf course and ordered that
Cathy Bua was going nowhere – She was too important for the base. Tony was to remain at Williams
Air Field. Tony was frustrated, ready for combat duty, but became a top notch instructor. Sometimes you wonder, “Who’s
really giving the orders". The magic was just starting. In the early and mid-seventies, Tony and Cathy were living in Chandler, Arizona raising
two kids. Tony was now a pilot for TWA. And, Cathy never slowed down her catering and baking enterprise. Up and down the street
Cathy had taken over the neighbor’s refrigerators and ovens. The next door neighbor bought an extra freezer to accommodate
Cathy. Tony would come home to a mix of “I Love Lucy” and “Dinner Impossible” Culinary Chaos. And,
his dinner was being served progressively later. Dinner to Tony is an almost a religious experience - he was wants it predictable
and on time. Cathy was getting busier and Tony dinner was now pushed back to 11 pm. Tony caved in, and to make things easier
on Cathy, so she wouldn’t spend hours retrieving food from the neighbors, Tony bought Cathy her business – Cathy’s
Rum Cake and Caterers, Inc. There was a stipulation – now that Cathy had her business, dinner was to be ready by 5:30 every night when Tony was home. Even on her heavy Catering days she still up holds her end of the bargain to Tony,
realizing his contribution and sacrifice to Cathy’s Rum Cake. The magic was now on the launch pad. What about the Rum Cakes. Cathy in her pantry days from home
was making lemon cakes. Her first customers were her neighbors – The Knox’s. The Knox’s were farmers and
they told their friends in the farming community about their neighbor who makes these fabulous lemon custard cakes. People
from Peoria, Avondale and Litchfield Park were pick up cakes in the middle of the night and waking up the roosters to collect
their whipped cream confections. One of these customers asked Cathy; “Why don’t you make a Rum Cake?” Cathy
thought about it and didn’t see the merit in making a rum cake, and replied, “Why should I. The client was persistent;
“Why not?!". Cathy quickly mulled it over; “Yeah – why not!” Cathy made the gentleman a rum cake
and stuck to that recipe ever since. Now, the magic was in orbit. Cathy and Her Accolades When Cathy was asked to list all her accolades, magazine
articles and press releases over the span of 34 years, it was a daunting – and dangerous task. Daunting because there
is so much material; Cathy has been blessed by a lot of great coverage. Dangerous, because, it’s too easy to rest on
your laurels. It’s not so much what you were years ago, but what you are now and your commitment to quality and excellence
for the future. So in listing Cathy’s Accolades, we present a shortened version to thank all that have contribute to
this wonderful experience, known as Cathy’s Rum Cake Catering. No self-aggrandizing here – just a big, warm hug
and a thank you to everyone . . . Cathy Bua of
Cathy's Rum Cake Caterers Cathy Bua sold her first cake in the 1970s for $8. Since then, she has baked cakes and/or
thrown dinner parties for Cher, Whitney Houston, Sandra Day O'Connor, Robert Mitchum, Vincent Price,
Ralph Lauren, the princess of Austria and all sorts of celebrants from birthday boys to brides. She's marking 34 years in business by giving away free cake samples Thursday through Saturday at
the Chandler and Phoenix locations of Cathy's Rum Cake Caterers. Customers also can enter drawings every day for a free 12-inch cake of
their choice among 29 flavors. The cakes sell for $92. Bua began the business on Nov. 5, 1975. The company
started small. Her husband, Tony, had been stationed at what was then Williams Air Force Base in Mesa for pilot training. Cathy baked a birthday cake for someone on base,
and word got around about how delicious it was. Eleanor Abbey, wife of Gen. Richard Abbey, the base commander, asked Cathy
to bake more cakes. She paid $8 each. Bua's business has locations in Phoenix and Chandler, where the site is large enough to host social events such
as teas, luncheons and dinners. For 27 years, she had a Scottsdale
location on North Marshall Way but closed it two years ago when rents doubled. "It was very difficult to give that store up," she said. Over the years, she has served several generations of families. Bua was discussing a wedding cake with a bride and groom when the groom told his fiancee that Bua had baked and
decorated his shower cake. "We haven't had a shower,"
the bride-to-be said. The groom explained he meant his baby
shower a generation ago. Bua is preparing a cake in December
for a bride whose three sisters had Cathy's Rum Cakes for their weddings. Last
month, Bua made a cake for a memorial service for a 28-year-old woman. The
woman had always wanted a Cathy's rum cake when she got married so, at the request of the family, Cathy baked a wedding cake
for her memorial. "We did the table like a bride's table," Bua said. When she started her business, she focused on traditional designs, but lately she has started to branch out.
"I'm running with the market, trying to make all these
people happy," she explained. "Our new generation out there is colorful." She has decorated cakes with sports and business logos and sometimes with a picture on the cake,
surrounded by decoration. "Our thing is great borders,"
she said. "We try to get the feel of the party and build a cake around that." BEST CAKE 2007 New Times Cathy's Rum Cake Venue 4807 E. Greenway Rd. Scottsdale, AZ http://www.cathys-rum-cake.com Cathy's Rum Cake has been around for 30 years. That's a long time. Cathy was popular here before people had
even heard of another woman who goes by her first name (we're talking about Martha, not Madonna), a woman who made that
fondant icing so popular. Now, we love the look of fondant,
and there are some local cake purveyors who do it so well, they put M.S. to shame. But have you ever tried to bite into a
hunk of the stuff? Gross. It tastes like grout. (Well, we imagine it does. We've never actually tasted construction supplies.)
Give us Cathy's cake any time. The frosting is whipped
and sweet, and you don't have to get a shot of rum in the cake — although we highly recommend it. (The amaretto
version's not bad, either, and you teetotalers can get it alcohol-free.) Festooned with shimmery ribbons, we'd put
Cathy's cakes up against Martha's any old day. Just let us eat cake!
- Thank you Phoenix New Times and Thank you and all our clients that voted for us in the Reader's Poll.
Most Creative December 13, 2002/Tevet 8 5763, Vol. 55, No. 16 TV Appearances Inagural Show of Cooking with Beth and Bill Good Morning Arizona Spotlighted on Channel 3, 12 and 5 In Print: Phoenix Republic Phoenix Gazette Phoenix Magazine Phoenix Home and Garden Arizona Business Magazine Desert Living Phoenix Food and Lifestyle Phoenix New Times Experience Scottsdale Magazine V Magazine Southwest Passage Magazine Awards: Scottsdale League of the Arts Culinary Hall of Fame 1995: For Cakes and Catering 2003: For Lifetime Achievement Phoenix Home and Garden 1999 Master of the Southwest for Catering Phoenix Magazine Best Caterer in the Valley: 2004 2005 2006 Scottsdale Culinary Festival Winners of the First Two Festivals for Best Dessert and Participant
for 29 Years. Arizona Business
Magazine 2003 Arizona's Top Business Forget Me Not Flowers for Life Valley Chef Competition 1999 First Place Taste and Second Place for Presentation
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Follow Cathy At:
There is only one Cathy’s Rum Cake
Caterers, Inc. established in 1975 and has no claim to or liability for any other company that may bear a similar name in
Gilbert, Arizona or elsewhere. There
Are Only Two Authorized Locations To Purchase The Original And Authentic "Rumderful" Food Products And Rum Cakes.
They Are Listed Below: ©1969 - 2010 Cathy’s Rum Cake & Caterers Inc. All rights reserved.
Click Here For Cathy's Rum Cake Blog To See Her Complete Photo Gallery **NEW** Click Here For Cathy's Rum Cake Caterers Photo Gallery II - The Latest Updates!
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Luci Scott/The Arizona Republic 
