Meet Ariana Carter | Confections Connoisseur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ariana Carter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ariana, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
As a newly rebranded business, I knew I wanted more than to be known as a local hobby baker. I had to make several changes and factor in many things such as concept, competition, what’s in vs what’s out of date, pricing, and simply keeping up with the industry as a whole. Owning your own business requires full commitment, dedication and a lot of sacrifices. I wanted to make sure I was on top of everything and keeping everything set so I’m not shutting down and watching the next bakery owner make their dreams come true.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am the owner of Sugar & Spice Cake Co. I am a home based baker who specializes in all things sweet and of course everything is baked with love. I think I’m different from most bakers because I like to stick to tradition. Sometimes I’ll dabble into what’s trending. However, there’s always one person who just wants something simple yet original. It took a lot of trial and error to get to where I am today. I’ve fallen short many times to the point where I had to take a break away from what I love and reevaluate what I truly wanted from this business. It definitely was not an easy task. It took a lot of therapy, soul searching, again, trial and error and research. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is: You cannot please everyone. Not everyone will be satisfied with your craft and that’s okay. This is YOUR business. You run it and fill it with whatever and however you see fit. One thing I want the world to know about myself and my business? Hmmm, we’re moving right along. Don’t sleep on us. You may see us on one of these Netflix or Food Network shows soon *wink wink*

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Of course I live on TikTok, lol. My friends and I are not necessarily planners when going on trips but I’m the type of person who has to see a menu ahead of time.. in order to cut back on that I get on TikTok and search “things to do in ______” or “restaurants in _______”. I make it a priority to check out local bakeries, especially if I’ve met them on TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram. After that, we may check out some local festivals, a museum or an aquarium. It really just depends on our mood.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, Shoutout to God. Without Him, I am nothing and I definitely wouldn’t have made it this far without Him. Next I’d have to shoutout my cake sisters and cake cousins. I know I get on their nerves with all of my questions and 1am thoughts on desserts, lol. Last but certainly not least, I’d like to shoutout some of my favorite top bakers: Pokie Stewart, Juliana Jensen, Valerie Robinson, Jeromie Jones, and Porsha Kimble. These are just a few bakers/cakers that I look up to; often times I forget that these big name bakers are humans before anything but they have all been amazing to me when it comes to my journey in this industry, any question that I have they’re right there to answer, any time I feel like I’m not doing enough, they’re right there with encouragement to keep going and I’m just forever grateful for them.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sugarandspicecc_?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@sugarandspicecakeco?_t=8gdB0v0iywl&_r=1