At a young age, Mallory Pleiss was drawn to both art and baking. Her aunt had a cake business and created cakes for themed birthday parties her mother planned for Pleiss and her sisters; Pleiss fondly recalls receiving a “Pocahontas”-themed confection for her eighth birthday.
Pleiss began decorating cakes of her own at age 13. Today, her home-based Icing On The Cake business — started in 2017 — produces intricately designed and tasty treats for weddings, baby showers, Super Bowl parties, and celebratory events. “Each cake is decorated with a rich and sweet buttercream icing, the signature of my cake business,” says Pleiss, who especially enjoys crafting football helmet cakes. “I love the challenge of just looking at a photo to freehand draw the logos on the helmets,” she says.
It was through her primary job as the operations manager at Genesis Tri-State Athletic Club that she met another culinary inspiration: Just Rennie’s owner Doug Rennie, who works out at Genesis. Pleiss had the honor of baking her friend’s 60th birthday cake, naming it “Chef Doug’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Dream Cake.”
“We exchange desserts and critique each other, and he many times has challenged me on things,” Pleiss says of Rennie. One such challenge was an opera cake, a French recipe known for its rich coffee and chocolate flavors. “Its name comes from its layers resembling the tiers of an opera house,” Pleiss says. Another recent addition is a carrot cake recipe courtesy of her friend Patti Marx.
Pleiss has increased Icing On The Cake orders through friends, word of mouth, and social media, and she says her marketing degree earned at Oakland City University enhances her entrepreneurial spirit. Inspired by her mentors as well as a book she’s reading — “The Creative Act: A Way of Being” by record producer Rick Rubin — she says she’s learned that “art and stories are all around us just waiting for someone to notice and give them life.”
Pleiss also loves building relationships through baking — that is what’s behind the name of her small but growing business. “I have come to see that helping with a celebration is the ‘icing on the cake’ — connecting with people, sharing their stories,” she says.
