From Lab Coat to Apron: A Kentucky Chemist’s Buttercream Dream

In the past year, my love of baking has blossomed into a home-based business known to my clientele as Cakes Plus by René. Upon request, I deliver delectable desserts which include birthday cakes, wedding cakes, mouth-watering cookies, chocolate covered strawberries, and a plethora of southern pies.

Don't jump to conclusions. I’m not a stay at-home mom with kids in school looking for something to do. My dessert business plays second fiddle to my full time job as a chemist, a position I’ve held at a local chemical plant in Kentucky for almost a decade.

My partial metamorphosis from lab coat to apron began a few years ago when I began to think about the different paths my life could take. Although I enjoy my career, I one day hope to become a homemaker, a wife, and a mommy. It would be great to have a home-based business when that time comes, so I’ve taken the necessary proactive steps to lay the foundation for this plan. I plucked up the courage to try my home-based cake baking and decorating service before it becomes a necessity to do so. I started by enrolling in three Wilton Method cake decorating courses at my local craft store. With the support of my mother, whom I had watched baking as I grew up, I began to produce delicious, custom-decorated desserts for friends and family. It didn't take long for word to spread and orders to come rolling in.

Competition from inexpensive chain supermarkets doesn't pose a problem for me. I believe that attention to detail and good communicative skills provide my customers with the incentive to forgo the standard dry sheet cake, even if my desserts end up costing a little more.

Recently I’ve been experimenting with requests from my clients for sweets with organic ingredients, low glycemic index flours, and alternative sweeteners. Anyone who has ever tried to deviate from a recipe knows that playing with substitutes can result in disaster, but for me it's an opportunity to delve into the scientific side of my personality. For me, success in chemistry or in cooking really—excuse the pun—boils down to being able to comprehend the interactions between different ingredients and then being innovative enough to give a compound or concoction its own flair.

For now, I’m content to keep working by day and baking by night, nurturing the endeavor I hope will eventually generate enough income for me to work exclusively from home. And this suits my coworkers just fine. They depend on my expertise in the workplace, and also count on me to whip up delectable treats to make their birthday parties, anniversaries, and family celebrations extra fun.