Cleveland Anchor Has Side Business Making Cakes
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WOIO (Cleveland) Anchor Tiffany Tucker has a side business making cakes.
Tucker says that a couple of years ago, she started bringing scratch-made bundt cakes to the station for her co-workers.
Someone said to me, 'Oh, I would buy this in a restaurant,'" Tucker recalls. "I thought that's a bit out of my comfort zone, but maybe I'll start a business."
Cleveland.com writes that it started small, first for a PTA event and then at a holiday market in Rocky River.
"I had no idea what I was doing. I just baked a bunch of cakes," Tucker says of that first show. "I had no idea what to expect, and I literally sold out of everything. That let me know, hey, I got a good thing going here."
So, she went to work, determined to find out everything she needed to know to start her own business. One of her influences early on was Amy Martin, founder of the blog "She in the CLE," whom Tucker first met on a story for WOIO
"I started asking her some questions and she guided me along the way," Tucker says. "Amy has been instrumental in giving me advice."
"It was really a bunch of reaching out to people," Tucker says. "It's been phenomenal seeing the outpouring of support from people in Cleveland."
She didn't need as much help baking the cakes. It's something she's done since she was a little girl, growing up in California.
"I'm not a baker," Tucker admits. "I come from a big family and food is a big part of it. Every gathering there's food and that's something I always would enjoy doing with that little Easy Bake Oven every Friday with my sisters."
Outside of the three shows she does every year, Have a Slice Cakes' business is mostly online and all local. Customers order through the website, tempted by a variety of flavors such as Banana Bread (from her great aunt's recipe), Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate Chip, Birthday Cake and more. The cakes are available in three sizes: the family-sized Big Bundt ($25), single-serving Baby Bundt ($5 or 6 for $25), and bite-sized Bitty Bundts ($12 a dozen).
Not only does Tucker bake all the bundts from scratch herself using her own recipes -- though her two kids, ages 5 and 8, help out a bit too -- she also hand delivers them all. Shipping is not available.
"I'm old-school. I'll meet you at the parking lot or I'll meet you at your home and drop it off just like that," she says. "It's almost like a family dinner, that's what I love about it. It's a conversation piece, it's a dessert, it's more than just baking for me, it's a connection with my customers.
"When you cook for somebody, it comes from the heart and the soul."
