GALION — Combine art and design training with baking and the result is beautiful baked goods. Painting is a passion for Cake & Icing owner Laura Johnson, and that passion is on displayed in her baked goods.
Saturday the shop was busy; and Johnson said mornings, especially Saturdays, are always “super busy.” This week, Valentine’s Day brought lines with many people picking up chocolate covered strawberries they had ordered. Johnson said they used at least 60 pounds of strawberries to fill orders.
Cake & Icing has been in Galion five years. It is located at 114 Harding Way W.
As she phoned a customer to remind her she left part of her order, Johnson laughed, and said, “Customers become like family. It’s awesome.”
“Yesterday [Friday] when I was taking the kids [Jack and Lilly] to school, I drove past and at 7:01 and she [Jackie Schubert] already had a lobby full of people. I was like, ‘Oh man, I’ve got to get the kids to school and get in there and help.’”
Lisa Szymczak was a first time customer Saturday from further out in Crawford County. She said she was drawn to the bakery from a Facebook post.
John and Shelly Patrick, of Crestline, were also customers Saturday.
“We’ve been coming since it opened,” said John Patrick. Shelly Patrick is the principal at Abraxus Ohio in Shelby. She orders treats for the staff and special occasions.
“I’ll be ordering cookies again for teacher appreciation week. The teacher’s love them,” she said.
Johnson remodeled the building with her husband John Harris to accomodate her commercial bakery equipment. Her background is in art and design and previously she design commercial kitchens. She graduated from Galion High School in 1999, and after her father passed away she returned to Galion to help her mother.
She had high praise for her employees.
“The girls are fantastic. I work with some of the hardest working bakers I’ve ever met. I can’t say enough about the ladies: Julie, Caren, Debbie, Jen, and Jackie, and Rick, who does the maintenance.”
So Cake & Icing was busy for Valentines but what about the rest of the year?
“We’re busy any holiday season. We’re always busy; we’re always doing something,” she said.
Just around the corner is wedding season. “This year it’s starting early; it’s starting the first of May. We do weddings, graduations, birthdays, all holidays, commercial accounts, retirement parties. Anything and everything people contact me,” she added.
For weddings she prefers three month’s notice.
“I like to be able to take the time to sit down with the bride and groom, and whoever they choose, whether it be a sister, or mother or soon-to-be mother-in-law, and get everything planned. But we’ve had times where a person was getting their cake from another baker and the baker ended up with COVID. We will scramble and help.”
Cake & Icing is open Wednesday 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.; Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.
