This is my very first JanisCakes post to not contain a recipe, but I have exciting news to share instead!  I am thrilled to announce that I recently filled my very first JanisCakes custom order!!  I’ve always dreamed of selling my baked treats and that dream finally came true for me in the most unexpected of ways.  My husband and I bought our first home about a month ago, and it won’t surprise you to hear that the very first thing I unpacked was my kitchen.  Although not everything was in its perfect place, the kitchen cabinets were soon full and I was cooking meals the very next day.  My hubby and I were anxious to meet our neighbors, so we decided to go around knocking on doors, introducing ourselves, and giving out plates of freshly baked homemade goodies.  We met so many genuinely nice people, and we’re fortunate to have such amazing neighbors.  I am especially grateful for one in particular who emailed me later that day asking if I (dun dun dun….) BAKE FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO BUY.  Did that sentence make your heart skip a beat, like it did mine??  She wanted to buy some treats for her party that weekend, so we tossed a few ideas back and forth until we came up with the perfect dessert menu:

1)  Mini Vanilla Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling and Raspberry Frosting (link to similar recipe)

2)  Mini Mocha Cupcakes with Kahlua-Espresso Frosting

3)  Butterscotch Bars  (link to recipe)

Pretty soon, my brand new kitchen was alive with action!  I baked up a storm, so giddy the entire time because I was filling my very first custom order!  It was a very proud and happy moment for me when I delivered the treats the next morning, creating a genuine happiness deep inside of me–a feeling I won’t soon forget!

Of course I baked extras of everything, allowing for inevitable mess-ups: overfilled cupcakes with raspberry erupting from the center, cupcakes that were way too big or way to small, overall ugly or misshapen desserts, slanted frosting, too sparse on the edible shimmery star decorations,… and basically every other imperfection you can imagine!  Plus, I needed to make a few extra to taste test to make sure all the flavors came together in just the way I wanted.  As you can imagine, this left me with quite a few rejects, which my nephews happily gobbled up!  Fortunately even the rejects passed their test!

Feel free to message me if you ever want to place a JanisCakes custom order.  I’d be more than happy discuss ideas and options with you, creating a perfect dessert spread to match your needs!  And remember, all JanisCakes treats are entirely nut-free, so they’re safe for people allergic to peanuts and/or tree nuts to eat as well!

-JC