BAKING BLISS

One local turns love of baking into a business.

Written by Emily Gedde Photos by Maxwell Behnke

IF ELOUISE SUOJA could choose a magical power; it would be for frosting to make itself.

The 19-year-old Mahtomedi High School alumna laughed as she explained the wellthought-out magical power that would complement her love for baking.

Suoja, owner of 350 Degrees Bakery, has a bright future ahead of her. With several years in the kitchen already under her belt, she is looking forward to turning her passion into a full-time career. “I’m mostly self-taught, and I just really love doing this,” she says.

Suoja developed her passion for baking at 14 years old through front yard bake sales. She and a friend would spend two days baking cupcakes, cookies and puff pastry desserts for friends, family and neighbors. At 16, Suoja began working at a bakery in Stillwater, where she learned the ins and outs of a baking business. But it wasn’t until 2021 that she knew baking was going to be her career.

Each Friday during the summer of 2022, when Suoja hauled her edible creations to the White Bear Lake Farmers Market, she was humbled by the community’s response. “I didn’t see myself this busy and this loved,” she says. “I knew it would be a lot of time and effort, but I didn’t realize how many people would support me.”

To keep her customers wanting more, every week Suoja featured different cupcake flavors. She also started to receive more special orders for graduation parties, birthday celebrations and more.

Now, Suoja is in her final year at Colorado Mesa University and Western Colorado Community College, both located in Grand Junction, Colorado. In May, she will graduate with an associate degree in applied science in baking and pastry arts, as well as two other certificates.

After graduation, Suoja plans to move back to White Bear Lake, but she doesn’t anticipate opening a storefront right away.

“I’ll still be doing the farmers markets and looking into renting a kitchen, so I can get out of my parents’ kitchen,” she says. “I want to go with the flow. If there’s an opportunity, then there’s an opportunity, and I’ll take it.”

Looking back over the past five years, Suoja says she’s proud of how far she’s come. From being intimidated to frost a special-order cake to that quickly becoming her favorite part of baking, she acknowledged her growth as a baker and a person.

“I wouldn’t be here without White Bear Lake,” she says. “They’ve really opened their arms and shown their support throughout my whole baking experience. I’m excited to move back home and start the next chapter.”