We recently connected with Lamna Ravindran and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lamna, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

My name is Lamna, and I run a home bakery in Austin, Texas. I am a full-time baker, initially inspired to bake for my kids and husband, who have a sweet tooth. Despite not having much of a sweet tooth myself, I became frustrated with the lack of flavorful, low-sugar options in store-bought cakes, leading me to learn baking. Though I failed many times, I persevered. While baking the cake base was manageable, perfecting the icing and aesthetics required practice, precision, and creativity.

My daughter’s request for a seven-layer rainbow cake posed a significant challenge, as it was my first attempt at a multi layer cake. For two days, I couldn’t sleep, constantly checking the fridge to ensure the layers remained straight. My heart sank when I saw the cake leaning, and I even shed tears. However, my daughter’s joy upon seeing the cake, which she said looked exactly as she wanted, spurred me on to bake more for my family and neighbors. The words of encouragement I received motivated me to invest further time and energy into baking and ultimately opening a custom cake bakery.

Achieving the right flavors and sweetness levels were certainly challenging, but making the cakes visually appealing proved to be the toughest aspect, requiring precision, hard work, creativity, and visualization in a step-by-step process.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Being a bachelors graduate in Architecture, I started my working career as an architect and 3D designer. in Bangalore, India After we settled in the US and a long break, i started back as a web designer before being impacted during the pandemic. Struggling to find employment afterward, I found joy in baking for my family and neighbors. The encouragement I received led me to pursue my passion full-time and start my bakery (Lem Bakes) after we moved to Leander, Austin.

I initially started with cake jars and cupcakes, but as i grew more confident, transitioned to tiered cakes through dedication, hard work, and constant practice. I believe that every celebration deserves a premium cake to make it memorable, so why not treat yourself, family, and friends to quality creations. My cakes are meticulously handcrafted, made from scratch, and never frozen, reflecting the dedication, artistry, taste, and wow factor you’re paying for. I spent atleast 5-6 hrs meticulously designing and crafting each cake, so each cake is a designer piece on its own right.

I’m grateful for the support from the community and neighborhood I live, with many orders coming through word of mouth. I appreciate every order and recommendation, as starting a business two years ago was challenging.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

My USP has been the flavors and unique designs which my clientele appreciates. Each cake is an art work for me and that reflects in the finished product. I also do not compromise on the quality and presentation so makes sure that I can give enough time for each clients cake. This indeed has helped me with a repeat base of clients who keeps coming back for their special occasions. I have been running this for two years now and it is a joy when my customers keep coming back for their special occasions for my cakes.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Word of mouth has played a major role in expanding my clientele. Since cakes are usually ordered for special celebrations, the people who taste my cake at such an event would reach out for their special occasions. The most frequent complaint i have received is the host itself losing out on a piece of cake due to the demand from their guests. Social media platforms like Insta and Facebook also has helped me immensely to get more customers and share updates as well as new designs.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lem_bakes?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lembakescakes/?_rdr