Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Lucas.
Hi Amy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story started when growing up watching my grandmother, Betty Jo, in the kitchen. She taught me at a very young age that food was fun to make and share with others, from your heart. I was sitting on old yellow phone books just to reach the counter, learning how to cut onions and celery, watching everything she did. My most favorite memory is her Bromell’s flour sifter. Her teaching me what “oleo” was. Tasting the velvety mixture of melted chocolate and sugar.
I’ve been baking for over 30 years. About eight years ago, I officially turned my love of baking into a Texas cottage bakery business, where I make everything from scratch, with real butter and all of my love.
I’ve built relationships with customers, other small businesses, and our local community through something as simple as a cookie or cinnamon roll, or thru being part of a milestone memory in their lives, with a custom cake that means so much to them. One of my most memorable orders was for a 50th wedding anniversary, finding the exact wedding cake topper from their original wedding cake and recreating a beautiful memory for their anniversary. Another memory that still fills my heart, was a couple married for over 73 years. And I was blessed to create custom treats for their incredible celebration of a lifetime of love. Some of my clients, I’ve been part of their lives from graduations all the way to first birthdays of their children. I’m very blessed my clients continue to choose me to share in these wonderful moments their lives with something sweet.
There have been plenty of challenges, long days, long nights, but I’ve kept going. Winning Best Bakery and Best Baked Goods in Walker County for 2026 was an incredible reminder of how far I have come in this journey.
At the end of the day, I’m still just a baker who loves making people happy with something sweet. I’m incredibly grateful that something I love so much has become a part of my client’s lives. Baking something delicious and sharing it, makes me so happy.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. There have been plenty of long days, setbacks, medical journeys, and exhaustion. Several moments when I questioned whether I could keep going. Running a small business while doing everything myself can be overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to balance production, customers, markets, family, and all the behind-the-scenes work people don’t see. My husband, Eric, has definitely been my strength and my rock, through all sides of this journey. I couldn’t do this without him. There have certainly been days he’s held me up, when things got heavy. And there’s been so many times he’s smiled and told me how proud he is of me. He’s one of the good ones. And he’s my best friend.
There have been times when I’ve felt discouraged, stretched too thin, or wondered if all the hard work was worth it. Whether I was noticed or being seen. But I’ve learned to listen to my customers, make adjustments, set boundaries, and keep moving forward even on the days when it’s hard. When they come back to me, it makes it all worth it, knowing I can make them smile with something delicious.
The good days and the difficult days are both part of the journey. And every time I see a customer enjoy something Ive baked, I’m reminded why I started in the first place.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Im proud to own my own Texas Cottage Bakery, The Purple Cactus, specializing in homemade, from-scratch baked goods and custom cakes. I’m best known for my cinnamon rolls, cookies, brownies, cakes, and other comfort-style desserts. Everything is made in small batches with real ingredients, real butter, and all my heart.
One of the most fun viral dessert trends we’ve been part of, is the Dubai Chocolate Bar. Invented and Created by the world famous bakery, “Fix” in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. We have been creating them for over 2 years now, with over 8,500 bars made with my own two hands. Ive stopped counting. We also make a Dubai Brownie and Dubai stuffed Cookie. Our clients have made it known they thoroughly enjoy our twist on the delicious chocolate pistachio kataifi viral trend.
One of my favorite things about what I make, are the details. The little chocolate flowers or tiny picture frames. The edible sugar images. The custom decorations. The delicious buttercream, covered with specific details for the clients vision. I like to make videos of my work start to finish and send to the client. Sort of a short story of their order being made. Something they will not find in a big box store. Something designed start to finish, just for them.
What I’m most proud of is that The Purple Cactus has grown into a business that has become part of our local community. Being voted Best Bakery and Best Baked Goods in Walker County in 2026 was an incredible honor, but honestly, the relationships I’ve built with my customers mean just as much to me. The personal, real, true relationships and friendships we’ve been blessed with.
I think what sets me apart is that I’m not trying to be a big production bakery. I care about the quality of what I put out, I listen to my customers, and I want every person who buys something from me to feel like they’re getting something made specifically with them in mind. Even if just a sweet treat to lift their day. It’s my honor to bake for them.
Something funny about me; I have a slight addiction to wooden spoons. I feel my spoons each have a story and one day, I’ll pass them down, along with my granny’s Bromell’s sifter, to my granddaughters. Willy Wonka has always been one of my favorite people. And I’d like to think his “world of pure imagination” is where I get alot of my inspiration from. He enjoyed seeing the faces of people when they had one of his treats. I do too.
I keep an humble mind and heart. I feel this keeps me grounded and connected to my community. I feel it’s one of the most important things to carry with you in this business. Stay humble. Be honest. Listen to your clients. And have fun along the way.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can support us in so many ways. The easiest is simply by stopping by one of our local farmer’s markets, purchasing a treat, or following and sharing our business on social media. Word of mouth means so much to a small business like mine. Social media and referrals are the two biggest ways to make this girl happy. We appreciate every shout out and word of mouth referral. It means the absolute world to us to be shared with the community. In a saturated market with all kinds of kinds, staying ahead of social media and on top of daily postings, is hard to do at times. Especially when buried in flour and sugar. So we appreciate any help we can get with business tags and posts, telling us and others about your sweet orders and baked purchases from us.
I’m always open to collaborating with other local businesses, organizations, events, and fellow small business owners. Whether it’s creating baked goods for an event, partnering on a special project, donations for a cause or finding a fun way to support one another, I love building relationships within our community. We also wholesale our products to any business that would like to carry a sweet treat or two to offer your clients. Send us an email or a message and we’d love to chat!
And honestly, sometimes support looks as simple as buying a cookie, telling a friend about us, leaving a review, sending a funny picture or sharing a post. Every order and every person who chooses to support The Purple Cactus helps me continue doing what I love. Baking something delicious for you. It truly overflows my heart knowing Ive made your day a bit sweeter, even if just for a moment.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: _amy_the_purple_cactus
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Q9stHyvsk/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: @amy_pitcock (TikTok)
