Tapping into tradition during quarantine
to create signature Rum Cakes
By Tangerine Clarke
Quarantine baking during
the COVID-19 pandemic for
Carol Bishop-Carter is more
than just the urge to create Rum
Cake while at home from her
professional life, as a teacher,
guidance counselor and mental
health counselor, with the NYC
Department of Education.
Instead, her inspiration
comes from late grandmothers,
Una Bishop and Violet Bovell,
coupled with a passion to create
her own secret recipe. Today,
Carol’s Homemade Rum Cake
is an established brand that is
created with love, and precious
memories of growing up in her
homeland, Guyana.
The Walnut and Cherry
Jubilee Rum Cake, is the first
of a variety of flavors, created
last August with the stamp of
approval of friends and family,
and now, customers, who
are bombarding Carter’s social
media platforms with orders for
the delicacy.
The baker is soon to unveil a
chocolate rum cake and a Cherry
Jubilee Rum Cake, in tribute to
her father, Rudy Bishop, founder
of the Chronicle Atlantic Symphony
Caribbean L 22 ife, November 6-12, 2020
Steel & Brass Orchestra.
These flavors will celebrate the
Christmas season, and her dad’s
traditional musical show she
grew up enjoying.
Carol recall those good old
days, when her grandma Una
Bishop sold Sweet Bread and
Coconut Buns, and many years
after, she has found herself in
the kitchen turning out the
cakes, putting a modern twist
to the recipe to satisfy her customer.
The Foster Care Agency Counselor,
who has worked with NYC
Department of Education for a
number of years, said, “Being
on lock down at the starting
of COVID-19 pandemic really
helped me to sharpened my baking
skills. I baked cakes occasionally,
but never on this larger
scale, turning out so many
cakes,” said Carter, adding,” she
has been baking weekly, to meet
the demand for the rum cake.”
“Friends and family tasted
my rum cake, and told me that
I really should consider marketing
it, because the taste is so’
yummy.’ I was very hesitant at
first with that idea, but as time
progressed I jumped on it and
got started,” she shared.
“Never in my wildest dream
I thought I would be adding the
name baker behind my name.
As a child growing up, my beloved
late grandmother Una Bishop
used to tell me that I will someday
follow in her footsteps.”
Carol’s Homemade Rum Cake Collection packed in boxes
for easy shipping. Carol Bishop-Carter
“She was a great baker. She
used to bake and sell goodies
for a number of years. Grandma
Una never kept her earnings
to herself. She gave back
to many charities in the US and
around the world, especially in
her homeland, Guyana.
“Here I am today trying to
continue where she left off. My
late grandmother Violet Bovell
was also a great baker. It’s safe to
say now that the baking talent is
really in my blood.”
“These days I feel like I’m
no longer living for myself. It’s
more like I’m living to serve
people, especially kids that are
less fortunate. Whenever I look
at myself in the mirror, I see the
word, humanitarian printed all
over me. This is really the motivation
and my drive behind my
business today,” said Carter.
Carol Bishop-Carter, showcasing
her Rum Cake. Carol
Bishop-Carter