Kia Ora, Salaams,
Hi & Bula!

About Me

Woman in a light hijab and pink apron sits at a white table with a cream cake topped with berries, smiling gently.

Hello! I’m Maryam, but you can call me MK! I’m a Fijian Indian Muslim Kiwi, born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand. I’m a baker, recipe developer, wife to Zakariyya, and mum to our beautiful little girl, Nuha. I love creating recipes that bring people together, and I’m so happy you’re here!

More on Maryam's path to CBMK

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    Growing Up

    Close-up of a young girl with dark hair wearing a red dress with a white collar, smiling at the camera.

    I grew up in a family that was big on community, so I was always involved in community work in one way or another. We’d also travel back to Fiji every couple of years to visit family, which was always something to look forward to!

    I started baking when I was around 14, making banana cakes and muffins from the Edmonds Cookbook, a staple in many Kiwi households! Back then, I knew NOTHING about baking science. If a recipe called for softened butter, I’d sometimes end up melting it instead 😂. And don’t even get me started on cake decorating! I’d stack uneven cake layers, ice them with a knife, and wonder why my cakes never looked like the professional ones. Turns out, there was a little more to baking than I realised!

    Work, Marriage & Travel

    Bride and groom in cream-gold traditional attire exchange smiles by a lake with a fountain in the background, holding a bouquet of white roses.

    I always wanted to be a psychologist, so I went on to study psychology and complete my postgraduate studies. I met my husband, Zakariyya, who I got to know through community work in 2016, and we got married a little while later.

    A year into our marriage, we decided to spend a year in Malaysia studying Arabic, which was such a wonderful experience. We absolutely LOVED it there, especially the food! After returning to New Zealand in 2019, we were ready to start our own businesses. Zakariyya started a tutoring business, while I wanted to do something creative that combined my love of baking with a little entrepreneurship.

    CBMK

    Woman wearing a cream hijab and pink apron decorates a yellow-frosted cake with berries on top.

    What started as a home-based cake business eventually turned into a YouTube channel and recipe blog! I initially shared cake decorating tutorials before moving into written recipes, which allowed me to share all the little details and tips to help you bake confidently at home.

    Zakariyya is officially part of the Cakes by MK team now, helping with the behind-the-scenes work, filming prep, and his favourite job of all… the dishes! 😂 It’s been such a fun journey building this business together, and we’re so grateful to everyone who has supported us along the way.

    Motherhood

    Smiling family selfie on a boat with the ocean behind them and a distant shoreline.

    One of the most special chapters of our lives has been welcoming our beautiful little girl, Nuha! ❤️ Zakariyya and I were so excited to become parents, and watching her grow, discover the world, and reach new milestones has been such a joy.

    She’s definitely keeping us busy, but we’re loving this new adventure and learning so much along the way. Balancing parenthood with Cakes by MK has brought plenty of changes, but we’re figuring it out one day at a time and enjoying watching our little family grow! 🥹

    And that’s a little bit about me! ☺️ Thank you for stopping by and getting to know me a little better. I’m so grateful to have you here and to be able to share my love of baking with you. I hope you find something here that inspires you to get into the kitchen and bake something delicious. Happy baking! ❤️