The cake artist behind Sugar Mountain

My love of baking began nearly twenty years ago in my Gram’s living room. She would record episodes of Cupcake Wars and Cake Boss on VHS so we could watch them together when I came over after school. Inspired, I started experimenting in the kitchen and baking for family birthdays—some of my very first cakes were made for hers. For years, baking was simply something I loved doing for the people around me. I never considered turning it into a business until a regular customer and my coworkers at the Duck Inn began encouraging me to make it official. With their support—and the support of the owner at the time—Sugar Mountain Cupcakes was born in 2015. I am completely self-taught. In the beginning, I challenged myself to bake a new recipe every day for an entire year. Plenty of them were flops, but each one taught me something about flavor, texture and what makes a truly memorable cupcake. By the end of that year, I had found my confidence and developed recipes I was genuinely proud to share. Sugar Mountain began with cupcakes, and so did my first weddings. Eventually, a few trusting brides encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone and begin creating cakes. With practice, cakes became some of my most creative and rewarding projects. Since 2021, I have specialized in weddings and buttercream artistry, designing cakes and cupcakes that feel personal to the people and celebrations they are created for. Alaska has always been home, although I left for a time in my early twenties. When my Grams became ill, I returned to be near her. Coming home also led me to my husband, whose love for Alaska helped me see my home state through new eyes. They are both part of the reason I am still here today—baking, creating and doing what I love in the beautiful place where I was born and raised. What began with cupcakes in my Gram’s living room has grown into the sweetest privilege: creating something beautiful for the moments people will remember forever.