Food Friday {An Interview with Cake Bliss}

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of working on a food photography project with Janene Phillips the talent behind Cake Bliss and creator of delicious gourmet desserts!  We spent the afternoon photographing delights such as Red Velvet cupcakes with vanilla bean cream cheese frosting and French Toast Cupcakes with maple buttercream frosting and candied maple bacon.  Yes, you read that correctly…a cupcake with bacon on top!  And let me tell you it was so yummy!!!  The combination of sweet and salty was amazing!  (Yes, I tasted too.  I couldn’t just photograph these delightful yummies and not taste, right? ;))  I also had the chance to ask Janene a few questions so I could share them here.  Be sure to scroll down and see some favorite pics from the day.  And be sure to check out Cake Bliss online or on facebook!

When did you start baking?  I have been baking since I was a kid.

What prompted you to open your own business?  I guess I finally got tired of hearing people say “you should have your own business!!”  Honestly, it’s always been a dream of mine & with the help of a supportive husband, I am moving towards making it come true.

How did you decide on the name Cake Bliss?  We had a list going-everytime we’d think of something, we’d write it down.  A coworker referred to my cheesecakes as “pure bliss” and from there we came up with “Cake Bliss”.

What is your speciality or most popular item?  Hmmmm…I would probably consider cheesecakes my speciality-that’s what I would get the most orders for several years ago when I started selling my baked goods.  My white chocolate raspberry & turtle cheesecakes are probably the most requested.  Now that cupcakes are so in vogue, I’ve really started playing with different recipes and flavors.  The most popular cupcakes I make are what I refer to as “Happy Hour Selections” as they contain alcohol…the Irish Car Bomb and Pink Champagne are the most requested.

What is the most challenging part of your business?  Aside from not eating the extra goodies, working from my home kitchen has become a challenge as my orders have increased, but funding a start up company has also presented challenges.

What is the most rewarding part of your business?  Making someone’s celebration or gathering a little more special.

What is your favorite flavor?  That’s a tough one…for cheesecake it’s the key lime or white chocolate raspberry.  For cupcakes, I’m currently on a french toast kick and I never thought I’d like a cupcake that had bacon on it!

How do you come up with the unique flavors that you offer? Alot of the flavors are things my friends and family and I enjoy.  For example, french toast, bacon & maple syrup is a favorite breakfast around here so I figured, let’s try it in a cupcake!  I love mojitos, so why not a mojito cupcake?    I also have a love of cookbooks so I will often mix and match recipes and tweak them with my own twists.

Tell me about future plans for your business and how people can order from you.  We are currently working on getting a retail space in North Stafford.  Until then, you can call me at 540-710-4533 or send an email to janene@cakeblissonline.com.  We are in the process of updating our website so we can take orders from there.  We also have a Facebook page.