Today we’d like to introduce you to Candace Powell.
Hi Candace, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was working as a caseworker for Children and Youth Social Services with high-risk clients and their families and wanted to find a hobby or outlet to help me with the high stressors of the job. I saw my local craft store was offering a basic cake decorating class and I thought that would be really fun to learn. I would bring my practice cakes into the agency and my co-workers sung my praises on how delicious and beautifully decorated the cakes were. My boss at the agency then commissioned me to make his grandson’s 1st birthday cake. I was so nervous but also so excited that someone saw potential in me. Other co-workers and friends also began to order cakes from me and before I knew it, only one month after starting the cake class, I quickly had a small side business selling special occasion cakes from my home. Because I was still so new with making cakes and it was something I only intended to be a hobby, I promised myself I would not take on any wedding cake orders. It was too much pressure and I lacked confidence in being able to deliver a cake that would be displayed at someone’s wedding. I was scared to fail. But a couple of months after starting, a good friend of mine reached out and said that they knew I would never make a wedding cake but that they love my cakes and really wanted me to make theirs. I decided I would try, but just this one time!
When I got to the reception building and set the cake up, I had numerous friends, guests, and event professionals comment on how beautiful and professional the cake was. The photographer was floored that this was my first wedding cake and commented that I should continue in the wedding industry. Everyone being so supportive, complimentary, and encouraging really helped shape my confidence especially when I didn’t have it myself. Others believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. It turned out that it wasn’t as scary as I thought it was and I actually really enjoyed working on the wedding cake. More and more wedding cake orders started to pour in, and within a short period of time, I transitioned my business to mostly wedding cakes. But business really took off running when I moved from a small town in Pennsylvania to the Austin, Texas area eight years ago. Through word of mouth, social media postings, networking, long days and sleepless nights, Simply Delicious Custom Cakes became a full-time cottage food bakery.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Owning a business is not for the faint of heart especially when you operate a bakery out of your home kitchen. I have one family sized oven which means baking days take a lot longer because I can only fit so many cake pans into the oven. This type of business requires standing for really long periods of time, dry hands from washing dishes so often, fluctuation of material prices due to changing prices at grocery stores, very late nights and long days, and also the frustrations of doing everything by the book but having the edible product have a mind of its own so to speak and creating difficulties where there shouldn’t be. For the past ten years while operating a full-time business, I have also been a stay at home mom; raising two babies alongside a thriving and busy business. It meant baking/ working for a few hours, then stopping to tend to parental and home duties, back to baking, back to parental duties, etc. This is where the long nights and sometimes all nighters came into play because I was busy with my children that day and couldn’t get to baking. Being a one woman show also meant I was responsible for the bookkeeping, emails, orders, baking, decorating, networking, advertising, and driving all around delivering the finished cake. My incredibly supportive husband has also been the backbone and often times has jumped in to help make buttercream, carve out fondant decorations, and deliver wedding cakes when I had other responsibilities to tend to.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
All of my items are handmade and from scratch. That means no box mixes, no canned icing, etc. I use high-quality ingredients, fresh fruits, and no hydrogenation. You can taste the difference when you sample my items; they taste just like they are made: right out of a home kitchen! If clients are interested in edible flowers, I am also able to make and produce those, as I took a dream class of mine with world-renowned cake artist Maggie Austin.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
That all of my creations come from a small home-based kitchen! The quality of my work, taste of my confections, and professionalism of my business leave others very pleasantly surprised and impressed that I do not operate out of a storefront or commercial kitchen; especially when I tell them I only use one residential-sized oven!
Pricing:
- $6-$7 per serving
Contact Info:
- Email: simplydeliciouscustomcakes@gmail.com
- Website: https://simplydeliciouscustomcakes.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simplydeliciouscustomcakes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simplydeliciouscustomcakes
Image Credits
Sophie Epton Photography, Amanda Pomilla Photography, The Lees Wedding Photography, Ann Mark Photography, Simon Ly Photography, Jenna McElroy Photography
