Meet Emma Elms

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Elms.

Emma, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin? 
I started baking with my mom when I was just 2 years old. My mom was always baking for family and friends, with the goal of bringing smiles and joy to everyone. She started me off with the simple tasks, like pouring ingredients into the mixing bowl and learning to mix without dumping everything out of the bowl! 

Now, 30 years later, I am a local cottage baker, and I specialize in cupcakes, cookies, and round cakes. I have baked for multiple arts and craft shows, weddings, baby showers, birthdays, fundraisers, and other events. I definitely have far more baking skills now than just pouring the ingredients into a bowl, haha, but my mom’s love of baking has definitely inspired both my business and my dream: to bake the world a better place, one cupcake or cookie at a time. 

I currently live in Michigan with my husband, Jon, and my daughter, Piper. My husband, Jon, has definitely been my biggest supporter–if it weren’t for his encouragement, I likely wouldn’t have taken the steps to officially launch my cottage baking business! He was the person who finally pushed me to create my Instagram account back in 2021 and apply for my first arts and crafts show in May of 2023. It’s been an incredibly fun journey so far, and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store! 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Thankfully, it’s been a fairly smooth road for me so far in terms of generating business. Word of mouth is wonderful! If people love what you make or the work you do, they’ll spread the word! My biggest struggles so far have been figuring out labeling guidelines and the differences between Cottage Baking and being licensed through MDARD. Depending on what you bake or the amount you sell, you may be required to get licensed through MDARD, so it is very important to check before you start selling! 

My favorite recourses that have helped me through these struggles are: 

1. MSU Cottage Food Law

2. MDARD’s website

3. Baking for Business (which is brought to us by the amazing Chef Schonberg)

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize primarily in cupcakes, cookies, and small round cakes (with one or two tiers). While I do basic cupcakes and cakes, like chocolate and vanilla, my passion is in fun flavors like: chocolate peanut butter, lemon blueberry with cream cheese frosting, raspberry, bourbon maple, and snickerdoodle! I work solely with buttercream and do not use fondant on my cakes. Most of my cookies are frosted sugar cookies, but I also make a mean peanut butter cup cookie, a wheat flour chocolate chip cookie, and many other flavors upon request. Whether I’m baking cupcakes, cookies, or cakes, my mantra is that any baked good has to taste just as good as it looks! After all, there’s no point it eating something if it doesn’t taste good, right? My goal as a baker is for you to love what you’ve ordered so much that you can’t help but smile and spread the word! 

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
If you have a dream, chase it, and don’t let anything stop you! I currently work full time, spend time with my daughter in the evenings/weekends, and bake after she’s gone to bed. It means a very long day for me, but I know that this is only temporary. Someday, I’ll be able to bake full-time; I just have to bake my way through this busy season of life to get myself where I want to be! 

Pricing:

• Cupcakes range from $3.50 to $6 per cupcake
• Cookies range from $2.50 to $5.50 per cookie
• Cakes start at $60 (prices vary on serving sizes and design)
• 25% non-refundable down payment required to book and reserve date

Contact Info:

• Website: www.emmathebaker.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma.the.baker/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emma.the.baker.kzoo

Image Credits
Three Ten Studios
Wendi Curtis Photography
Emma the Baker