My name is Renae. But people have been calling me the Cheesecake Lady! I have lived in Fort Dodge for 10 years. I am glad to be apart of this community and to bring with me a family heritage in baking.
When I was 8-years-old, my great-grandmother sat me down at the kitchen table and began to teach me everything she knew about baking.
"The secret to getting a man wrapped around your finger," she said, as she pointed to her wedding ring, "is the perfect cheesecake."
I love to bake. I love the science of creating edible art with a formula of ingredients. I think that the perfect cake batter is beautiful. And pulling confections from the oven that have been baked just right is the ultimate feeling of accomplishment. For me, the most joy comes from knowing that someone will love it. That they will be awed by the beauty of its presentation and blown away by how it tastes.
I bake in my own kitchen. Each cake has my full attention from beginning to end. Ensuring that you receive my very best. Every time.
I've been baking with and learning from the best for more than 2 decades. My great-grandmother fed the employees of her cab company fresh baked goodies every single day. My grandmother made extra money by selling her baked goods to coworkers. And my mother has been supplying small events with her fantastic cookies as long as I can remember.
But I have let my love of baking be just a gift giving hobby up until now. In 2009, I decided to sell cheesecakes for the holidays. Thanks to supportive friends, coworkers and family members, it went so well that I decided to test it with the whole community. I hope to open a dessert shop in Fort Dodge, Iowa someday. But until then, I'll be offering my desserts bakery style from my own kitchen.
My family is a huge part of my operation. My son bakes as well. He has quite the talent and he enjoys the opportunity to experiment.
My daughter LOVES to be creative. From thinking up new flavors, to decorating the perfect cookie. She enjoys incorporating her handmade candy into many of our family recipes.
My girls are the official taste testers. And we take their opinions very seriously. Each new flavor is tested by them, not only during the inventing stages, but also at regular intervals afterwards. Just to make sure we're keeping our standards up. ;)
And my incredibly supportive husband never sleeps. After a long week at work, he comes home and helps with everything. From baking, building helpful storage or gadgets, deliveries and even eating the experiments. If people call me Cheesecake Lady, he has certainly earned the title “Mr. Cheesecake”.
Brownies
