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By Ayshwaria Lakshmi (cbedit@imaws.org)
Home baking is an ‘in thing’ in the United States for quite some time now. The trend has gathered momentum especially after the clampdown of Corona pandemic restrictions in the region. It comes as no surprise as most people were working from their homes during the lockdown, and had a lot of time to experiment and indulge in a vocation. What, however, raises eyebrows is that an IT professional-turned-home baker of Indian origin is currently the toast of the United States’ home-baking circuit.
Meet Sudha Srinivasamoorthy, the face behind Tummy Tales with Sudha. “Baking started as a hobby. After I quit my job in IT, I had more time in my hands to experiment and learn more. I realized I enjoyed baking and cake decorating so much as my birthday cakes put smiles across people’s faces on their special day; it was gratifying,” beams Sudha.
This is how the hobby turned into a passion. “I started baking for friends and family until I was confident enough to take up outside orders. My friends and spouse have been a huge support to me.”
Tummy Tales with Sudha has been whipping up unique cakes and desserts, wherein a fusion of Indian and Western flavours made her to stand out. Having lived in India for most part of her life before migrating to the U.S, Sudha could understand the multi-ethnic customer requirements better. Her cakes are eggless and mostly decorated with whipped cream frosting and some with buttercream, depending on the designs. In the U.S., cakes with buttercream are dime a dozen. So, Sudha’s whipped cream cakes made all the difference.
As a resident of Dallas – a large city brimming with opportunities – Sudha could easily expand her clientele. “My business started by word of mouth of friends and clients, who started trusting and giving me orders initially. I am so grateful for each one of them that supported our small business,” reminisces Sudha.
She actively posts pictures of her products on Instagram under the handle, tummytaleswithsudha. The home baker, however, has not tried her hands at paid-for or non-paid promotions. Her products are known for their designs. “I believe that inspiration is all around us; we just need to look more closely. I’m largely smitten by sunset colors, flowers and anything in nature, as well as inspired by other artists. I like to try out new techniques and trends,” elaborates Sudha on her cake designs.
Every cake has a memorable role in shaping her business. “Every time a customer says that they enjoyed my cake, it brings a huge smile across my face. I recently got a handwritten note from a 7-year-old boy, who thanked me for making his space-themed birthday cake. These little things truly make everything worthwhile,” reckons Sudha about such positive feedback that made her validate her career choice.
The home-baking business is quite big in the U.S. and custom-designed cakes are preferred, even if they cost a couple more dollars. “But there are more home bakers in each city focusing on high-quality and unique products than the number of clients we get,” quips Sudha.
Also, every state in the U.S. has different cottage food business laws. Adhering to these would also be an additional challenge to the home bakers. “Most of us do this purely out of passion. There is a lot of physical work involved in home baking, along with taking care of our families. One should take care of their health as well despite all the work,” concludes Sudha.
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