Let them eat cake
story by Todd Powell
Marla Thomason, 47, and her family end every day having made someone feel like a king.
But where does that royal process begin?
For Marla, The Cake Lady, it starts at sunrise at the Kroger store. Marla buys 48 pounds of confectioners powdered sugar, 30 dozen eggs, 10 dozen boxes of cake mix, five gallons of milk, 20 pounds of butter, 20 pounds of cream cheese and more.
Back at the shop, The Cake Lady and her daughters, April 24, and Alissa, 20, oversee whining blenders, cracking eggshells and pans getting lined and greased.
Batter mix meets the pan, and both land in convection oven set at 300 degrees.
A butter cake drops out of a pan onto a board and then onto a Lazy Susan.
“I do this knowing that my cakes make people happy and put a smile on my face,” The Cake Lady said about the blood, sweat and tears, yes, tears, expended in the kitchen.
A dollop of icing drops onto the cake, and the personal touch each confectionery creation gets begins. The master’s hands spread the icing to the top and sides like an artist with a canvas — spinning, smoothing and cleaning the spatula.
John Deere-green, canary-yellow and midnight-black icing fly onto an 8-inch round cake, and a tractor begins to appear on the blank canvas.
Meanwhile, the aroma of blueberry muffins that fills the kitchen falls victim to tear-generating, freshly chopped onions for the “pinwheels” earmarked for a “Jekyll and Hyde” concoction commemorating the close of a local theater production.
All this comes with Ricky Nelson tunes and the Allman Brothers Band’s “Dream Lover” flowing through the kitchen — accompanied by soft voices singing along.
Pumpkin cookies, black cat cookies, tombstone cookies and ghost cookies attest to Halloween’s approach, and they flow into boxes awaiting customers, who shout a “Thank you,” validating again The Cake Lady’s reputation.
“Everyone in Murray knows that when they want a cake or cookies that The Cake Lady is the place to go and have confidence that it will turn out wonderful,” said Shelley Rudolph Gilliam.
The first rush ends like a well-rehearsed Broadway play, and it’s only 8:30 a.m.
But by the end of the day, The Cake Lady and family have a lot of people feel like royalty.
Alissa Thomason, 20, and Sarah Denhan, 21, enjoy a little music and singing while working on some of the sweet treats at The Cake Lady, a bakery and catering business.
Marla Thomason, 47, owner of The Cake Lady, 119 S. Fourth St. in Murray, a bakery and catering service, applies the finishing touches to one of many creations earmarked for a customer later in the day.
An array of components for confectionery creation puts April Parker, 24, to the test in the kitchen of The Cake Lady in Murray, a bakery and catering service.
Marla Thomason, 47, owner of The Cake Lady, frosts on one of many cakes being prepared for pickup later in the day.
Julie Boyd, 37, safety and enviromental manger for Morning Star Foods, heads home after picking up her Halloween cookies from The Cake Lady.
Tools of a creative hand are on display at The Cake Lady.
April Parker, 24, works around the kitchen of The Cake Lady, the family business.
Another busy day scheduled for Marla Thomason, 47, owner of The Cake Lady, bakery and catering business.
An array of components for confectionery creation puts Marla Parker, 47, and daughter April Parker, 24, to the test in the kitchen of The Cake Lady in Murray, a bakery and catering service.
An array of components for confectionery creation puts Marla Thomason, 47, and Sarah Denhan, 24, to the test in the kitchen of The Cake Lady in Murray, a bakery and catering service.
Plateing some of the great tasty Halloween Cookies that are available at The Cake Lady bakery.
Donna Baith "Granny", 73, taking a break while looking over past works of art, cakes, baked at The Cake Lady Bakery & Catering.
Sarah Denham, 21, works around The Cake Lady, a bakery and catering busines.
Alissa Thomason, 20, Sarah Denhan, 21, and Marla Thomason, 47,The Cake Lady, bakery and catering business, ladies at work mixing up the next batch of icing.
Marla Thomason, 47, owner of The Cake Lady, frosts on one of many cakes being prepared for pickup later in the day.
It's 2 a.m. Thursday, and The Cake Lady in Murray awaits customers.