Thanks to the good taste of local entrepreneurs, Flagstaff residents and visitors are indulging in the rich, warm, decadent goodness of pies, cakes and pastries, and considering some sweet ideas for holiday gifts.
Jacqueline Rose Cakery
This cake-centered bakery is a dream come true for owner Jacqueline Caughey, who says she is both an artist and a baker who decided to mix her two passions.
“I chose cake as a medium for my creations because the possibilities are endless – and who doesn’t like a piece of rich, dense, moist cake.”
A 15-year Flagstaff resident, Caughey graduated from the Le Cordon Bleu School of Culinary Arts in 2011 and soon thereafter decided to open a baking studio to create artistic designs to wrap her flavorful cakes.
“The best part about creating edible works of art is seeing the reactions on my clients’ faces and when they ask, ‘I can eat this?’ I especially enjoy creating cakes for children. Sometimes I have to really use my imagination and creativity to combine dragons, a train and batman into one cake!”
From a zombie head for Halloween to a cake that looks like a freshly roasted turkey for Thanksgiving to a shimmering snowflake for winter to elegant wedding, anniversary or birthday cakes, Caughey molds and sculpts cakes to resemble three-dimensional persons, places and things and then decorates accordingly.
“Everyone has a good memory that includes cake – making, baking and/or decorating. I have vivid memories of being in the kitchen with my mom and her teaching me how to bake and the ins and outs of a piping bag. Today, I love being able to create something over the top, special and memorable for others!
Jacqueline Rose Cakery, 2300 N. 4th St., Flagstaff; 928-853-9239.
Sugar Mamas Bakery
After being located on South San Francisco Street for the past six years, Sugar Mamas owner Lexi Striker decided to move to a new location in east Flagstaff. The much larger space provides more room for creating baked goods of all sorts, baking and decorating classes and easy access and parking for customers.
While the bakery in downtown Flagstaff offered daily pastries, Striker says she wants to focus more on custom orders rather than baking numerous pastries, cakes and pies each day.
“All of my customers’ favorites are still available, but my focus won’t be on filling glass display cases,” Striker explained. “I want to simplify my daily business and really focus on baking order-ahead creations. If my customers can dream it, I can create it.”
Striker’s favorite item to bake? Pies. “I love to make pies. From the buttery crust to the rich fillings, pies say tradition and home. I have many customers who regularly order pies from me and with the holidays just around the corner, I am already getting orders for my pies.”
With more than 20 years of experience as a professional baker, Striker also plans to offer baking classes in the future.
Sugar Mamas Bakery: 2612 N. Steves Blvd., Flagstaff; 928-221-8440.
Mozelle’s Downtown Bakery
The bakery-fresh aroma seeping out of Mozelle’s Downtown Bakery begs downtowners to follow their noses to the plates of pastries, cookies, muffins, scones, cakes, pies and more.
When a downtown location opened up in May, Andrea Knott, a 16-year Flagstaff resident, jumped at the chance to move her homegrown bakery to a more central location that offered more walk-in pastry lovers. Prior to moving downtown, Knott’s bakery was under the name Sweet Tarts Bakery. Knott she has always wanted to have a bakery and pastry shop.
“There is just something comforting about a bakery; it makes people feel good,” Knott said. “Locals need a go-to pastry shop and when visitors come to down, one of the first things they look for is a bakery. I think bakeries make people feel at home.”
And now that Mozelle’s is the only baked-on-site bakery in downtown Flagstaff, it is common to see a line of people waiting for their turn to pick up one or two (or more) fresh-baked goods. And it is a common to see folks walking down the sidewalk enjoying the sweet goodie, unable to wait to arrive at the office or home before indulging.
In addition to daily, oven-fresh items, Knott also makes cakes and baked goods for special occasions.
Mozelle’s Downtown Bakery: 111 E. Aspen Ave., Flagstaff; 928-607-7855. FBN
By Starla Collins, FBN
