BY IRIS B. HOLTON
Sentinel City Editor

Mrs. Michelle Aiken admits that she has always had a passion for food. However, after graduating from the University of South Florida, she entered the business arena.

After experiencing many changes in the field, she decided the time had come to nurture that passion. She said the changes in corporate America forced her to pursue her first love — full time.

So, three years ago, Mrs. Aiken opened the doors of Michelle’s Cakes Galore Baking and Café. The first year, she operated out of a commercial kitchen before she was ready to open her own shop.

Mrs. Aiken relocated Michelle’s Cakes Galore Baking and Café to 12029 E. U. S. Highway 92, in Seffner and has operated from that location for the past two years.

“Coming from a family of 9 kids, we all learned to cook because we shared chores. But food is my passion. I love to eat and I like different foods. That’s why my cakes have lots of flavor,” she said.

In the beginning, she also offered sandwiches, but now she dedicates the bulk of her time to her cake creations. However, she does cater events.

When it comes to food, she feels that not only must it taste good, it must also have eye appeal and look good. After all, presentation can be very persuasive when a person is considering purchasing desserts.

Ms. Aiken applies two stages to her creations. The first is she adds special homemade flavor and lots of love. And then, she steps into her element of creation.
Her decorations range from the traditional to the odd, with one requester wanting a cake that symbolized a man on fire. She made it happen and has a photograph to show for it.

Mrs. Aiken also works by inspiration and said her greatest enjoyment is making people happy.

Established in the business with 2 employees and her daughters helping out, Mrs. Aiken is turning her attention to her next venture.

She refers to her creations as “works of art” and she doesn’t mind helping others to be creators in their own right. She hopes to open a cake and design school. “My vision is to help and inspire low to moderate income individuals to help them.”

A native of Port St. Joe, Mrs. Aiken moved to Tampa to attend college and made it her home. She is married and the mother of two daughters. She is a member of First Missionary Baptist Church of Seffner, and enjoys spending time with her family, tasting and trying new food, and she loves to dine at new places.

And, she still considers her cake creations as a hobby. For additional information about the shop visit www.michellescakesgalore.com.