A question I am asked a lot is what bakery do I recommend for your child’s first birthday cake smash photoshoot! A lot of work goes into planning all of the adorable details for their milestone portraits and finding someone talented who you can trust to deliver the perfect themed cake is so important! I am beyond excited to feature Marble Kitchen Bakery as my recommended baker for your upcoming portrait session. Read more below about her story and her delicious baked goods! I can’t recommend her and her amazing talent enough!

1. Please tell me a little more about yourself and how your love for baking began.

I have spent most of my life in Texas, but I am originally from Montana. I was born on the Crow Agency. I am Crow and German descent. My mom and grandma were always cooking or baking something while I was growing up. Some of the most memorable things my grandmother would bake was her homemade cinnamon rolls and cherry pies. I always wanted a cherry pie for my birthday instead of cake ironically. I grew up on my mom’s zucchini bread and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. She will still make them from time to time.

I was a terrible baker about 10 years ago. You can ask my husband. My first “non box” cake was a German chocolate cake I made for his birthday. The cake was 3 layers, but you wouldn’t be able to tell since it was only about 2 inches high!! Bless his heart, he still ate it (with a lot of milk!). I realized then he truly loved me! I have progressed 1000% since then. My husband enjoys my cakes a lot more now as well. Especially my custom strawberry cake.

Prior to being a custom baker, I was a muralist for about seven years. After having children, that wasn’t really optimal. I was taking care of two kiddos that were 16 months apart. Life was busy. I needed some sort of artistic release, so when our kids started preschool, I would make cupcakes for their class parties. I themed them toward the holiday. One day, a mom asked if I could make some custom cookies for a baby shower. I never thought about it, but gave it a go. Cookies….are….work. They turned out great, but from then on I understood why they are pricier than one would think. They are custom and take a lot of time. It was a fluke that I got into the baking business. After the baby shower cookies, I started getting more and more requests. Cookies were the big thing for me when I started. Eventually I started making more custom cakes to where it is now a majority of my business. Cookies are always great for a party gift though, if you don’t know what to give (just a suggestion :)). I have spoiled my children with these over the top birthday cakes. They have crazy requests sometimes but I try. There is nothing like a child’s face when they see their birthday cake that is more than they hoped for!

I have come a long way from 10 years ago for sure. I always have things to learn, but thankfully, because of my artistic ability, experience and a lot of practice, I am able to keep up.

2. What sort of services/products do you currently offer?

I offer custom cakes, cupcakes, grandma’s teacup cakes (they are a more mature approach if cupcakes aren’t your thing) and cookies. I also offer your comfort sweets like homemade chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies, macarons, of course the oatmeal chocolate chip, plus more. Chocolate is one of my favorites if you can’t tell.

3. What is your favorite flavor combination for a cake?

As I said above, my favorite is chocolate, but people rave about my strawberry cake with cream cheese buttercream frosting. My husband being one of them.

4. What is your all-time favorite custom cake order you have received from a client?

My favorite so far has been my lumberjack cake. I was challenged and was able to use my painting skills while designing the tree stump. I also made the hatchet out of chocolate. The inside was like a red plaid flannel shirt. Like a lumberjack. This cake was so fun!

5. What is a typical price range for a one layer, simple cake (for example, ombre swirl icing) vs a custom one layer cake?

That’s a tough one. Pricing is based off of time, complexity of the design, ingredients for the cake and frosting, and time (yes, I said it twice). My cakes could range anywhere from $25 for a simple smash cake or $325 for a custom cake for a party. The difference between a custom cake and a store bought cake is flavor and the designs. Most store bought cakes (ie a grocery store) are premade then frozen. The frosting used is also premade and in a tub when it arrives at the store. Plus the designs are limited. The most custom request you will likely get is writing “Happy Birthday Joe” on it. I’m not knocking that type of cake if that’s what type of cake you want. Sometimes that is the only choice one has at that moment. However, hands down, you will notice a huge difference if you have ever had a real deal custom cake.

6. How much notice should a client provide for a custom cake order?

I usually require about 2 weeks notice unless it is peek seasons. Holidays and the end of the school year usually require about a month’s notice. Once we have agreed on design, number of servings and flavor, you will secure your order with 1/2 deposit. It’s a very simple process.

7. How can clients get in touch with you to order their custom cake?

They can reach me through my Facebook page at Marble Kitchen Bakery. You can also reach me at 469.766.9603. You can text me as well.

Ready to reserve your custom cake smash portrait session? Contact me for more details!