Chef’s corner: Beth Baker of Baker’s Bakery

Where: Baker’s Bakery, 1502 Arlington St., Clinton

Influences: Beth Baker has been baking and decorating cakes for 17 years. She has a nursing degree but found baking for others appealing because it allowed her more flexibility and time with her five children.

Five years ago, she established Baker’s Bakery. It operates out of a building just behind her house equipped with a commercial kitchen with three ovens, a three-compartment sink and counters.

“A lot of people don’t realize that you are supposed to have a separate kitchen from your kitchen at home,” she said. “The Health Department comes once a year for an inspection.”

Her business is not a traditional storefront bakery but comes from word-out-mouth, referrals by customers and Facebook.

“I create a lot of custom birthday cakes,” she said. “I do a lot of cakes like what you see on TV, stuff you can’t get at Kroger or Wal-Mart. I’ve done everything from a traditional princess to different TV shows and even a groom’s cake that looked like a cockroach because he was an exterminator. I’ve also done race cars, a three-dimensional Barbie Jeep and a three-dimensional push mower.”

Wedding cakes, petit fours and cookies are also among her creations.

Baker, who said she’s only taken a one-hour class in working with fondant but no cake decorating class, learned to appreciate sweet things from her grandmother..

“I enjoyed eating and figured I’d better learn to cook,” she said.

What’s she baking: Nutty Bar Cheesecake

Nutty Bar Cheesecake