S+T SCOOP: JENNA RAE CAKES
Twin sisters, cookbook authors and owners of the wildly successful boutique bakery, Jenna Rae Cakes, Jenna and Ashley are forces to be reckoned with in and out of the kitchen.
Jenna and Ashley have been long-time fans of S+T Rompers, wearing them through pregnancies, adventures and everyday wear. The dream was to marry the comfort of a Romper with the practicality of something you can wear in the kitchen—and get covered in flour! Their dream became a reality with the S+T x Jenna Rae Cakes Baking Romper. We caught up with Jenna and Ashley to learn a little more about them and why they love this kitchen-ready Romper.
For our readers who aren't familiar with you, can you tell us a little bit about yourselves and Jenna Rae Cakes bakery?
We are Jenna and Ashley, twin sisters with complementary skill sets that opened up a boutique bakery in 2014. Jenna is a cake designer who saw an episode of Cake Boss back in 2010 and thought to herself, “I can do that!” She dedicated herself to learning all things cake design and started baking for family and friends. Ashley is a designer and photo stylist, which came in handy to help Jenna develop her business. Ashley quickly joined Jenna when Jenna Rae Cakes opened and the rest is sweet history!
Together we’ve built our company with a focus on celebration and quality. We have expanded to three bakery locations that sell our popular macarons, cookie sandwiches, cupcakes, snack cakes and custom cakes. Jenna Rae Cakes also has an online store and a lifestyle line that includes apparel, party goods and more. In October 2020, we had a dream-come-true moment when we published our first cookbook, Jenna Rae Cakes and Sweet Treats with Penguin Random House, which quickly became a best-seller.
Our business and beautiful baked goods have been featured in The Globe and Mail, Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine, The Social and The Food Network, among others. You can see more of our work as food stylists on the Hallmark Channel, and we’ve collaborated with brands like Coach, Amex, Mercedes Benz and Sugarfina.
Walk us through the inspiration for The Baking Romper design and some of its amazing functionalities!
We love spending a lot of time in the kitchen to pass down our passion for baking to our kids, getting them involved every step of the way. Traditional aprons often don’t cut it in terms of coverage and comfort. We knew there had to be a way to combine the ease and beauty of a Smash + Tess Romper with the functionality of an apron. We added lots of pockets to keep your notes and pens handy, as well as a place for a matching tea towel. The linen fabric gets softer with every wash, which means this Romper is meant to be lived in, from the kitchen to running errands. The neutral Buttercream Stripe means it will work with everything and cross-back aprons are our favourite. This Romper doesn't have to stay in the kitchen, either—we love pairing it with cute boots and an oversized sweater for everyday wear.
What is the best part about being a twin sister dynamic duo? And, the trickiest?
BEST: The best part is having a built-in BFF. We don't have to say a word to know what the other is thinking, and we can rely on each other for absolutely anything. Knowing that you have someone in life and business who will always have your back, push you to be better and who you can trust completely is an unimaginable blessing!
TRICKIEST: Ashley is extremely organized, meanwhile, Jenna constantly forgets to add things to her Google calendar, which drives Ashley wild! Aside from that, we have the same "good side," which means our photos can be hard to agree on sometimes!
What sweet treat are you most known for?
Our most popular item is our Macarons. We've made hundreds and hundreds of flavours over the years, ranging from Salted Caramel to Cotton Candy, Fuzzy Peach, Pistachio Goat Cheese, Earl Grey Creme Brûlée, Everything Bagel, Lemon Meringue Pie, Cookie Dough and more. They're so versatile and colourful, and we love creating nostalgic and unique flavours that please every palette.
When you've got a big day of baking ahead, what are your kitchen essentials? How do the pieces in the S+T x JRC collection support busy bakers?
Our kitchen essentials are simple: a Baking Romper, a KitchenAid stand mixer and small bowls for pre-measuring ingredients. We love the Baking Romper because you can have easy access to your tea towel (for when you inevitably spill something), a pocket for your pen to make recipe notes in your books and even a larger pocket to store your phone. Everything you need is right on you, so you’re hands-free and ready to whip up your next masterpiece!
What is your fave recipe at the moment?
Trying to find a classic Vanilla Cupcake recipe is something bakers are always on the hunt for. We know the struggle and once we perfected our Vanilla Cupcake recipe, it became one of our all-time favourites! Our classic Vanilla Cupcakes are delicious and so versatile! One favourite variation of this recipe is our Magic Mallow Charms Cupcakes—all you need to add to our recipe is our Liquid Magic Mallow and your favourite marshmallow cereal! What’s better than cupcakes and marshmallow cereal? Nothing we can think of! Check out the recipe HERE.
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This might be the most delicious collab we’ve done yet! Thanks for sharing your story and helping us to create the Baking Romper, Jenna and Ashley! Shop the full collection HERE.