Hi! I'm Sarah
So how did I get here?
I remember the first time I took an interest in desserts was in high school when took a Home Economics class and we learned about all the basics of cooking and baking. Shortly after that, my mom had given me an index card from my grandma with a scribbled recipe for a Tomato Soup Cake. My initial reaction was “ummmm what? I’ve never heard of that before, it sounds weird.” Once I started reading the ingredients, my sentiment quickly changed to “wow, this actually sounds so cool and unique. I NEED to bake this.” And of course, there was the extra sentimental layer knowing this recipe came from my grandma.
The first time I baked for a big group wasn’t until college. I offered to bake a ton of cupcakes for a graduation party with my friends. I graduated from Hofstra University in 2011, and our colors are blue and gold. For our graduation, I used box mixes and made blueberry cupcakes filled with vanilla pudding, and banana cupcakes, filled with chocolate pudding, and topped with fresh blueberries and dried banana slices respectively. (Sounds kind of good, right?) At the time, I was much less concerned with ingredients, and much more excited about the baking process itself and having my friends enjoy my creation.
Fast forward to 2019. I had a ton of people around me telling me I had to take "this whole baking thing" more seriously. So I started by making an instagram, and it just grew from there!
I will never forget the day I had my very first order. My friend was turning 30 and asked me to make her cake. I made a funfetti cake with candy inside. I'm talking ALL kinds of gummies, hard candies, and sparkles.
One of the things I love most about baking is how it makes me feel. I zen out when I’m baking. When I clean my kitchen, get out my mixer and the ingredients I need for a project, somehow the world around me melts away. This zen, allows me to focus on the bold flavors and the intricate designs. My zen is making custom creations.
My Kitchen
My humble, zen bakery is in my one bedroom apartment in New Jersey. The kitchen is my favorite part of my apartment, it is my oasis. I may be small; and I may have turned my coat closet into a baking item closet, but it works for me. I am meticulous about cleaning it before and after every project to ensure I am able to provide the highest quality of baked custom goods. When it’s clean and ready for a new project it’s like a crisp, clean sheet of white paper ready for me to design on.
It’s here in this kitchen where I get to work. I love every part of my job. First I collaborate with the client. I love clients who are creative and contribute to the flavor and design. I also love those clients who raise their hands and completely hand over the reins to me. Second, is what I like to call the zen process, it’s where I get to bring the concepts to life. I love coming up with different flavor combinations and love a good flavor challenge, like white chocolate raspberry. My favorite flavors are brown butter and chocolate. I have a killer chocolate cake recipe that uses two types of cocoa powder.
After I’ve made a flavorful baked good that has the perfect design, I take pictures. This process is fun for me too. I love setting up a backdrop and lighting to get that perfect pic to share with my followers on Instagram. Feel free to follow me at SarahRuthsBakery. The last and final stage is when I get to deliver the items to the client. Seeing how happy they are with their order fills my cup like nobody's business. I remember the first review someone gave me. It was on Facebook and it was so poetic. The client was extremely happy and said something poetic about how the flavors tickle the nose and encourage you to savor each morsel. Yep, that’s basically what will happen when you bite into one of my custom baked goods. I’m just saying.