Today we’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Rittenhouse
Hi Cynthia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have always loved to bake. It is my stress relief. When I was younger, my family would designate me to bake the cake for any family gathering. Of course back then I used box cake mix and canned frosting. As I grew older, I started to dabble in scratch baking. I found that it was peaceful and akin to working in a science lab (I love science , too). I had to be precise with measurements or the cake would not bake correctly.
While in Nursing School, I baked, in addition to other odd jobs, to make ends meet. During the pandemic, I again, found baking peaceful and decided to sell my baked goods as a side business. I noted people wanted home made from scratch cakes. They wanted to celebrate milestones while in an unpredictable situation. I looked up what the laws were for starting a home baking business and was surprised that I was already meeting the minimum standards. I followed through on the remaining legal tasks and became licensed as a cottage foods baker. I then happened upon a notification about a local farmers market. I went to observe and thought I might be able to sell my baked goods to local patrons. I applied to be a vendor and am now at two local farmers markets and have a following within my community. In addition, I have become a recognized baker for celebration cakes!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wish I could say all went well without a hitch, but……
One obstacle was navigating pricing for my goods. I wanted to make things affordable because so many were out of work and I still needed to make a profit. I adjusted prices as I went along until I joined a few Facebook groups on baking and pricing goods. The participants gave me lots of insight and I was better able to price my goods without being expensive. My motto is “Everyone deserves a home made cake”.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in Old Fashioned Southern Made from Scratch cakes. I love baking the favorites that we used to eat on Sundays after dinner. After a good sermon in church and we go home to a home cooked meal at Grandma’s house. Then we would get a huge slice of cake and a large glass of milk or a big scoop of ice cream and sit on the back porch to indulge in the sweetness of cake. I strive to bring back memories with cake.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I am not sure how much luck played into my decision to pursue any of my goals in life. I do know that I am a very driven person that does not like to be told “you can’t do that”.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sundaybestcakes
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/UtEr9ORBd8
Image Credits
Don Rittenhouse
