A celebration isn’t a true celebration without cake. Right? Well one Texas woman is the plug for all things sweet. Lauren Rodgers, who owns Sweet Thangs by Lo Michelle, is leaving no sweet tooth – well – unsweetened. Yes, her cakes and treats are pretty damn impressive. But what’s even more impressive? The fact that she’s doing it all out of here own kitchen (we’re talking a standard apartment oven) And when she’s not balancing 3-tiered wedding cakes, she’s juggling a full-time job, not to mention a social life.
Besides getting the deets on the yummy things Sweet Thangs has to offer, I wanted to know: When it comes to having such a full plate, can you have your cake, and eat it too?
SOAB: Where did your passion for the kitchen come from?
Lo: My mom had a corporate job, my dad had a corporate job, so I always spent a lot of time with my grandparents. I think that’s where I developed my love for cooking and baking.
SOAB: When did you start Sweet Thangs?
Lo: Sweet Thangs started when I was 16 years old. I wanted a Super Sweet 16 birthday party, but my mom was like ‘you have to pay for something, I’m not paying for all of this.’ So I thought to myself, what can I do to make money? So I started selling desserts at school and it grew from there. And when I went to college at Howard, our dorm actually had a kitchen so I started to do small catering to make meals on Sundays. I was selling things for $5 a plate. When I got bake to Texas, catering was too much, so sweets became my focus.
SOAB: What’s one of your favorite cakes/treats to make?
Lo: Red velvet (cake) is one of my favorite things to make, and it’s one of the things that everyone orders the most. It’s your quintessential southern dessert.
SOAB: What advice do you have for someone looking to get into baking?
Lo: The simplest recipe they should start with is a yellow butter cake. If you can master that, you can master any other cake. It doesn’t have to do with ingredients, it’s the preparation. So not over-mixing and your oven. Invest in a thermometer, because a lot of our ovens here in Texas run hotter than other parts of the country.
SOAB: How do you manage two careers? Will you ever pick one over the other?
Lo: My day job is in healthcare. I’m a project manager in clinical operations. So my business is my second full time job. I currently like the balance. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having multiple sources of income. Will the business continue to grow? Yes. Will there possible be a store front? Yes. The only way I’d give up one is if I had a husband that was like “Nope, you need to re-focus your attention on family.” But right now, I like the balance.
Well that’s the true definition of a modern day southern belle!
Food always brings people together. In sad times or happy times, people always bring food – so it’s very heart felt. And it’s a bonus when it tastes good too! – Lo