Daily Inspiration: Meet Sydney DuBowy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sydney DuBowy.

Hi Sydney, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve loved baking for as long as I can remember! My mom bought me an Easy Bake Oven when I was younger, and I’ve been baking ever since. I even took cake decorating classes in middle school, but for a while it stayed more of a hobby than something I seriously pursued.

A few years ago, I was looking to buy a birthday cake for a friend and had the thought, “wait… I know how to do this, why don’t I just make it?” So I ordered a basic cake decorating kit on Amazon, watched a few YouTube videos, and went for it. I ended up loving the whole process, and it reminded me how much I genuinely enjoy baking and decorating. The cake was a hit, and from there, it naturally became my thing to make cakes for all of my friends’ birthdays.

Each one got a little better than the last, and it was actually my friends who kept pushing me to start selling them. At first, I was hesitant and didn’t necessarily think I was “good enough,” but eventually I decided to just go for it.

In May 2024, I officially launched Cakes by Sydney with a simple Instagram and “DM to order” in my bio, and the orders started coming. In the beginning, the business was just made to order cakes and grew mostly through word of mouth.
A big turning point came in July 2025 when I started doing local markets and pop-ups around LA. Being able to meet customers in person, have people try my products, and building a local presence is what really expanded the business. It not only grew my customer base, but also helped shape the brand into what it is today.

Now, Cakes by Sydney is a Santa Monica-based business where I create custom cakes, cookie cakes, cupcakes, and small-batch treats, alongside regularly popping up at local markets and events. I’ve loved building something that feels creative, personal, and rooted in celebrating people’s moments.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road. One of the biggest challenges has been figuring out how to grow the business and get my name out there while managing everything on my own. I don’t have a team, so I’ve had to learn every part of the business as I go.

A major turning point, but also a big challenge, was starting markets. I went from doing only custom cakes to suddenly needing to produce a full menu of products for a single day, which was a completely different skill set. That included not only the production side, but also coming up with a product menu that felt creative, unique, and still true to my brand. Figuring out what would sell, how much to make, and how to prep efficiently was a huge learning curve. I remember before my first market, I was up until 3am the night before trying to get everything done.

There have definitely been times where I’ve taken on too much, especially balancing custom orders with market prep, and had to figure out how to make it all work, from production to something as simple as fridge space. Inventory prediction is still something that can be unpredictable, and there’s been a lot of trial and error when it comes to packaging, pricing, and managing ingredient costs.

On the creative side, I often say yes to designs I haven’t done before and then figure it out along the way. Sometimes that has meant underpricing my work early on or having to redo a cake last minute when something doesn’t go as planned. I’ve even had a delivery where a cake didn’t make it intact, which was definitely a tough moment.

Overall, it’s been a constant process of learning, adapting, and improving. Every challenge has pushed me to get more efficient, more confident in my pricing and process, and more intentional about how I grow the business.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I create custom cakes, cookie cakes, cupcakes, and small-batch treats, with a focus on vintage-inspired designs and playful, detailed decoration. I’m especially known for my custom cakes, where I bring in soft, nostalgic elements like piped borders, bows, cherries, and color palettes that feel both classic and fun. Just as important to me, though, is that everything tastes as good as it looks.

At markets, I’ve built out a menu of signature items that people come back for. My brown butter chocolate chip cookies have become a staple, and I’ve had people come specifically just to grab them. I also created my cookie dippers, which are three mini cookies served with a side of buttercream, as a fun, slightly elevated take on something nostalgic. It’s been really fun to see those become a recognizable part of my brand.
I also offer gluten-free and dairy-free options, and something I hear often is that people can’t even tell the difference, which is really important to me.

What sets me apart is the balance between design and taste. I put a lot of attention into how everything looks, but I care just as much about how it actually eats. I never want something to just look good, it has to be something people genuinely love and come back for.

I’m most proud of how the business has grown into something people recognize and seek out, whether that’s for a custom cake for a special moment or stopping by a market specifically for one of my products.

How do you define success?
I think success, for me, is less about a specific number and more about building something that people genuinely connect with and come back to. A big part of that is having repeat customers, whether it’s someone ordering multiple cakes from me or coming to a market specifically to get something they’ve had before.

It also means creating something that feels sustainable and continues to grow over time. I want to be able to keep building the business, expanding what I offer, and reaching more people, while still maintaining the quality and creativity that got me here in the first place.

At the end of the day, success to me is knowing that I’ve built something people trust and seek out, and that it’s continuing to evolve in a way that feels aligned with me.

Pricing:

• 4″ cake starting at $55
• 6″ cake starting at $90 (the classic, most popular size)
• 6″ cookie cakes starting at $30

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cakesbysydney.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cakes.by.sydney

Image Credits
N/A – all my own photos