All You Knead: UWEC Student Starts Bakery Biz
Michayla’s Sweets offers specialty cakes, cookies, cupcakes
Sawyer Hoff, photos by Andrea Paulseth |
What if we told you some of the most delicious treats in Eau Claire don’t come from a bakery, but a college student’s apartment? Michayla Thielen, a finance student at UW-Eau Claire, recently started her own baking business, Michayla’s Sweets, which is the perfect biz for folks jonesing for cupcakes, cookies, or looking for a unique custom cake.
“I love the creativity of making custom cakes,” Thielen said. “When customers have an idea of a theme, but let me run wild with the exact decorations, that’s when I have the most fun.”
Michayla’s Sweets opened in January, and now Thielen runs it all from her apartment in Eau Claire. Thielen, an Illinois native, moved to Chippewa Falls several years ago, and now enjoys sharing baked goods with her family and co-workers – as they pushed her to share her delectable treats with the Chippewa Valley.
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When customers have an idea of a theme, but let me run wild with the exact decorations, that’s when I have the most fun.
Michayla Thielen
Michayla’s Sweets
“I grew up baking with my mom,” Thielen said. “So I’ve been baking as long as I can remember. My dad was the decorator, so they made the perfect team.”
One of Thielen’s favorite things about baking is the ability to use her imagination. “Cookies are also fun (to make) because decorating them is kind of like painting on a flat canvas,” she said. “So many shapes and decoration possibilities with those.”
Along with being a baker and entrepreneur, Thielen is also a full-time student graduating this May. She hopes to bake full-time in the future and eventually expand her work space.
“Everything from the prep work, baking, and decorating, to packaging and marketing, is all done by me,” Thielen said. “I love it, but it can be a bit overwhelming, too.”
If you’re looking to try out her sweets, she recommends buying through a pre-order sale. “Pre-orders offer the same treats you can buy custom,” she said, “but I’m able to sell them to people in smaller quantities, so there is less of a risk to try it.”
Check out her creations on Facebook at www.facebook.com/michaylassweets or email Thielen at michaylassweets@gmail.com.
