By Seth I. Pickens
Executive Features Editor
Junior Caitlyn O’Hara is cooking up a storm with her baking business, Caitlyn’s Cakes and Cookies.
O’Hara started her local baking business, Caitlyn’s Cakes and Cookies, over six years ago. She bakes and delivers made-to-order confections all over the South Bay.
O’Hara first started selling desserts to family and friends when she was in the fifth grade and has been bettering her craft ever since. According to O’Hara, her upbringing inspired her passion for baking.
“My interest for baking started because I used to watch a lot of kids’ baking competitions,” O’Hara said. “I started baking with my mom and my grandma. I really enjoyed it, and the people around me liked my cooking, so I started selling them to people.”
Over the past six years, O’Hara has been able to maintain the quality of her desserts and improve her decorative skills. According to O’Hara, after years of practice she was able to teach herself the skills she needed.
“When I first started off, I wasn’t as confident in my cakes,” O’Hara said. “They weren’t bad, but they didn’t look nice. I really wanted to improve them, so I started taking classes and watching YouTube videos to get as good as possible.”
After gaining more confidence in her abilities, O’Hara’s business became more successful, but her self doubts weren’t the only setbacks.
“During COVID, I couldn’t sell that many cakes,” O’Hara said. “ People were worried about germs and weren’t as willing to spend money, but this year I’ve been picking things back up again.”
Slowly, O’Hara’s business has been recovering from dwindling sales during the pandemic. Now that sales are back up, O’Hara, with help from her mom, has reinvented her pricing system
“My mom helped me a lot with the financial side of the business,” O’Hara said. “When I was younger, I charged very little, because I wasn’t as confident in my skills. Over time I’ve learned how to price my goods based on ingredients and profits. Six-inch cakes are usually around $50 and eight-inch cakes are around $65. Cupcakes are $2 each, and custom orders vary based on design.”
This year, O’Hara has started to ramp up production of her desserts and her social media presence. Recently, she has been posting more of her products to her Instagram. She also has created a consistent schedule that has led to a more successful business.
“This year has gone well for the business,” O’Hara said. “I sell at least one or two custom cakes per month and get orders for cookies and cupcakes. I also do bake sales at my house every two months, [and] at the Hometown Fair, where I usually make around $400.”
Even though O’Hara started her business after watching baking competitions, her motivations have evolved. According to her, seeing her peers succeed in business motivates her to chase the things she loves.
“The main reason I’ve been able to grow [my business] for this long is my love for baking,” O’Hara said. “I want to keep going until the end of high school, and if it’s still growing, maybe even college.”
You can view and order Caitlyn’s desserts, via her Instagram @caitlynscakesandcookies.
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