The Cake Farmer History

I’ve been baking since I was a little girl. My Mom-Maw would have all three of the grandchildren help out with the cookies, chicken-n-dumplins, green bean snapping, and most importantly, her peach cobbler. The older we got, the more she taught us. Then, when I turned 18, she gave me a binder filled with copies of every one of her recipes! A gift that shaped the next ten years of my life.

Throughout college I would spend most of my time in the kitchen versus the library perfecting tailgating  snacks or study session sweets. After graduation, I moved to Charleston, SC to pursue my baking degree. I went to class in the day and worked at night.  I soon learned how incredibly talented the chefs in Charleston were.  The competition was fierce and I was a bit intimidated. So I threw myself into the front of the house world, saving my money just to spend it on as many baking supplies as I could afford. I began watching YouTube and Google “How-to’s” just to learn and teach myself new skills in the industry. I was binge watching Food Network to understand flavor profiles and what the famous chefs were doing. Finally, I came to the realization that I may never be Julia Child famous, and I should stick  to what I know and love. Baking for friends and family worked well for me. The money was terrible, but it didn’t matter, I loved sharing my creations with them.

Soon after the pressure to be the best wore off, I began volunteering with an incredible philanthropy, The Green Heart Project. I started a small herb garden in my yard. Just like we did as children at Mom-Maw’s house, I began using herbs straight from the garden. The flavors were remarkable! My garden grew exponentially, I acquired three incredible hens that would provide me with the most wonderful eggs. Then I applied for an apprenticeship with Lowcountry Local First where I would work on a farm and take agriculture classes to become a farmer myself. The idea being that I could run my own sustainable bakery. What a great idea, I thought! But after working with all these incredible farmers I wanted to showcase their hard work as well! By utilizing the products and produce that they provide for our community I can give back to them by making more Charlestonians aware that fresh is best and local makes a huge difference. You will find that my baked goods have a nostalgic quality about them and it is my hope that you enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed baking them!