We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kathleen Huber a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kathleen, thanks for joining us today. Do you manage your own social media?

I am a one-person show, so managing my social media is just part of the job. But honestly it is a part that I really enjoy. Social media (Instagram specifically) is really a portfolio for me. Custom cakes and cookies are meant to “wow” people with aesthetics and taste. Social media allows people to see what I do and what my style is. I have more people contact me through Instagram to order than through any other channel, so it’s important to stay connected to it.

Kathleen, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Kathleen Huber and I own a home-based bakery that specializes in custom cakes, cookies, and dessert tables for all occasions. I have worked as a professional baker for nearly ten years and have worked in different areas of pastry but my passion has always been in baking for custom events.

When I started baking professionally, I worked at a production bakery where we provided breads and bite sized dessert pieces for 300 people per day. It was great because I learned a lot in terms of how to stay organized and how to decorate and assemble quickly. But I didn’t learn a ton in terms of actual skill and technique. I then apprenticed with a wedding cake baker, which was ultimately the most influential job I had. Not only did I learn how to properly bake, frost, and how to correctly stack and tier cakes, but I was able to learn what makes recipes successful. I worked at a few bakeries after this, and even co-owned a catering company for a few years. But focusing on custom cakes, cookies, and dessert bites was always my greatest joy, so opening Kathleen Huber Cakes officially in early 2022 was one of best moments in my career. I love bringing people’s visions to life and adding my own spin to make desserts that are beautiful and delicious.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

For years I worked bakery hours, waking up at 2:30 AM and oftentimes not getting home until the late afternoon. I worked weekends for years and missed more occasions than I can recall. When I opened a catering company with friends, this workload only got more intense. After six years of marriage and putting a lot on hold for work, my husband and I decided to start our family. When I got pregnant with my daughter it put a lot of things in perspective, and I knew I needed to make a change and meld my personal life and professional life to become more balanced.

I ended up officially starting Kathleen Huber Cakes when I was 6 months pregnant. I booked a couple of small events and then took six weeks off to spend with my newborn. I was expecting to get work here and there, but mostly stay at home with my baby. I didn’t advertise at all, only posting what I was creating on social media. I was completely overwhelmed with how many inquiries I started getting in the summer of 2022, and before long I had to figure out how to balance this new normal.

I am so happy and proud of how well my business is doing, how sweet and loyal my customers have been, and how much I have learned as a business owner.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

When it comes to baking, people care about two things: does it taste good and does it look good. If it doesn’t taste good, then the second part doesn’t really matter. As a baker that is my main consideration, and the best thing I can hear is “that was the best cake I’ve ever had!”

But decorating is an incredibly important part of what I do as well. People don’t spend $6 on a sugar cookie because of the taste alone. They want the aesthetic, the personalization, the art of it. I have developed a reputation for having an eye to detail and putting my spin on everything I do, and I think that has helped me to grow my business so quickly.

Contact Info:

• Website: kathleenhubercakes.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_kathleenhuber/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathleenhubercakes

Image Credits
Heather Mae Photography (Personal Picture Only)