Meet Nicole Young Cramer | Owner of Nicole’s Artisanal Bakery, also known as Cookie Cakes By Nicole

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicole Young Cramer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started my own business, Nicole’s Artisanal Bakery, during the pandemic, to establish some personal independence and to generate income to support my family after going through a divorce and becoming a single mom of 3 children. Prior to starting a family, I was a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, with a Masters in Social Welfare from UCLA, providing therapy to children and families. After having my first child 13 years ago, I became a stay-at-home-mom. In July of 2020, with three school-aged children at home during the pandemic, I decided that starting my own baking business would allow me the flexibility to simultaneously be home with my children and to pursue my passion for baking. Baking had become my therapeutic and creative outlet.

I started a Cottage Food Operation and obtained a permit from LA County Health to run a home-based bakery. I sell custom decorated and fresh baked Cookie Cakes made to order for pick up in Woodland Hills or Topanga, or delivery. I market my business mainly through word of mouth, social media (@Cookiecakesbynicole on Instagram and Facebook), and Yelp. I have collaborated with the local community through multiple school fundraisers (with Round Meadow Elementary School, Woodlake Avenue Elementary, Encino Charter, Calabash Charter, Topanga Charter), National Charity League of San Fernando Valley, and the Maiden Community on Facebook and Instagram, which is a special group of 5,000 members who pulled together to support small, local businesses through the pandemic. In fact, when I first posted a 4th of July Cookie Cake on my social media, Kim Maiden, the founder of Maiden Community, invited me to advertise it within the Maiden Community Facebook group. The response was HUGE and my customer base and social media followers continue to grow ever since then.

It truly brings me joy to share my love for cookies and contribute to celebrations of birthdays, holidays, baby showers, anniversaries, graduations, bar and bat mitzvahs, weddings, and other milestones. The experience of becoming an entrepreneur has been challenging, empowering and exciting. I’m so grateful for the opportunity and the support of my local West Valley community. I see and appreciate the growing effort and intention to “shop small and local” and it really does make a difference to myself and fellow entrepreneurs. Thank you!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
First and foremost, my cookie cakes taste amazing, as I appreciate quality baked goods and I have very high cookie standards. However, I’m also very proud of my custom cake decoration. It is my attention to detail and creative design that draws attention before anyone has had a chance to taste the product. Personalized cakes that cater to customers’ interests make people feel seen, celebrated, and special.

I don’t have professional training in baking, pastries, or cooking. I never considered a career in the arts since I excelled in academics and that was my focus. Prior to starting my business, baking and decorating had been hobbies and creative outlets for me. I took several painting and cake decorating classes for fun with a dear friend throughout the years, but that is the extent of my training. I practiced those skills making birthday cakes for my own children and through trial and error, I’ve developed my style and skillset. I also have come to love the challenge of social media marketing as another form of self expression and creativity.

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.
As an LA native, this question is surprisingly difficult for me, perhaps because I take LA’s gems for granted. I’d definitely start with a visit to the beach. We’d spend a day in Santa Monica and Malibu, walking along the beach and perhaps having brunch at the Malibu Farm Pier Cafe and/or eating with our toes in the sand at Back on the Beach in Santa Monica. I love their famous Fred’s Salad. I’d also take them hiking in Topanga and the Santa Monica/Malibu mountains. We’d do the touristy things, like visiting Venice Beach, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and Beverly Hills. A day at Universal Studios would be fun for some amusement and to get a “behind the scenes” feeling. We might catch a Dodger game at Dodger Stadium and grab lunch at Grand Central Market downtown or have dim sum in Chinatown. We could also see a Lakers game at the newly named crypto.com Arena and have a sushi dinner (my favorite!) at Katsuya at L.A. Live. As a UCLA alumni, I’d show them the beautiful campus and we’d see a movie premiere in Westwood and of course, indulge in some Diddy Riese cookies! From there, we’d drive along Sunset Boulevard to see some stunning homes on our way into Beverly Hills.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Kim Maiden started the Maiden Community, a Facebook and Instagram group of members who support local small shops in the West Valley. Her parents own Pickwick’s Pub in Woodland Hills, CA. When the pandemic began, she reached out to her friends on Facebook for support of her family business and the community rallied around her to order take-out and support the Pub. This inspired Kim to do the same for other small local businesses who could benefit from a social media “shout-out” and the community followed suit. Thus, the Maiden Community was born.

When Kim posted in the Maiden Community about my Cookie Cake special for the 4th of July, she really gave me the boost I needed to get off the ground running.

Website: www.cookiecakesbynicole.com

Instagram: @cookiecakesbynicole

Facebook: @cookiecakesbynicole

Yelp: Cookie Cakes By Nicole

Image Credits
Photo of Bridal Tiered Cookie Cake by Perez Family Photography