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Dani Goodman Of Goodies Cakery Talks Her Imaginative Cakes, How She Taught Herself To Bake And What It’s Like Seeing Her Bakes Get Love From Buzzfeed.
Welcome to The Quickie, our new series featuring a short ‘n sweet, quick ‘n dirty interview with a local small business owner, chef or creator.
What do doughnuts, unicorns, s’mores, Drunk Barbie, puppies, champagne bottles and Drake have in common? They’ve all been on top of cakes from Goodies Cakery.
So: Who is the creative mind is behind these cakes? Well that would be Dani Goodman, a one-woman show of sprinkle-covered, cake-baking badassery. And you’re going to want to remember her name — especially if you like your cakes to be a little outrageous.
When you spot one of Goodman’s out-of-this-world cakes in the wild, it’s hard to get it out of your mind. They’re the stuff of a sweet tooth’s dreams, with whole chocolate bars and even bottles of Patron on top of them used in their designs. Oh, and that’s before we even mention the wide-ranging colorful nature of all these cakes.
It’s no wonder, then, that once Goodman took to posting her designs on Instagram, it was only a matter of time before the internet fell in love. Her emoji cake got mad love on Cosmopolitan, and her Instagram feed got Buzzfeed, well, buzzing.
Even with all the attention her cakes get from her almost 60,000 followers in Insta, Goodman still keeps her operations fairly simple — as we learned when she was kind enough to make time for us and answer a few of our questions about cake, life and everything in between — like frosting.
OK, give everybody the Goodies Cakery backstory. Where’d it come from, what’s your background, what made you decide to get in the crazy cake biz?
I started baking when I was a senior at the University of Michigan. I was living in a house with eight of my best friends, and it was right around the time when crazy desserts were blowing up. I have a huge sweet tooth, and since a lot of the fun treats weren’t available in Ann Arbor, I started baking treats for my house. It was really fun and relaxing for me, so I kept trying new things and learning new techniques. I graduated in 2014 with a communications degree and started working at Speakeasy, a digital marketing company in Dallas. I was making cakes for friends and family just for fun and was posting them to a new cake account I made on Instagram. From there, I started getting a lot of traction! People started ordering cakes, accounts and celebrities started re-posting my pictures. Before I knew it, I was baking before and after work. This past summer, I left my role at Speakeasy to devote all my time to my new cake business! Baking and creating cakes — and seeing the joy they bring to people’s faces — is my passion, and I feel so thankful every day that I get to do make custom cakes for a living.
What might folks not know about you and/or your cakes?
I’m completely self-taught! My first cakes were pretty painful to look at, but through a lot of trial and error I found my groove. I owe a lot to my parents for encouraging me to keep baking when my cakes looked like they did. That’s love!
Ha! Well, what do you cook for yourself at home? Is it just cakes all the time?
I actually eat really healthy at home! I make chicken, salmon, salads and veggies during the week, and I usually eat out for dinner on the weekends. It makes me feel a little less guilty about all the cake-testing throughout the week.
OK, then what are your favorite restaurants here in town?
Hardest question ever! If we’re celebrating something like a birthday or anniversary, Uchi is my go-to place. I can’t resist that fried milk dessert. I also love the scallops and lobster risotto at El Bolero, so we go there quite often. If I don’t want to leave the couch after a long day of baking, I’ll put on my pajamas and UberEats Pie Tap’s prosciutto pizza.
What’s the latest, coolest or most exciting thing you’ve been working lately?
In the past, I’ve only offered custom cakes, but I tried something new for Valentine’s Day! I made a pre-designed cake that’s a bit smaller than my typical cakes, and it was perfect for just you and your valentine or a small Galentine’s Day party. This made it easier and more affordable to try one of my cakes. My customers loved it, so I will definitely be doing this for future holidays.
So cool! Now, what’s next for Goodies Cakery?
I would love to get a storefront sometime this year! A colorful, happy place where people can stop by, hang out and eat sweets. Keeping my fingers crossed!
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