Whole Lotta Cakin’ Goin’ On

Home-based baker creates sweet treats and elaborate designs

Pineapple Fluff

BESS DANIEL HAS been baking for her bread for seven years, but her relationship with sweets goes back a long way.

Daniel, owner of Bess’ Cakery in Westerville, acquired her passion for baking from her mother. She started out watching her mother work in the kitchen, then graduated to helping her and eventually to baking on her own – though she still credits Mom with having “always made the best baked goods.”

After high school, Daniel made her way to the Academy of Culinary Arts at Indiana University of Pennsylvania to hone her skills. Upon graduation, she came to central Ohio to intern for Master Chef Harmut Handke of Handke’s Cuisine, then briefly worked for a bakery before taking a job decorating cakes at a retail store seven years ago. After leaving her job there, she began receiving countless requests from friends, family members and previous customers for her edible designs.

The orders kept pouring in, and in 2006, Bess’ Cakery was born.

Daniel does all her baking and decorating solo and out of her own home, fully licensed by the USDA and a registered business with the state of Ohio. She accepts orders for custom cakes and gourmet cupcakes, and her red velvet and cookies-and-cream cupcakes are among her most popular products, but her interest is clearly focused on a specific pastry form.

“I love to do wedding cakes,” says Daniel. “I love anything that can challenge me, and wedding cakes are normally the most complex and elegant.”

While Daniel astounds buyers with her decorating skill and artistic styling, it is her icing that always keeps customers coming back for more.

“The icing recipe I use is my own personal recipe,” says Daniel. “It’s what draws people to my cakes and what draws people back. It’s totally off the hook.”

On April 20, Bess’ Cakery participated in the annual Taste of Westerville for the first time, sharing her cupcakes for all of Westerville to enjoy.

The event, held at The Lakes Golf and Country Club, also featured food from Bel Lago Waterfront Bistro, Cantina Laredo, Chocolaterie Stam, Cold Stone Creamery, Costco, Friendship Village, Great Harvest Bread, J. Gilbert’s WoodFired Steaks, McDonald’s, the Old Bag of Nails Pub, Sandman Gourmet, Skyline Chili, Starbucks and the Lakes.

Christopher Braun is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@ pubgroupltd.com.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8. oz package of cream cheese

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 8 oz. bowl of whipped topping (Cool Whip)

• ¼ cup milk

• 1 cup drained, crushed pineapple

DIRECTIONS:

Using an electric mixer or handheld mixer, combine cream cheese, sugar, milk and pineapple until smooth. Fold in whipped topping and chill until ready to serve. To jazz it up, add a sprig of mint and serve in a glass dessert cup. Enjoy!

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